Informative Easy to Understand Academic Research Posters and Presentations

Transcription

1 Effective Attractive Infrmative Easy t Understand Academic Research Psters and Presentatins Greater marketing fr yur wrk Rbin Adams, Agricultural Cmmunicatins and Technlgy Schl f Agriculture and Envirnmental Sciences N.C. A&T State University

2 Mst Wanted: Creating Engaging, Attractive, Infrmative and Easy t Understand Academic Research Psters Why create research psters? Opprtunities t have discussins abut yur research Opprtunities t market yu, yur wrk and yur institutin Allws presenters t have mre time with audience members What d I d first? Determine yur audience faculty, researchers, students, general public Create fr the audience, nt fr yu Think abut the different kinds f peple wh will examine yur pster The skimmer walks by and reads the headlines, glances at the pictures, gets a basic understanding The reader cnverted skimmer r very interested in yur subject matter, spends mre time with yu and reads all the text, may nt interact with yu The chatter can be aggravating r the mst interesting persn, asks lts f questins, may r may nt read the pster, wants t quiz yu. If yu are prepared this can be the mst rewarding audience member. What stry d yu want t tell? What infrmatin d yu want t include Hw can yu tell that stry in wrds and pictures? What text is needed What images/artwrk is needed t tell the stry Hw can yu make yur infrmatin inviting, attractive and infrmative? Writing Use shrt sentences and simple wrds Avid jargn Use active vice Prfread, prfread, prfread Sectins think f them as yu wuld a paper Title Authr Authr s institutin affiliatin Intrductin/abstract 300 wrd maximum Methds 300 wrd maximum, supplement with graphics Results 300 wrd maximum, supplement with graphics Cnclusins 300 wrd maximum Acknwledgements References ptinal Outline yur pster first in a wrd prcessing prgram Design Decide what infrmatin yu can transfer t a visual frmat Use tables, graphics, drawings and phtgraphs

3 Create a strybard. Sketch yur pster n a sheet f paper, marking space where yu will place each item Aim fr a text/graphics balance percent text, 40 percent graphics, 20 percent white space Make sure yur graphics are self explanatry they shuldn t need captins Label the data n yur charts and graphs Select apprpriate fnts and clrs Use simple bld fnts that are legible frm 6 feet away Sans serif fnts (withut feet) are the easiest t read fr headlines, titles Helvetica, Arial, Verdana and Tahma Serif fnts are best fr bdy text Garamnd, Bk Antigua, Bkman Old Style, r Times New Rman Suggested sizes 96 Title pint in bld 84 Authr s name pint size Pster cntent 32 pint size Make sure the fnt size fr each sectin is the same DON T USE ALL CAPS FOR ANY PORTION OF YOUR POSTER. IT S HARDER TO READ AND LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING. Be cnservative in selecting fnts. The pster will be printed frm a different machine s try t use fnts that are cmmn. If it s abslutely necessary t use a creative fnt, save the pster as a PDF s the printer will print what s n the screen. Use clr judiciusly 2 3 clrs is generally best Muted clrs are best fr the backgrund since text will be n tp f the clr. Generally light backgrund and dark text wrks better than dark backgrund and light text. If in dubt, lk at traffic signs. They have researched the clr cmbinatins s they are mst readable. Flurescent lighting may intensify clrs, making bright clrs unpleasant t view Dark text, light backgrund Light text, dark backgrund

4 Watch the use f gradated clr fr the backgrund. Takes lnger t print. Oftentimes the printer wn t give yu the desired effect. Balance the wrds and graphics Gd psters need nt be symmetrical Keep items in prprtin try t keep a balance Bad Better Remember the Rule f Thirds Makes things aesthetically pleasing Visual images can be divided int three sectins The Results The Prblem The Prject Use white space, it s a graphic element Using PwerPint t make yur pster Easy t use Readily available Widely acceptable Hme Tab Select Blank Getting started in PwerPint A pster is a single slide Open PwerPint In the Hme tab, select Layut and in the drpdwn bx select Blank

5 T size, select Page Setup frm the Design tab One dimensin has t be a maximum f 42 In the dialgue bx that pps up, select Custm under Slide sized fr: Enter the width and height remember ne dimensin has t be 42. That s the maximum size paper we have. Add text Create yur headline by ging t the Insert tab, select Text bx. Draw yur text bx and type r paste yur text. On the Hme tab, select yur fnt, text size and fnt clr. If yu chse t paste yur text, g t the prgram with yur text, highlight the text yu want t paste. G back t the pster. Place the cursr in the text bx and then select paste. On the Hme tab, yu can select yur fnt, text size and clr. Add graphics, pictures, charts. Insert Tab, then select what yu are inserting T align items use the ruler r gridlines Ruler tab, then check ruler and/r gridlines T align items autmatically, select ne element, push shift and select a secnd element. On the menu bar, yu shuld get a tab that says frmat, select align and determine hw yu want t align the items. Add a backgrund by ging t the design tab and then selecting a template backgrund r ne yu create. Once the pster is cmplete, save it in yur My Dcuments flder. T transfer t the pster flder fllw these steps. 1. Left click n the Start menu (circle at the left bttm n the machine) and select Run. 2. In the Open bx type: \\argyle\pster$ and press return. 3. Nw drag yur presentatin and drp it int the windw that appeared frm the previus step. 4. Once the pster is in the file call r e mail Rbin Adams at r radams@ncat.edu t let her knw the pster is ready fr printing and the name f the file. Psters shuld be turned in at least a week befre they are due. Use the university interlcking A&T n yur pster, it s fund in the lg flder in the flder file. Dn t use the University seal. A pster is nt an fficial university dcument. ACT des nt have the ability t laminate r trim psters. Be careful with laminatin, in sme settings the lighting can make the pster hard t read. Only researchers/faculty have access t the pster flder. Student wrk has t be placed in the pster flder by a researcher/faculty member.

6 P OWERP OINT PRESENTATIONS 7 Steps fr Preparing Pwerful Presentatin ON POINT 1. State the bjectives and write them dwn at the end f the presentatin I want the audience t think I want her t d. I want them t say I want him t feel. 2. Answer the basic questins Why am I making the presentatin? What am I ging t say? What des the audience want t hear? Wh am I saying it t? Where will I be saying it? 3. Use a clear and lgical structure break yur material int manageable chunks like the chapters in a bk. Share the structure with yur audience, it will help them t. 4. Tell the audience what they want t hear, nthing mre They dn t want t hear everything that yu knw, r have dne. They want t hear the parts that are relevant t them. 5. Think f yur presentatin as telling a stry There shuld be a beginning, a middle and an end. Each part shuld flw lgically frm the previus part and it shuld be tld in yur natural style f speech. 6. Spend time n the pening wrds f the presentatin Yu need t grab the audience s attentin while yu have the chance. Once yu have lst their attentin it is very hard t get it back. 7. Rehearse with smene wh desn t knw the subject They can tell yu whether r nt it is clear, whether yu have missed smething and mst imprtantly whether it meets the bjectives yu set in Step 1. Befre yu get started Dn t get caught up in the gee whiz features f PwerPint. Dn t verwhelm the audience with yur flare fr animatin r a demnstratin f every bell and whistle the sftware cntains. The purpse is t present infrmatin, nt verwhelm the audience. PwerPint is merely a tl and is singular. PwerPint helps t make it attractive, readable and understandable. Have a structure. Tell them what yu are ging t tell them; then tell them what yu tld them. Have a fcus, a main pint yu are trying t cmmunicate. T design an effective presentatin, fllw these three basic rules: Match design t purpse What is yur purpse? Keep it simple Cut the clutter tw fnt families, n mre than ne graphic image r chart per slide, excluding lg r recurring element in the design. Be cnsistent

7 Use the same clrs and fnts thrughut. Select graphics in the same style. Templates help with cnsistency. Visuals If I can t see it, I dn t understand it. Albert Einstein Diagrams, graphs and images are an effective way f cmmunicating infrmatin in a memrable way. It is quicker and mre effective t demnstrate a rise in sales n a graph, than with a blck f text. Visuals are used t add interest and act as a supprt t yur speech. This is mre effective and memrable than reading text frm the slide. They can simplify a cmplicated prcess r cncept. Arrws r clrs can be used t draw attentin t key infrmatin. Pitfalls Use the right type f graph fr the infrmatin. Make sure the clrs in the diagrams reflect thse used thrughut the presentatin. Visuals shuld act as a supprt t yur message. Keep it simple. Remve extra details. Text Make a pact with the devil. Fllw the 666 rule. N mre than 6 wrd slides in a rw, n mre than 6 bullet pints n a slide, n mre than 6 wrds in a bullet pint. Use ne r tw fnts frm the same family generally Arial, Helvetica Tahma and Times Rman are plain and easy t read. Ensure that the text can be clearly seen. Fnt size shuld be n less than 18 pints if it is t be viewed cmfrtably n screen. Stay belw the 40 pint size. Use phrases rather than sentences. These act as a prmpt t the pint yu are making and will ensure yu d nt just repeat what is n the slide. Use the text placehlders set up in yur slide master. Yur titles and text blcks will always be in exactly the same place n each slide and yur titles will nt jump frm slide t slide. Use clip art, animatin, vide and audi nly if it serves a purpse. Dn t use the presentatin as yur lecture ntes. Yur slides shuld cmplement and emphasize what yu say, nt reiterate it. If yu want yur audience t have mre infrmatin, make cpies f yur lecture ntes fr them t leave behind. Template Benefit Clarity and cnsistency. A well thught ut template cntains: Layut Any recurring elements such as lgs r images Fnt type and size Line, fnt and backgrund clrs. Use clrs that are appealing withut giving a headache. Blues, greens, burgundy and grays cnvey prfessinalism. Red and range are high energy but can be difficult t stay fcused n when used excessively. If yu get the template right, it will nt nly save yu time but make yur presentatin lk mre prfessinal, ensuring cnsistency thrughut. There will be n shifting titles, wrng fnts r clashing clrs, hwever many peple wrk n the presentatin.

8 Reinfrce the crprate brand r image. Custm templates add impact and riginality. Cmpany clrs and lgs can be incrprated int the design thereby, reinfrcing the brand. Templates are available n line. A&T des have a template that yu are expected t use. Reviewing the Presentatin Take an bjective and verall lk at yur presentatin. One slide ne pint Clean, easy t understand Cnsistent in use f fnts, clrs and layut Lgical flw t the slides 10 Pwer Tips fr Calming Presentatin Butterflies 1. Arrive early and walk briskly arund the rm befre anyne is there, making it yur wn. 2. Greet audience members as they cme in, shaking hands and building friendship bridges. 3. G t an ut f sight area and bend frm the waist, letting yur hands and arms drp t the grund. 4. Take deep breaths, letting the air ut slwly. 5. Tense and relax the muscles in yur face, arms, stmach and legs. 6. Stretch yur neck, arms and legs. 7. Cncentrate n yur success. 8. Visualize the audience as yu want them t act immediately after the presentatin. 9. Calm the vices in yur head telling yu that this is hard r that yu wn t be successful. 10. Tell a stry r anecdte very early n that will require yu t mve arund, make large gestures r raise yur vice any f which will serve as a release fr yur nervus energy. Questins/Ntes?