Poster presentations at academic conferences - how to design a poster that doesn’t give people eye strain or bore the pants off them

Oh, the academic conference poster presentation. The joys, right?! How do you design a poster that’s not going to make people wish they had laser eye surgery? How do you present it in a way that doesn’t have people shrinking away like Homer Simpson in the bush scene 2 minutes later?

Let’s be honest: academic poster sessions have a bit of a reputation.

You walk into a room full of coffee, biscuits, and enormous boards covered in Times New Roman size 8. You’re squinting, awkwardly edging between people, pretending to read something that looks like a journal article printed out and glued onto cardboard. It’s... a lot.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Poster presentations are actually a brilliant opportunity to share your work, especially if you’re not ready to give a full paper or want something a little less intimidating for your first conference. And when done right, they can really make you (and your research) stand out.

So, how do you make a poster that grabs attention, actually communicates your research, and doesn’t require a magnifying glass? Let’s talk about it.

What’s the point of a poster presentation, anyway?

A poster is basically your research at a glance. It’s not supposed to tell people everything - it’s supposed to spark interest, give people a flavour of your work, and start a conversation. Think of it as an academic version of a movie trailer or a great visual summary.

During a poster session, attendees walk around the space, stopping at posters that catch their eye. You’ll usually stand next to yours, ready to talk to people about it and answer questions. So the poster draws them in, and you bring it to life.

How to write and design your conference poster

Let’s start with the obvious: you’re not writing a journal article. You’re designing a visual presentation - which means words are not the star of the show. Your aim is to communicate clearly and attract attention from across the room.

Here’s what that actually looks like:

1. Use Canva. Honestly.

If you’re not already using Canva, now’s the time. It’s free (or cheap if you want the Pro version), easy to use, and packed with gorgeous templates that make you look like a graphic design whiz even if you haven’t touched a layout tool in your life. And no, I am not sponsored by Canva or getting paid to push it on you, I’ve used it myself for years and I love it, that’s all!

Start with a poster-sized blank canvas (most conferences will tell you the size – often A1 or A0). Use Canva’s grids, headings, and icons to structure your content. No more fiddling about in Word or PowerPoint trying to align text boxes. Canva does the heavy lifting for you.

Check out my YouTube video for more help with Canva - watch now.

2. Cut. The. Words.

This is the big one. So many posters have entire essays pasted onto them. Nobody wants to stand there reading 1,000 words in font size 9 while juggling a conference tote bag and a lukewarm tea.

Here’s the golden rule: if someone needs to stand less than a metre away to read your text, it’s too small.

Aim for:

• Short, clear sentences.

• Bullet points (used sparingly).

• Font size 24 or higher for body text.

• Font size 48+ for headings.

If you’ve got more to say than fits on the poster? Great! That’s what the conversations are for.

3. Structure it clearly

People want to understand your project at a glance. Use clear headings like:

• Title (short, snappy, informative)

• Research question or aim

• Method

• Key findings or themes

• Conclusions or implications

You can even throw in a small QR code linking to a full paper or your email address. Easy, modern, and tidy.

4. Include visuals (but not just for decoration)

Charts, graphs, diagrams, and photos can do a lot of heavy lifting on a poster - especially if they’re clearly labelled and easy to interpret. Just make sure they’re actually helping to tell the story of your research, not just filling space. Why is a picture of a fruit bowl on a poster about the UK government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy? Yes - I actually saw this at a conference in 2005 and it still keeps me up at night.

If your research doesn’t lend itself to charts, consider creating a visual timeline, a concept map, or even some participant quotes in a bold, stylised way.

What not to do

Alright, let’s get into the “please don’t” section — the things that happen far too often and make posters harder to engage with:

❌ Don’t copy and paste chunks from a thesis chapter. That long paragraph from your literature review? It doesn’t belong here. People have neither the time nor the motivation to read that in a poster session.

❌ Don’t forget about contrast and colour. Light grey text on a white background = a nightmare for accessibility. Keep text dark and backgrounds light (or vice versa), and make sure there’s enough contrast for everyone to read comfortably.

❌ Don’t over-design it. Yes, Canva is amazing. No, you don’t need twelve fonts and a rainbow gradient. Stick to two fonts max, a simple colour palette, and clear layout.

Avoid brash colours and strange fonts that belong on a children’s party invitation!

How to actually present your poster

When the session starts, you’ll usually be asked to stand near your poster. It can feel a bit awkward at first, but remember: most people are curious and friendly. If they stop, smile and say something like:

“Hi! This is my research on [topic]. Would you like a quick overview?”

Then give them the 30-second version. You don’t need a script - just a casual explanation of what you studied, why it matters, and what you found or are exploring.

If they ask questions, great! If they nod and move on, also fine! Every conversation is a chance to practise talking about your work - and you never know who you might meet.

You might also want to bring a a QR code which points to your website, blog, or LinkedIn profile. Bonus points if you include a short link to your poster as a PDF, so people can take a closer look later.

Finally, are posters just a pound shop (or dollar store) version of a conference paper?

Yep, someone needed to say it. It’s what we’ve all thought at one point, right?! Sorry, not sorry.

Poster presentations are not a lesser form of conference participation - they’re a fantastic way to get feedback, practise sharing your research, and connect with people who are genuinely interested in your work.

So embrace the Canva templates, cut that text down, and make something that’s eye-catching, clear, and conversation-worthy. Your poster isn’t a lecture on paper - it’s a conversation starter. Keep it simple, make it stylish, and don’t forget to enjoy yourself on the day.

Want more tips on conferences? Start with my blogpost on how to survive conferences if you’re a massive introvert who hates “people-y” things like conferences - click here to read that.