I start by outlining the content and then making a quick template on paper of how the poster could look, keeping freedom for visual creativity. In total, I spend approximately 4 days to a maximum of 1.5 weeks full time to prepare a poster. Martina Maritan, staff scientist in computational structural biology at the Scripps Research Institute and visual science communicator at 3D Protein Imaging My last step is adding the text and deciding the color palette for my poster. Once the backbone is set, I go digital and compose my poster, keeping everything black and white at first. Then, with paper and pencil, I make three to four rough sketches of possible layouts. I first decide what findings I want people to focus on and what figures would help me convey that information. Poster design typically requires 1 or 2 weeks for me. How much time and planning do you usually dedicate to preparing a poster? The responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. So, Science Careers asked researchers in a range of disciplines and career stages to share their tips for making the most of presenting a poster at a conference, including any adjustments they’ve made for conferences held online. Strategies and preferences also vary widely among scientists. The best approach may depend on whether the conference is being held in person or virtually. Through that experience, I learned that the work that goes into preparing a poster is just as valuable as the presentation itself.”Ĭrafting an effective poster presentation isn’t always straightforward. “Presenting that poster created the pressure that I needed to analyze my data and advance in my project. “It was a bit disheartening.” She chalked up the lackluster turnout to the poster session’s placement at the end of the conference schedule, and she tried to focus on how valuable it was to prepare the poster in the first place. “I remember this one time that I worked for months on a poster-and only two people came to talk to me,” Alonso-Rodríguez recalls. Yet, there are times when poster sessions don’t go as hoped. “These conversations can also inspire new research ideas and can often lead to new collaborations.” candidate in natural resources at the University of Vermont. “By discussing my work one-on-one with other researchers, I can identify what worked well and what needs improvement,” says Aura Alonso-Rodríguez, a Ph.D. Poster presentations at scientific conferences can provide early-career researchers with valuable opportunities to practice their communication skills, receive feedback on their research, and expand their network.