Inclusive Poster Design

Browse this resource from TRU’s Learning Technology & Innovation Team to learn how to design an effective poster and why that’s important. You will also find templates to download and technical instructions.

Poster Design Principles

Watch the following 5-minute video to learn about four design principles to apply in your poster design. It will help enhance the look of your poster and help your audience better understand the content you’re sharing.

Accessible Design Strategies

Watch the following 4-minute video to learn about three accessible design strategies to apply in your poster design. Creating accessible posters minimizes the exclusion of the poster session attendees.

Examples of Effective and Ineffective Poster Design

Click the images below to view the designs full size.

Effective Poster Design

Why is this design effective?

  • Consistent, complimentary colours across the poster
  • Sufficient contrast between background and text colours
  • Consistent spacing and styling across all sections
  • Strong and organized design hierarchy that clearly directs the eye where to go

Ineffective Poster Design

Why is this design ineffective?

  • Inconsistent colours across the poster
  • Insufficient contrast between background and text colours
  • Inconsistent spacing and styling across all sections
  • Weak and disconnected design hierarchy that doesn’t clearly direct the eye where to go

Poster Templates to Preview & Download

Click the buttons below to preview the designs and/or download the templates (36″x48″). In each template, the first slide is an example with content and the remaining slides are designs you can edit.

Landscape (3 columns)

Preview (.pdf) Download (.ppt)

Landscape (4 columns)

Preview (.pdf) Download (.ppt)

Portrait (2 columns)

Preview (.pdf) Download (.ppt)

Portrait (3 columns)

Preview (.pdf) Download (.ppt)

Additional Resources

Are you looking for help with PowerPoint or wanting some quick tips and tricks? Please review the additional resources below. All links open in a new tab.

Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to discuss a classroom visit, please email us at learningtech@tru.ca

References

Academic Poster Resources: Accessibility. Yale University Library Research Guides at Yale University. (n.d.). https://guides.library.yale.edu/academic-poster-resources/accessibility

Creating an academic poster: Tips and tricks. Research Guides at Thompson Rivers University Library. (n.d.). https://libguides.tru.ca/academicposters

How can I create a conference poster that is accessible to people with disabilities?. Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology | DO-IT. (n.d.). https://www.washington.edu/doit/how-can-i-create-conference-poster-accessible-people-disabilities

Williams, R. (2014). The Non-Designer’s Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice. (4th ed.). Peachpit Press.