Case study
Using design to make people stop, look and engage
I’ve designed large-format posters for scientific and technical conferences, educational programmes and public-facing information.
From evidence-heavy scientific conference posters to educational and interpretive displays, the challenge is similar: earn attention first, then make detailed information easy to explore.
The challenge
A poster has to work before anyone starts reading it.
From across a room, it needs enough presence to earn attention. A few steps closer, the subject and main message should become clear. Only then does the detailed content get a chance to do its job.
Conference posters add another challenge: there is often a lot of information worth keeping, but limited space and limited time to help people understand what matters first.
My role
My work ranges from turning evidence-heavy conference content into large-format layouts with a clear reading path to creating educational, interpretive and community-information posters for broader audiences.
I use hierarchy, scale, charts, diagrams and visual emphasis to establish what should be noticed first, then organise the supporting information so people can explore it easily.
The setting may be a scientific conference, a rural learning environment or a community being introduced to a new building, but the principle is similar: earn attention, establish the message and give people a clear way into the content.
Designing for three viewing distances
From across the room:
What will make someone stop?
A few steps closer:
Can they quickly understand what this is about and why it might matter to them?
Standing in front of it:
Is there a clear place to begin, and can they navigate the detail without having to work out the structure for themselves?
One format, very different jobs
See examples ranging from scientific conference posters to educational and community information
What this case shows
Large-format design is as much about sequence and attention as it is about fitting information onto a page.
Before designing, I consider:
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What needs to be understood from a distance?
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What should attract the intended audience?
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Which message deserves attention first?
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What information can be grouped or visualised?
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Where should someone begin once they decide to read?
The aim is not simply to make a poster noticeable. It is to give people a reason to approach it and a clear way into the information once they do.