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Designing Effective Posters: Before & After Examples

Learn how to design and publish effective posters. This guide includes sections on design elements, the poster design process, and using software to create posters.

Examples Overview

As an exercise, apply the criteria in the poster evaluation checklist to the examples on this page. Complete an evaluation for each example, then compare your evaluation with ours. (Note: You may see something we didn't think of!)

The following examples illustrate issues with content, design and layout, graphics, and an overall example.  Each includes a version needing improvement, our evaluation (completed worksheet) , and a revised version of the same poster. 

These examples have been manipulated to illustrate types of problems with posters. In real life, design problems are often more subtle, and design solutions are partly a matter of personal style. Evaluations are to some extent subjective.

Content Example

Content Example

To see a larger version, click on the image.

Original Version

 

Revised Version

 

Design and Layout Example

Design and Layout Example

To see a larger version, click on the image.

Original Version

 

Revised Version

Graphics Example

Graphics Example

To see a larger version, click on the image.

Original Version

 

Revised Version

Overall Example

Overall Example

To see a larger version, click on the image.

Original Version

 

Revised Version