What Makes a Good Poster?

Jessica Helfund expresses her great distaste of what "posters" are becoming in the design world.  She describes the long history of this informative artwork and how it portrays the social and cultural values of a generation.  There are 4 basic points of poster design that are described:
1.  Increased Participation by Scholarly Society Members (audience)- going through a rigorous editing process makes everything better, not just posters.  Also, knowing your audience and designing clearly for them is essential.
2.   For many researchers, the poster format is superior for the presentation of their data. (form and content) - "poster" is being referred to anything that is 8.5x11 and hung on a bulletin board, without any regard to the content.  All posters are different, even if addressing the same product.  Combining form with function and style with substance creates something unique in its time.
3.  The individual presentation time of a panel, i.e. 15-20 minutes is often not enough time. (scale) - posters are most effective when they are large, there is actually a physical reaction from the viewer.  Small posters work too, they show amounts of detail in the hands of a skilled designer.
4.  Poster sessions are a consideration to foreign colleagues. (audience) - basic rules apply to all types of posters:  Content. Form. Scale, Audience. Typography. Image. Hierarchy. Composition.


She finishes by asking students to team up with scholars in the humanities to volunteer and practice their craft in order to improve it; all while doing good for the community.