Guidelines for Successful and Accessible Presentations
Congratulations on being selected to present your
research at the CRS Brazil 2026: Redefining Borders and Interfaces in Delivery
Science and Biopharmaceutical Innovation! To help you deliver a presentation that
clearly communicates the importance and impact of your work, we’ve assembled
the following guidelines. These recommendations are designed to support you in
delivering a presentation that is both engaging and accessible to all members
of your audience.
Poster
Presentations
Before Designing Your Poster
Objective: Define your message, know
your audience, and plan your poster structure before you start designing.
1. Know your audience. There is a lot of diverse expertise represented at
CRS. You’ll likely be visited by attendees closely related to your
sub-discipline and attendees with very different expertise. Be sure to include
enough background information so that anyone within the delivery science space
can understand your poster.
2. Clarify your core message. Define your one main takeaway, or the idea you want
your audience to remember, and identify 2-3 supporting points that logically
lead to that message. Remember that no one is grading the number of experiments
you’ve done! Trim anything that isn’t central to your story.
3. What are you looking to gain from your poster
presenting experience? Do
you want general interest in your findings, discussion about conclusions, next
steps, or troubleshooting advice? Recruitment? Collaboration? Let these goals
drive your design decisions.
4. Understand the conference requirements. Don’t show up with a landscape poster when everyone
else has a vertical poster.
5. Sketch your poster layout on paper first. Keep it rough. Think about a logical visual
hierarchy, which figures and diagrams you’ll need, and how they’ll flow
logically throughout your poster. Sketching on paper is much easier than
sketching in PowerPoint!
Preparing Your Poster
Objective: Design a poster that is
visually clear, readable at a distance, and accessible to all attendees. The recommended poster size is 90 cm (width) x 120 cm (height).
Please note that poster presentations will be conducted onsite, and presenters are required to bring a printed version of their poster.
1. Make your poster easy to skim through. Most people skim first and dive deeper only if
interested. Use clear section headings, keep text blocks short, use bullet
points over long paragraphs, and highlight key results visually. Avoid dense
blocks of text, which can be challenging for attendees with cognitive or
attention differences.
2. Prioritize visual storytelling. If someone only sees the visuals, will they
understand the message? Use simplified charts with clear labels, remove
unnecessary gridlines, clutter, or tiny legends. Use visuals over words
whenever possible. Ensure text is not overlaid on busy background images, which
reduces readability.
3. Design for readability at a distance. Use sans-serif fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica) with
large titles (~85-120 pt), headings (~55-70 pt), and body text (~36-48 pt), and
figures sized to be readable from several feet away.
4. Use accessible colors. Ensure strong color contrast, such as dark text on a
light background. Use neutral colors for text and backgrounds - no one wants to
read yellow text on a blue background. Avoid ed-green combinations; use
colorblind-safe palettes. For multicolor microscopy images, palettes like magenta/green, cyan/red, or blue/yellow/magenta are accessible. For data
visualized in graphs, do not rely on color alone to convey meaning; add labels,
shapes, or patterns.
5. Leave white space. Empty space on your poster improves legibility and
keeps the poster from feeling overwhelming or unapproachable.
6. Make it easy for people to follow up. Include contact info, QR codes that link to your
paper, dataset, or code. Be sure the QR code is large enough to scan from 3-4
feet away.
Delivering
Your Presentation
Objective: Communicate your research
clearly, inclusively, and engagingly to diverse audiences.
1. Prepare two versions of your presentation: 1) A 20-30 second pitch that conveys the problem you
are addressing, what you did, the key result, and why it matters, and 2) a
longer version (no more than 5 minutes) to provide a deeper dive and present to
judges.
2. Tailor your explanation to your audience. Not everyone who visits your poster will be an expert
in your field. Pay attention to cues like what questions your audience is
asking or what background knowledge they have to guide your explanation. Be
mindful of speaking volume, pace, and clarity, especially in noisy poster
halls. Face the person you are speaking to and offer to repeat or rephrase if
needed (“Would it help if I walk through this figure again more slowly?”).
3. Use your poster as a visual aid, not a script. Refrain from reading directly off your poster.
Instead, point to key graphs and figures as you explain them.
4. Explain figures and graphs thoroughly. Don’t assume your audience understands the type of
data visualization you’re showing - explain the axes of every graph, identify
the controls, and describe the key takeaway rather than the raw numbers.
Explain how the results connect to your big picture.
5. Be welcoming and approachable. Stand close to your poster, not behind it. Make eye
contact and greet the people who glance at your poster. Even a quick “Hi! Let
me know if you’d like a walkthrough” boosts engagement.
6. Prepare for common questions like “What surprised you most?” “What's next for this
project?” “What are the limitations?” and “How does this relate to [X]?”
7. Manage your time during busy sessions. If multiple people arrive, give newcomers a quick
orientation, pause and invite them to join, and ask the group if there are any
specific aspects of the work that interests them. This invites discussion as a
group and saves time during the session.
Quick
Reference Checklist
Before your poster session, verify that you have:
☐ One clear main takeaway identified and highlighted on
your poster
☐ Background/Objective section in plain language
☐ Minimum font sizes: Titles ~85-120 pt, Headings
~55-70 pt, Body text ~36-48 pt
☐ Strong color contrast (dark text on light background)
☐ Colorblind-safe palette (avoiding red/green only
combinations)
☐ Labels, shapes, or patterns on graphs (not color
alone)
☐ Contact information and QR codes (scannable from 3-4
feet)
☐ 20-30 second pitch prepared and practiced
☐ Longer 5-minute version prepared for detailed
discussions
☐ Answers prepared for common questions
Oral
Presentations
Before Designing Your Presentation
Objective: Define your message, know
your audience, and plan your presentation structure before you start designing.
1. Know your audience. Review the scope of your session and the titles of
the accompanying presentations to understand the likely expertise of your
audience. Use this context to determine how much background information to
provide so that all attendees, regardless of sub-discipline, can fully follow
and appreciate the details of your work.
2. Clarify your core message. Define your one main takeaway, or the idea you want
your audience to remember, and identify 2-3 supporting points that logically
lead to that message. Remember that no one is grading the number of experiments
you’ve done! Trim anything that isn’t central to your story.
3. Draft an inclusive narrative structure. Outline the flow of your talk before making slides:
Motivation → Question or Gap in Knowledge → Approach → Results → Implications. Work
this structure into a roadmap to provide your audience: tell them what you’re
going to tell them, tell them, then remind them what you told them.
Preparing Your Slides
Objective: Design your slides to be
visually clear, readable at a distance, and accessible to all attendees. The
presentation time is 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for questions
and answers.
1. Visual accessibility is key! Use sans-serif fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica) with
a minimum size of 32- 36 pt for titles and 24-28 pt for body text. Ensure
strong color contrast such as dark text on a light background. Use neutral
colors for text and backgrounds - no one wants to read yellow text on a blue
background. Avoid red-green combinations; use colorblind-safe palettes. For
multicolor microscopy images, palettes like magenta/green, cyan/red, or blue/yellow/magenta
are accessible. For data visualized in graphs, do not rely on color alone to
convey meaning; add labels, shapes, or patterns.
2. Design clean, simple slides. Limit each slide to 1-3 key points. Use visually
clear graphics rather than dense blocks of text, which can be challenging for
attendees with cognitive or attention differences. Keep
plenty of white space.
3. Make figures and graphs understandable. Use large labels and thick line weights. Label data
directly instead of relying on legends. Don’t assume your audience understands
the type of graph you’re showing - explain the axes of every graph, identify
the controls, and describe the key takeaway rather than the raw numbers.
4. Use visual cues for smooth transitions. Smooth transitions can make the difference between a
talk that feels awkward and choppy and a talk that feels well-rehearsed and
confident. For example, “Given X result, we next asked Y,” with a visual cue
like a pop-up box with Y question offers a smooth transition.
5. Use talking titles. Instead of “Results,” title your slide something like
“Treatment X Reduces Error Rates by 40%.” Slide titles should occupy no more
than two lines of text.
6. Reduce sensory barriers. Avoid flashing, strobing, or rapidly moving
animations. Do not use Prezistyle animations or slide transitions.
Delivering
Your Presentation
Objective: Communicate your research
clearly, inclusively, and engagingly to diverse audiences.
1. Speak at a measured pace, using a conversational tone with short pauses
between key ideas.
2. Bring a water bottle to the podium with you.
3. Face the audience so people can read your lips or facial expressions.
Try making eye contact with different members of the audience throughout the
room.
4. Speak into the microphone, even if you think you’re loud enough or the room is
small. Auditory accessibility varies widely.
5. Describe important visual content aloud (e.g., “This red line shows…”) Avoid use of
words like “clearly” or “obviously” while describing your data, as it may
alienate some audience members.
6. Define all acronyms at first use.
During
the Q&A
1. Repeat all questions into the microphone. This accomplishes three things at once: 1) ensures the
full audience heard the question, 2) allows you to confirm you understood it
correctly, and 3) buys you a moment to think before answering.
2. Take your time! You do not need to begin responding as soon as your
questioner finishes speaking. Saying something like, “That’s a really good
question,” and taking a sip of water can give you some time to thoughtfully
consider how you want to respond.
3. Keep your answers focused and concise. A Q&A is not a second presentation. Try to limit
even an in-depth response to ~30 seconds.
4. Manage multi-part or overly long questions. If someone asks you several things at once, break the
question into parts, answer the most relevant one first, and politely indicate
which components you’ll address. For example, “There are a couple of pieces
there, let me start with the design question…”
5. Handle challenging or critical questions gracefully. Stay calm, assume good intent, and focus on the
science. Try reframing the question neutrally, offering clarity, or providing
context for constraints or limitations (reagent accessibility, time, cost,
working on this now, etc.). If your questioner persists, offer to continue the
discussion during the next break.
Quick
Reference Checklist
Before your oral session, verify that you have:
☐ One clear main takeaway identified and highlighted in
your presentation
☐ Background/Objective section in plain language
☐ Minimum font sizes: Titles ~32-36 pt, Body text
~24-28 pt
☐ Strong color contrast (dark text on light background)
☐ Colorblind-safe palette (avoiding red/green only
combinations)
☐ Labels, shapes, or patterns on graphs (not color
alone)
☐ Answers prepared for common questions
These guidelines reflect CRS's commitment to fostering
inclusive, high-quality scientific exchange. By designing accessible and
engaging posters, you contribute to a conference environment where all
attendees—regardless of background, expertise, or ability—can participate fully
in the advancement of delivery science. Thank you for your attention to these
recommendations, and we look forward to your presentation!
For questions about these guidelines, please contact
the CRS Brazil 2026 Committee.
K Hotel - Goiânia - Goiás - Brazil | Brasil
