Poster presentations play a vital role in the dissemination of scholarly work and provide key opportunities for networking and professional growth. However, suboptimal poster design often hinders this transfer of knowledge and opportunity for meaningful engagement with peers. Drawing from principles of visual design and the increasing prominence of the "Better Poster" format, this Perspectives article presents practical suggestions for designing posters that hone messaging and promote interaction with viewers. We recommend a shift away from thinking of posters as a medium to present every detail of one's scientific work and toward reimagining posters as a tool to promote scholarly dialogue.
Kiger et al. (2026) studied this question.