---
# System prepended metadata

title: 'HIST 1056: New Science of the Human Past Resource'

---

---
tags: resource
---

# HIST 1056: New Science of the Human Past Workshop Resource

## Our Team
We're excited to help you think about your scientific posters by introducing you to some graphic design principles and helping you create paper prototypes of those posters.

Helping you out across these sessions are:
* Emma Herman, Media & Design Fellow in History
* Emily Rivard, Media & Design Fellow in MCB
* Christine D'Auria, Assistant Director of the Learning Lab

## Workshop Recap
* We discussed the format of academic papers and how we read them in a linear order. This contrasts with posters, where sections are arranged in space in a way that allows readers to bounce among different sections. If we are thoughtful about this spatial arrangement, we can communicate the relationship among different sections!
* We looked at some examples of posters and thought about strategies we might use to make ideas expressed in this format clear.
    * How do I use color to organize my ideas and show the relationships among the components of my poster?
    * How does the alignment and the proximity of the different elements of my poster communicate ideas?
    * How and why might I want to implement repetition within my design to create a sense of unity and consistency?
    * What fonts should I use and when should I use them?
    * Are there places where text can be replaced with icons or other helpful graphical representations of the information?
    * Can elements of my poster be organized in a structure that communicates something about the relationships among the ideas (e.g., flowcharts, timelines, cycles, etc.)?
* We reviewed some basic graphic design principles that will be useful to keep in mind while creating your posters: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity.
* We talked about how we present posters in the same way we might give someone a tour of our home. We don’t need to memorize everything we are going to say. We are familiar with everything we want to talk about and can guide our audience through our work without a script.
* We did an activity in which we “remixed” an academic paper from class. We prototyped how the content from the paper might be displayed as a poster using craft supplies.

## Some Models
* [Poster Presentation Examples from UMD](https://ur.umbc.edu/poster-presentation-examples/)
* [An example of a data structure designed in Canva](https://www.canva.com/design/DAFxcW2uUVk/wfxvC6Yz7UweT8LtGOlGRw/view?utm_content=DAFxcW2uUVk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor)

## Resources
We've included some links here to help you get started on your scientific posters.

### Adobe InDesign
* [Quick guide to Adobe InDesign](https://hackmd.io/bnBQ3oxgTuWv4QgFz_Nggg?view)
* * [InDesign for Academic Posters](https://mediacommons.psu.edu/support/tutorials/indesign/)
* [InDesign Fundamentals](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/indesign-2023-essential-training/indesign-learn-the-fundamentals?u=2194065)
    * As a Harvard student, you have access to LinkedIn Learning (you can log in with your Harvard key).
* [Graphic Design Fundamentals](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/introduction-to-graphic-design-indesign/introduction-to-graphic-design-using-indesign?u=2194065)
    * again, log in with your Harvard Key to access LinkedIn Learning tutorials

### Canva
* [Canva poster sandbox](https://www.canva.com/design/DAFxz2d2rhQ/RzH8kfmrrQr7OqtQ49gGBQ/edit)
* [Canva tutorials](https://www.canva.com/designschool/tutorials/)
* [Canva LinkedIn Learning](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-canva-2?trk=learning-serp_learning-search-card_search-card&upsellOrderOrigin=default_guest_learning)
* [Making academic posters in Canva](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiO4QPCk7SE)

### Adobe Express
* [Quick guide to Adobe Express](https://hackmd.io/SSVh_jsLRdifnaAIjn6_Wg?view)

### Adobe Illustrator
* [Adobe tutorials](https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/tutorials.html)
* [Illustrator LinkedIn Learning](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/illustrator-2022-essential-training?trk=learning-topics_learning-search-card_search-card&upsellOrderOrigin=default_guest_learning)
* [Illustrator for scientists video series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2bcqyRxFrI&list=PLhKpKEPEAauYIsyjnIN2YXztNo7BrZVxQ)
### PowerPoint
* [PowerPoint Infographic Making LinkedIn Learning](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/powerpoint-creating-an-infographic?trk=learning-serp_learning-search-card_search-card&upsellOrderOrigin=default_guest_learning)
* [PowerPoint for scientists video series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4tsCXR_B3Y&list=PLaX2vrGncQxhg79Iz5mlXCA22_-HD6hny&index=16)
* [Tips for making posters in PowerPoint](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WnhoIbfcoM)

### General tips
#### Books available through HOLLIS
* Duarte, N. (2008). *Slide:ology : the art and science of creating great presentations* (First edition.). O'Reilly Media.
* Frankel, F., DePace, A. H., & ProQuest. (2012). *Visual strategies : a practical guide to graphics for scientists & engineers.* Yale University Press
#### Online Resources
* [General tips for making posters](https://www.simplifiedsciencepublishing.com/resources/free-research-poster-templates-and-tutorials)
* [Graphic Design Foundations: Layout and Composition](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/graphic-design-foundations-layout-and-composition/introducing-the-foundations-of-layout-and-composition?u=2194065)
* [Adobe Color Contrast Analyzer](https://color.adobe.com/create/color-contrast-analyzer)
* [Using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign together](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/photoshop-illustrator-indesign-powercombo-for-design/using-photoshop-illustrator-and-indesign-together?u=2194065)

