Effect of colour coordination of attire with poster presentation on poster popularity.

© 2003 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors Poster presentations are used to disseminate new knowledge at scientific conferences and meetings and to provide opportunities for liaison within the scientific community. The factors that influence people’s decisions to visit scientific posters are not well understood. Through a MEDLINE search, we found only 2 studies that addressed poster design and outlined techniques for making posters attractive to viewers. Neither study examined the influence of the presenter’s attire on visitation rates. We therefore decided to determine whether the degree to which a presenter’s attire coordinates with the poster influences the number of visitors at the poster. The study poster consisted primarily of text set against 4 non-clashing colours (blue, lavender, green and yellow). The study presenter was given 2 blouses to wear during the poster session. One blouse (lavender coloured) coordinated with the colours of the poster, and the other blouse (rust coloured) clashed with the poster (Fig. 1). The blouses were similar in style, and both were ironed by hotel staff on the morning of the presentation. For the control poster, we selected one from the registered poster presentations that was similar to the study poster in theme (pediatrics in developing countries), location (adjacent to the study poster) and use of colour, and whose presenter wore neutralcoloured clothing (Fig. 2). The control presenter gave consent to participate in the study and agreed not to change her attire or behaviour throughout the poster session. The presenters coincidentally shared many characteristics (sex, age, height, race, nationality and hair colour). The study presenter began the presentation wearing the lavender-coloured blouse. Because of a delayed start to the poster session, we did not know how long the session would last or when the midpoint would occur. We therefore asked the presenter to change into the rust-coloured blouse after 22 minutes (when there were no visitors). After a subsequent 28 minutes she changed back into the lavender-coloured blouse (again when there were no visitors) for the remaining 17 minutes. Every 60 seconds, a study investigator (located in a secret observation point about 4 metres away) recorded the number of visitors to both the study and control posters. (A visitor was defined as a person looking at the poster or engaged in conversation with the poster presenter.) During the entire session, both presenters were asked to maintain their posture and resting hand position. Their method of greeting, engaging and conversing with visitors was controlled: the presenters were asked not to start a conversation with any potential visitor unless spoken to first by the visitor. Effect of colour coordination of attire with poster presentation on poster popularity