The Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU) program attends about 20 conferences annually, using these events as a primary way to share knowledge with stakeholders and public health professionals. Posters are a key part of this effort, offering a great way to share research, spark conversations, and build connections. They allow for personalized, one-on-one interactions, where researchers can dive deeper into their work based on viewer interest. Posters also present complex ideas visually, making them easier to understand, while boosting the researcher's visibility and opening doors for future opportunities.

When I first joined CHISU, the team used a template created in Google Slides to ensure accessibility for all country teams. The process involved teams adding content directly into the template, followed by an editor’s copyediting and suggestions left in comments. After approval, I would recreate the slide in Adobe InDesign, provide a proof, and work with our finance and operations team to procure printed posters. Finally, I coordinated with vendors for printing and shipping, both domestically and internationally.

While effective, this process presented opportunities for improvement. Our communications supervisor and I saw a chance to redesign the posters to make them more visually appealing and streamline the workflow. We started by creating a text template in Google Docs for teams to input their initial copy, with prompts and guidance on word count. This allowed for more direct copyediting, where teams could easily approve or reject suggestions, and changes were tracked via version history.

The redesigned template features cleaner, more unique visuals and intuitive layouts while maintaining consistency. The "CHISU petals" remain a core branding element, but removing the corner design freed up space for more content. A compelling key message is highlighted in a colored area to draw attention, and the same approach is used for the conclusion. The template is adaptable to suit the needs of each specific poster.