Communicate, don’t decorate

Have you ever eaten wedding cake?

Was it the most delicious cake you’ve ever had?

Doubtful.

The layers might not even be cake in some of them; just styrofoam instead. Even if it’s not styrofoam, the taste might be about appealing as styrofoam.

The people making them get so concerned about whether the cake matches the decor and the bride’s dress, they forget the point of a cake: to be delicious.

Many posters are like wedding cakes. People get so obsessed with the decoration, they miss the point. The point of making a conference poster is communication. Never lose sight of that.