Each year, scientists present countless research posters at conferences, symposia and academic gatherings, making the poster one of the most common—and most visible—forms of scientific communication.

Carolyn Trietsch recently defended her Ph.D. in entomology at Penn State. You can view her website or follow her on Twitter @carolyntrietsch. Poster presentations are a staple of academic conferences.

Last week, NPR’s "All Things Considered" covered an unusual topic: Scientific conference posters. For the first time in decades, scientists are rethinking the traditional design of the posters they ...