Poster presentations offer a visual medium through which doctoral candidates can develop both their written and oral communication skills.  During poster sessions, candidates can practice answering questions and receiving feedback about their research in preparation for their oral defence. Candidates can discuss their research with experts, who could be future employers or collaborators. In addition, candidates attending conferences represent the University of Auckland and advertise the research conducted to potential students, collaborators and employees. Hence, producing effective and professional posters is both beneficial to the student and to the university. 

Good poster design is a challenge and many candidates struggle with understanding and using the medium effectively. Posters constrain the amount of information candidates can present, so they must learn to write concisely, use visuals to enrich their message and distill the most important parts of their research. Therefore, we have developed an online resource to assist students in developing the skills to produce professional and successful posters. 

(Silyn-Roberts, 2013, p. 154)