Presentation

Digital Poster Reflection

For my digital poster presentation, I chose to focus on Westlaw, a powerful legal research tool used by lawyers, judges, and law students. Since I plan to enter the legal field, I wanted to create something both informative and relevant to my future career. My goal was to explain what Westlaw is, share its history, and show its advantages and disadvantages in a clear, engaging way.

To design the poster, I used several important digital media design principles:

• Contrast: I used bright white and orange text against a black background to help the information stand out. This made key points easier to find and read.

• Hierarchy: I organized the content into sections (Introduction, History, Advantages, Disadvantages, etc.) with bold titles so viewers could quickly understand the structure.

• Alignment and Balance: I placed images, text blocks, and icons in a clean layout that felt balanced from left to right and top to bottom. The chart on the left and the text on the right helped balance visual weight.

The images and visuals, such as the pie chart, helped add interest and guide the viewer’s eyes. The chart (showing that 97% of top firms use Westlaw) supports the main idea that Westlaw is widely trusted in the legal field. I also included a video to make the poster more interactive and help explain Westlaw’s features in a dynamic way.

For digital development design principles, I focused on how users interact with tools like Westlaw. One of the most important ideas is usability, which means how easy and effective a system is for people to use. In my poster, I highlighted Westlaw’s tools—like KeyCite and search filters—that make legal research faster and more user-friendly. These tools support user-centered design by meeting the specific needs of law students, lawyers, and judges.

I also showed that while Westlaw is useful, it has some downsides like the learning curve and expensive subscription. Including pros and cons made the poster more balanced and informative.

Overall, my goal was to keep the design clean, professional, and focused on helping viewers quickly learn about Westlaw. I wanted each section to have a purpose and connect back to the main message. This project helped me practice using visual design to support learning, and I now feel more confident using digital tools to share important information.