The design principles

A poster is not for the person hanging it. It is for the person walking past. The best one is not the one that speaks to you; it is the one a stranger cannot stop thinking about three days later.

So pick for the place. A faith community, a college campus and a working-class neighborhood each hear a different message, which is why every poster here is tagged by audience.

Hanging posters in an area where it might help to know the demographics? The ZIP code lookup at the bottom of the page will show you who lives there.

Ready to print/post?

Check out our guide on how to print, where to hang, and how to organize poster runs in your area.

Sharing guide →

Know your area

Before you choose a poster, look up the demographics where you plan to hang it. Age, income, religion, education: these tell you which message will land. Census Reporter gives you a full profile for any ZIP code.

Opens Census Reporter in a new tab, a free, nonpartisan tool built on U.S. Census data.

Submit your own design

Made something that belongs here? We want to see it. Every poster in this gallery follows the same rules:

  • Real black-and-white photography. Never AI-generated.
  • Bold, bright words over the image. The words stop people; the image stays with them.
  • Written for a specific audience, not for everyone at once.
  • Nonpartisan, and never aimed at a group of people.
  • Honest and unflinching.

Send it to posters@butwhatcanyoudo.org with the audience it is for and where you plan to hang it. We review every submission before it joins the gallery.

All posters are available in 18×24" for easy printing. See our print and digital sharing guides for supplies and tips.