Making a Display

Your display should be neat, offer free information, and be graphically appealing, with elements visible from a distance to draw in people.

Artistically, make sure each element of your display adds to the overall 'statement' you wish to make. Don't stray from the subject too much.

Resist the temptation to crowd your display with too much. A cluttered appearance will tend to turn potential onlookers away. If your display is set up on a table, be sure not to hide the display elements behind too much 'table clutter'. (See How to Create a Public Information Table.)

When you're out and about, pay attention to other folks' displays, even if they're just promoting a simple product or service. Try to separate their issue or product from how they laid out their artwork. What colors or elements catch your eye? Is everything easy to read? How did they succeed, and how did they fail? You can learn as much from a sloppy presentation as from an expertly assembled one

Put yourself in the shoes of someone who's never heard of the War on Drugs. What would catch your attention? We find that simply looking at the faces of the prisoners of the drug war is enough to get people thinking.

Our display was made with black tri-fold posterboard, two feet by four feet by 1/8th inch thick (we used two); these should be available at your local office supply or art supply store. Black or dark colors provide a contrast with the white background of most of the display elements. We laminated all of the elements to add a degree of weatherproofing. Build your display to last; you want it to endure numerous events, rallies and vigils.

Scattered among the graphical elements of our display (prisoner laminates, graphs, photos, etc.) are simple text blocks containing pertinent quotes and dramatic paragraphs chosen from our literature. Strive to strike a proper balance between words and pictures.

You can order display elements from us at our Ordering Supplies page, create your own from our online collection of Artwork, or build yours from scratch if you're handy with computers and graphics.