The Center for Urban Pedagogy's Public Access Design Project

Just as public access television puts the means of communication in the hands of communities, CUP’s Public Access Design puts the power of design in the hands of community organizers and advocates.
Public Access Design projects result in visual tools that go directly to communities whose access to information, or lack thereof, can have major consequences for their health, livelihood, and well-being. These tools help ordinary residents better understand and participate in democratic processes, creating real social change.

Phase 1: Call for designers
Each year, artists and designers working in print, motion graphics, animation, interaction design, and other design fields will be invited to apply to be Public Access Design Fellows. A jury made up of prominent members of the design and advocacy communities will select a small group of Design Fellows to join the program for a one-year period.
Phase 2: Call for project proposals
Community organizers and advocates working to break down complex policy and planning issues for their constituents are then invited to submit project proposals throughout the year. Every two months, a new jury will review applications and select one project proposal to be part of the Public Access Design program.
Phase 3: Pairing a project with a Fellow
One Design Fellow will be selected by the jury to collaborate on each project, based on her or his skills and interest. The Fellow will then have the opportunity to take on (or take a pass on) the project based on his or her interest and availability.
Phase 4: Collaborate
CUP manages the collaboration and provides design and production support as needed throughout the project’s three- to four-month time frame. These short turnaround times allow Public Access Design projects to respond to organizers’ needs for communication tools on pressing issues as they arise.
Phase 5: Produce and disseminate
Each project is both an educational tool and a showcase for innovative design. CUP will cover production costs, such as editing, printing, and engineering, based on a scope of work mutually agreed upon at the beginning of the project. Advocacy partners will be provided with copies of any print materials to distribute directly to their constituents. CUP will also distribute and promote all final projects on our website, at CUP events, and through our network of supporters in the fields of art and design.

Formats

Collaborators can choose from four media formats, each designed to work with partner organizations’ needs and to be easily completed within the short project time frame. Currently, the options are:

Folds
Folds: A pocket-size print graphic that unfolds to 11.5″ × 21″
Frames
Frames: A 30- to 60-second animation or motion graphic
Frames
Pages: A four- to eight-page print publication
Frames

Who Should Apply

CUP welcomes applications from community organizations and advocacy groups who have a pressing issue that affects New Yorkers and that would benefit from a visual explanation. Advocates can find out more about the program here.
CUP welcomes applications from artists and designers from a variety of disciplines who are interested in applying their skills to collaborative projects that use innovative design to contribute to social change. Designers participate in the program through CUP’s Public Access Design Fellowship. Designers can find out more about the program here.
Next Deadline for Advocates’ Project Proposals: December 3.

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