Sylvia Harris
Sylvia Harris & Company
Research, Insights and Designs for Public Service Communications
Searching for Design Activism Models
1960’s
Civic Rights
1970’s
Civic Action
1980’s
Participatory Design and Usability
1990’s
Yale Class Action
U.S. Census
Assignment: Figure out how to reverse declining response to the Census through design
U.S. Census
Response: Yale students designed alternate forms with clear typography
U.S. Census
Hired: Two Twelve + me + students to explore user-centered design process that included prototyping and testing
2000’s
Design for Democracy
2010
Public Design Lab
Sylvia Harris David Gibson Ann Harakawa Chelsea Mauldin Carla Hall
Citizenship + Design
Government Communications
The first brand mark was citizen-designed.
Where does it come from today?
Who should design it?
ofAmericanDesign
Government Communications Can be Inspiring
But too often it is…
Bureaucratic
Overly Complicated
Over Designed
Just Plain Confusing
Poorly Maintained
Unfriendly
Traditional
We live in two worlds
Question + Dream + Design
Why can’t government communications be more like my iPhone?
I can do a better job designing government communications.
What if the solutions to our greatest problems weren’t waiting to be conceived, but just waiting to be found?- Jeff Howe
Models for Design Engagement
Crowd Sourcing
Virtual Pitching
Crowd Sourced Virtual Pitching
Thank You