Design Action Collective

Design Action Collective is a worker-owned cooperative that provides graphic design and visual communications for progressive, non-profit and social change organizations. DAC believes in the power of image-making to advocate for social justice and to support movement building.

Instigator practices for collective design anticipation were not fully constrained by theory and required re-interpretation and adjustment of existing notions and principles.

Worker Cooperative

Design Action Collective is a worker-owned graphic design and web/interactive development cooperative. They provide design, visual communication and new media services for partner organizations working toward economic and social justice.

The group is organized as a democratically controlled worker cooperative, with one member, one vote (though some co-ops allow for different classes of members to have different rights and voting power). They also use a model that prioritizes health and family leave for their workers.

The coop is connected to a larger movement of worker-owned and -managed businesses. NYC NOWC hosts the Eastern and Western Worker Cooperative Conferences, and there are many nonprofit organizations that offer support to people looking to start their own cooperative business. In addition to providing direct support, these organizations often hold conferences that can help participants learn from other worker-owned and -managed groups. Moreover, there are groups that specialize in helping existing businesses become worker cooperatives. These include Democracy at Work Institute, Cooperative Development Institute, and Ohio Employee Ownership Center.

Social Justice Activists & Organizers

A non-profit that fights for the rights of people of color through legal training and on-street activism in cases of constitutional significance. Founded by Congressman Joe Kennedy III and Derrick Johnson, the Center also provides community groups with funding for social justice organizing work.

The guiding principles behind the Center are to provide direct support to communities fighting for their own self-determination, challenge oppressive institutions through the use of law and policy, and build power through community leadership. They do all of this through a national network of grassroots partners that includes more than 200 organizations.

Joy Liu-Trujillo works with community activists and organizations dedicated to social justice as a graphic designer at Design Action Collective, an 11 person worker-owned cooperative that provides professional graphic and web design services to progressive movements. A multilingual, women- and POC-led shop, the collective is a rare example of a practice that is both activist-driven and considered “design” by the cultural industry.

Graphic Design & Visual Communications

Design action offers graphic and web/interactive services to progressive, non-profit and social change organizations. It was spun off of the Inkworks Press collective in 2002 and now has 11 worker-owners who offer their skills to help build a broad movement for social justice.

Visual communication and graphic design have a lot in common, but they are two distinct fields. While visual communications focuses on the larger strategy creators use to communicate a message to an audience, graphic design focuses on specific techniques for layouts and colors.

The program design process can be complex and challenging. This guide offers practical tips and advice to assist the design teams that support USAID missions in designing effective Collective Action efforts. It covers everything from defining the problem to setting parameters for the project and planning implementation activities. It also addresses issues related to engaging stakeholders and building strong partnerships.

Website Design & Development

The Design Action web development team works to build a strong progressive movement by providing high-quality professional website design and web/interactive services. We transform your organization’s vision into a visual story that is compelling to users and high-performing marketing tool for your business.

Wide Eye is an agency that conducts work in the advocacy space and understands that advocacy causes need to be bold and eye-catching. They worked with NOW-NYC to develop a new website that captures their message and draws in audiences.

Hyperakt is another nonprofit web design agency that works to make an impact in the social good space. They utilize a collaborative process to work with rather than for their clients and understand the value of storytelling strategies to communicate their organizations’ missions. They worked with Vera Institute of Justice to create a site that reflects their goals of promoting equal justice and ending mass incarceration. They used bold colors and engaging animation to capture their audience’s attention.