The Public Access Design program is open to New York City-based community organizations and advocacy groups working on complex policy or planning issues that need visual explanations.

We look for organizations who have:

• Firsthand knowledge of the project topic
• Direct access to and a relationship with the constituency affected by that topic

• Participate actively in regular meetings every 2-3 weeks for the course of 4-5 months, and respond to requests between meetings in a timely way 
• Lead a “teach-in” presentation at the beginning of the project, to teach CUP and the designer about everything we need to know about the project topic
• Set up feedback sessions with members of the target audience at least twice during the course of the project.
• Organize a launch event to formally announce the completion of the project.
• Staff the project with a paid staff member who can be on the project from beginning to end, to ensure accountability and commitment to all the different pieces of the project mentioned above.

The project team will then collaborate to produce a final product over the next four to five months. 

PAD project topics are concise in scope and scale, and focus on immediate issues that are affecting communities. They are suited to the 4-5 month timeline and available format options. 

Past projects have covered things like: helping Deaf New Yorkers understand what their rights are when accessing city services, tips for creating safer working conditions and negotiating wages for female day laborers in New York City, and how to navigate two specific issues if you’re living in New York City Housing Authoriy housing: how to get permission for a family member to move into your home, and what to do if the head of household passes on.

Projects should not be:

• Promotional/lobbying materials for campaigns
• Marketing materials for programs
• Resource directories
• Plans or proposals (for example, a proposed policy change) or laws that haven’t been passed yet

Organizers can choose the media format that best meets their needs from four options, each designed to be easily completed within the four- to five-month project time frame. The formats offered this year are:

CUP manages the collaborative process, provides production costs, and helps staff each project with additional design support, research, and writing as needed.

Advocates have the right to use completed projects in their outreach efforts and republish the work (at cost) in perpetuity. For print-based projects, advocates will receive 1,000 copies of the print materials to distribute directly to their constituents, and have the opportunity to print additional copies at cost at the time of printing.

Application Timeline

The call for advocate applications is closed! The jury will review proposals in November and projects will kick off in January 2021.

The jury will use the following criteria to evaluate project proposals:

• Is the project topic clearly articulated?
• Is there a very clear target audience with a clear need for the tool, and does the organization have a meaningful connection to or is a part of this audience?
• Is there a credible distribution plan for the tool?
• Does the project address a social justice issue?
• Would the topic clearly benefit from visual explanation? 
• Is the project tied to larger work the organization is doing around this topic?
• Is the issue concise enough to be completed within the Public Access Design time frame and format options?
• Does the applicant have sufficient expertise in the topic?

What is a good size scope for a Public Access Design project?
You should be able to explain your proposal in 10 words or fewer. Explanations of large complex systems are better left to Making Policy Public. More concise topics should be addressed through Public Access Design.

For example, a proposal about the rights of rent-regulated tenants would be a better fit for Making Policy Public, whereas a proposal about what should be on your lease if you are a rent-regulated tenant would be a good fit for a Public Access Design. See examples of current and past Public Access Design projects here.

Can we apply to Public Access Design to create campaign materials or promotional materials for our organization?
No. This program is for making educational materials that community organizations and advocacy groups can then use in their work. For example, Damayan Migrant Workers Association has an ongoing anti-trafficking campaign. We collaborated with Damayan and designer Raj Kottamasu to create a short educational video that explains some of the causes of labor trafficking of Filipino domestic workers.

Can our project visualize proposed legislation?
No, proposals to visualize proposed or pending legislation will not be selected for Public Access Design. Proposals related to legislation that hasn’t passed should focus on creating a visual explanation of the current system or policy that the legislation would modify. 

Can we submit more than one application?
Yes, community or advocacy organizations may submit more than one project proposal.

Can I apply if we are a volunteer-run organization?
Unfortunately, no. Working on a Public Access Design project is an intensive process and requires a lot of time from each collaborator. We believe in compensating people for their time and so we expect that advocates are doing this project as part of their job. This person should be a paid member of the organization’s staff and this project should be part of their work. We also know that some volunteer-run organizations may have shifts in their capacity. We require that community and advocacy organizations have a committed project lead that can work on the project all the way through and attend all meetings. 

If our application is not chosen, can we apply again?
Yes. Public Access Design juries will meet approximately every four months to select a new project proposal from advocate applicants. If your project proposal is not selected in the upcoming jury session, it will automatically be considered once more in the next round unless you opt out of this during the application process.

After that, organizations are welcome to apply again. Please review the selection criteria upon reapplying to better understand what makes for a strong application. 

Should I apply to Making Policy Public or to Public Access Design?
Public Access Design projects are completed within a shorter time frame than Making Policy Public. To accomplish this, they are narrower in scope (see above).

In addition, Public Access Design projects are limited to New York City-based organizations and constituencies. Making Policy Public is open to local as well as national and out-of-state issues (although we look for partners that can attend meetings locally).

Making Policy Public uses a single format – an 8” x 11” pamphlet that unfolds three times to a 32” x 22” poster. Public Access Design projects can take the form of a booklet, a motion graphic, an interactive graphic, or a fold-out. You may choose which program to apply to based on the format most appropriate to your program.

CUP accepts applications from community organizations and advocacy groups for the Making Policy Public program once a year. Public Access Design applications are accepted about every four months.

If neither of these programs seems like the right fit but you still would like to work with CUP, you can hire us through our Technical Assistance program. 

Find out more about Making Policy Public

Find out more about Technical Assistance

We are currently working with CUP through one of CUP’s other Community Education programs. May we apply to Public Access Design?
No, organizations that are currently collaborating with CUP are not eligible to apply for this program.