desigNYC is a platform that connects civic-minded designers with extraordinary non-profits serving the public good. Our focus is local. Our approach is multidisciplinary. Our process is participatory, and community-centric.

OUR STORY

A group of design leaders in NYC came together in 2009 to explore how we might tap into the design for social change movement to improve the lives of New Yorkers. Rather than work on global issues, we were drawn  to local issues needing local design solutions. We were convinced that through a collaborative design process, we could build community and increase social capital.

Our collective response was to create desigNYC. In 2010 we moved from being a 100% volunteer collective towards a sustainable enterprise. We formalized our structure, were incorporated in the State of New York and received our 501(c)(3) designation by the IRS. Our legal name is desigNYC Now, Inc., but we most often operate under the brand name, desigNYC.