The People’s Graphic Design Archive is a crowd-sourced virtual archive of inclusive graphic design history.
The Archive includes everything from finished projects to process, photos, correspondence, oral histories, anecdotes, articles, essays, and other supporting material. You’ll find all sorts of information and links to other relevant archives, too.
The Archive is for Everyone!
Browse for inspiration, research, or just for joy!
Upload your graphic design history treasures (10+ years old)
Share the Archive with friends and colleagues
Mission
Our goal is to realize a virtual archive that recognizes and preserves graphic design's and culture’s expansive and inclusive history.
What to submit
Digital images of finished projects, process, photos, letters, oral histories, anecdotes, published and unpublished articles, essays, and other historical material. You can add many different file formats including JPGS, pdfs, videos, audio files, as well as links. Projects must have been produced at least 10 years ago (or in the case of correspondence, interview, etcetera, be about work produced at least 10 years ago).
Community Guidelines
Everyone should decide what is a part of graphic design’s history. PGDA account holders are responsible for understanding and supporting the community guidelines:
- All graphic design belongs as part of the historical record. Some may find material on the site offensive. Please help the Archive identify work of this nature.
- Historical material should be at least 10 years old or about something produced at least 10 years ago.
- The PGDA does not claim ownership of items in the Archive. The rights holder retains the trademark and copyright.
- Anonymity and aliases are strongly discouraged, but we understand may sometimes be necessary.
- Be kind and generous when adding comments or addressing the moderators. Disparaging messages may be removed.
The Team Behind the Archive
Co-directors:
Brockett Horne, Briar Levit, Louise Sandhaus, and Morgan Searcy
Working board members:
Alan Caballero Lazare, Mary Banas, Alberto Rigau, and Bobby Joe Smith III.
Advisory Board:
Ana Arriola-Kanada, Andrew Satake Blauvelt, Johanna Drucker, Rick Griffith, Steven Heller, Bennie Johnson, Ellen Lupton, Silas Munro, Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, Sadie Red Wing, and Lorraine Wild.
Past and Current Interns/Fellows: Isaac Zou, Conny Cavazos, Leah Maldonado, David Caterini, Sarah Lee, Ella Rosenblatt, Yura Seo, Daiquirri Street, Sebastian Scheib, and Ella Rosenblatt.
Summer Scholars: Cindy Kim, Joy Lian, Katelyn Lam, Christina Montes de Oca, Elli Nesterovsky, Ngan Nguyen.
Website:
Rob Meek (developer), Abby Chen (design), with consulting from Stephen Coles and Kate Long
Consultation:
Ana Arriola-Kanada and the Microsoft Design AI + Research Team, Dougal Henken, Yana Gevorgyan, Design History Fridays meetup group, and Nick Sherman.
Our Supporters and Partners
- The PGDA is supported by Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Timothy Disney, and California Institute of the Arts for their generous support.
- The People’s Graphic Design Archive (PGDA) is a Letterform Archive Digital Collective member. The Collective is a connected family of online resources for design education, inspiration, and research.
How You Can Support the Project
To contribute financial support or volunteer to help, contact Louise [at] peoplesGDarchive.org.
Site Credits
- Designer: Abby Chen
- Developer: Rob Meek
- Design Advisors: Stephen Coles, Kate Long, Nick Sherman
- Typefaces: Quadrant Text Regular and Regular Italic, designed by Vincent Chan, Matter of Sorts and Neue Haas Grotesk, Linotype, designed by Max Miedinger and Christian Schwartz