People’s Graphic Design Archive

This virtual archiving workshop is a hands-on session exploring how graphic design history is found, researched, contextualized, and contributed to a shared record.

Centered on the question What deserves a place in graphic design history?, the session introduces participants to The People’s Graphic Design Archive and its community-driven approach to collecting and expanding the design record.

Through examples from the archive, a live demonstration, guided research, and collaborative discussion, participants will explore how visual material gains meaning through context and how everyday artifacts, publications, ephemera, personal collections, and materials held in public repositories can become part of a larger design history.

Participants will have the opportunity to explore curated research resources from DC Design Week or work with something from their own collection, then begin researching, describing, and considering how that material might contribute to the archive.

The session is designed to support different levels of participation. Some attendees may begin or complete a contribution to PGDA, while others may research, observe, share discoveries, or identify material they want to continue exploring after the event.