[Abstract] Design by Community: Advocating for Community Power in New York City Government
"Design by Community: Advocating for Community Power in New York City Government"
Deana Yu is the Assistant Director of New York City’s Service Design Studio: the United States’ first municipal team dedicated to improving services for low-income residents. As a team within the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, Yu will reflect on the Studio’s unique role in advocating for service design in city government.
Yu will introduce participatory design as a foundational tool for civic innovation. From co-creating public services with marginalized communities to reimagining government communications, she shows how design can build more equitable and responsive city systems.
● Yu will introduce the “Design at / Design for / Design with / Design by” framework - a framework used to understand the levels of power sharing in a community-centered design process.
● Yu will then introduce case studies and strategies from the Studio’s portfolio that showcase ways that the Studio has navigated the complex bureaucracy of New York City and advocated for community-centeredness.
○ This may include projects* such as:
■ Design at: Design Skill Workshops, city government staff upskilling■ Design for: Visual Design Projects, opportunities for user testing ■ Design by: Designed by Community, a participatory action research program■ *Projects above are not final, and may be modified…
● Yu’s presentation will end with key tips and strategies that the Seoul government can consider to increase innovation and community-centered design.
○ Yu will reflect on successful programs hosted by the Service Design Studio and offer guidance for implementation.
Deana K. Yu (she/her) has cultivated 5 years of experience working within New York City government. With her background in graphic design and service design, Deana has worked at 3 different New York City agencies, all with the goal of improving the equity & accessibility of government systems.
Most recently, Deana serves as the Assistant Director of New York City’s Service Design Studio (Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity): the United States’ first municipal team dedicated to improving services for low-income residents. As the Assistant Director, she has worked on 15+ projects to improve city services, hosts workshops for over 200+ city government employees each year, and manages the Studio’s community-based participatory action research program “Designed by Community.”
Previously, Deana was part of the prestigious New York City Urban Fellows program. Under the fellowship, she worked at the NYC Department of Transportation launching a workforce development program, spearheading an urban design education app, and designing graphics and maps.
She has also served as a Graphic Designer for the NYC Civic Engagement Commission on projects like the “People’s Festival” and the “Ice Cream Truck of Rights”, distributing know-your-rights information to NYC communities most affected by COVID-19.
As a born-and-raised New Yorker, Deana is proud to serve the community she grew up within. Throughout her career, her design practice has been dedicated to cutting through bureaucracy and making systems work better for people. You can find Deana at deanakyu.com!
