CUNY Public Science Project - Report & Social Media
CLIENT: CUNY Graduate Center Public Science Project
MY ROLE: Art direction | Design | Data Visualization
TOOLS: InDesign | Illustrator
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OVERVIEW
And Still They Rise shares findings from a multi-year youth participatory action research project examining how NYC alternative high schools support student success, with the goal of informing more equitable accountability policies at the state and district level. Designed for policymakers, educators, and advocates, the report needed to convey both the rigor of the research and the lived experiences of students whose voices are often marginalized in policy conversations. The title’s reference to Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise informed a tone of resilience that guided the visual and narrative approach throughout the report.
I worked closely with the Public Science Project research team to develop a visual system that centers student narratives while conveying a sense authority. Drawing on illustrations and watercolors created by an alum of one of the schools in the study, I built a vibrant color palette, clear typographical hierarchy, clean data visualizations, and gave each page breathing room with ample margins. The final design, which extends to supporting social media assets, balances evidence and storytelling, supporting an advocacy-focused narrative that honors youth voice without sacrificing credibility.
