Pro-bono program
Are you a non-profit, startup or enterprise working on social impact? Our passionate team wants to partner with you! Launched in the spring of 2020, Designit’s pro-bono program teams up with local organizations and applies human-centered design methodologies to tackle some of the biggest social issues affecting our communities.
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=225&q=90&w=400&s=9183f50be3d437aa4212e76961d03f93 400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=338&q=90&w=600&s=3b15fac600719c60e9b7409e16f10fae 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=450&q=90&w=800&s=fd22fa71e96ce3f66061ebe0e95eea41 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=563&q=90&w=1000&s=3d4b57beddaf76cb46ca1519dba5afb8 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=675&q=90&w=1200&s=d82a4c13adf93b1423d33ab2d780efc7 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=788&q=90&w=1400&s=819ac75ec7fdbaaf25399d61babad854 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=90&w=1600&s=4c7bd5f88556b33384ee35f740665277 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1013&q=90&w=1800&s=2bf6cce0ac533109402b8259aa504738 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1125&q=90&w=2000&s=7bd80de51192af525eb15550a1906235 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1238&q=90&w=2200&s=31b24c1409d5800bff7bd0828bb56099 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_header.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1350&q=90&w=2400&s=e0351070e76f23172b5377b53d8f1ea3 2400w)
How it works
- Every year, Designit partners with an organization in need of strategic design support. Ou teams are passionate about helping organizations use design to boost their impact, on a pro-bono basis. This includes, but is not limited to: design research, service and business design, branding and experience design, product design, or strategic opportunities.
- The program is open to organizations no matter their size or stage. The partner organization will participate in a dedicated workshop to introduce team members to the processes and tools of design thinking, so they can learn how to apply these to their work.
- Following the course, a dedicated Designit team will work closely with the partner organization to identify current challenges and define the scope of the pro-bono project. Both teams will then work together over six to eight weeks to tackle the organization’s biggest challenge and co-create solutions, increasing the impact and effectiveness of its work.
- In addition, after the project is over, two members of the partner organization will have the option to receive three follow-up coaching one-hour support sessions over 3 months to address any questions as needed.
Any questions? Check out our FAQ section below, or send them to [email protected].
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=400&s=e74bde70b5b2981463d207c35daacf41 400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=600&s=f8f9abf4a6268aa1ab47683ebbed65d4 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=800&s=f590e93c4c58302b434b7cc0b7c384d3 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1000&s=f77547a42c73ccc2f6d7c0810b236caf 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1200&s=aa3a3a06ed1c36816952309f7b9dcd2b 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1400&s=073e1c1daf5dc28058d293cb8c083fa8 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1600&s=0c05afe16707b970889fad0f6d216831 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1800&s=06bdcbab9e50ec81d991cfb391e5a30b 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2000&s=e3fbf0197d157be4239002ff8bac069c 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2200&s=c3c99ea7c787d113086efe2dc48d9745 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2400&s=d23dd4a6c75f9bb041716426907c9d29 2400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_1.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2600&s=498f9f0fe96e3ee82a2721432ab92fc7 2600w)
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=400&s=7c3342a86c1eaf04c1aa0f8edeee4579 400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=600&s=c21b301fac149514381ad66cde4b5a94 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=800&s=c71b8cd88544ab22cc0e883d88fd3c95 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1000&s=2ca137f74911b638319fc11a848afecf 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1200&s=e0921b53cc78f7835a4c6270951462f8 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1400&s=1a50f37158ebb40fae7ee7ec43ee7ad4 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1600&s=41c378a9a464680f202b3f9e28b6dd90 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1800&s=280315dc3fd9c23701e71de428007222 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2000&s=a08da95ed16ade8c67a1bfc9cf6acf77 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2200&s=ba438558bfbd3631c50156f5530b7365 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2400&s=a8da8f64d0be129f258a5ee75226df44 2400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_2.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2600&s=37893a05bd45984b3596b5d4b0ff0dc3 2600w)
For Service Design Day, our team in New York partnered with Service Design Network and a local nonprofit, the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, for a day of co-creation and service design education.
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=400&s=0c4ca3387ba1c10db62b73253ae3301b 400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=600&s=4b080cffdd7d0ccbd85ef1d93e0640ff 600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=800&s=243066a6cd0492fe6bb9b8469e09c735 800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1000&s=c2cc421d885ba34f9b9deb64e763ae20 1000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1200&s=4dc9e4dad4fdbcf0ae8b9dd3ba907036 1200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1400&s=8ae978b9e4c24d1d08b96be5f124a7b5 1400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1600&s=d88c969895206a2573b792162393749b 1600w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=1800&s=80db4860dfe0ea0e60abd64c9feca2d8 1800w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2000&s=2ad0debf3060b4e37df651b332572eaa 2000w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2200&s=9c3e877de9c08a5f63523707ac088300 2200w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2400&s=1e958411a47ad25a588b22358d2932b6 2400w, https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/News/NYC-pro-bono/Designit-NYC-pro-bono-program_Body_3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&cs=srgb&fit=clip&q=90&w=2600&s=b38fc2ad6fcedc4c178ee65e45247a65 2600w)
Time commitment from partner
- A two-hour in-person kickoff meeting with key stakeholders
- Stakeholder 1:1 interviews with key people from the organization
- Weekly one hour check-ins with core group (can be remote)
- Potentially help with coordination of field research (if we need you to make introductions or facilitate access to a target group for research interviews)
- One or two workshops as needed (half to full days, in-person with key stakeholders)
- Final presentation (roughly two hours)
‘There’s nothing like getting insight about homeownership programs directly from the people we’re trying to serve. Between this, and the process visualisations that now adorn our office, I'm impressed with the work Designit has done for us – and on a pro-bono basis!’
![](https://designit-web.imgix.net/images/Case-studies/Center-for-NYC-Neighborhoods/Joseph-Sant.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=160&q=90&w=160&s=2697708bd3ba4b7f57318124a4143b1e)
Joseph Sant
Deputy General Counsel, The Center for NYC Neighborhoods
FAQ
What is Designit’s annual pro-bono program?
It's an initiative supporting Designit’s efforts to empower local non-profits, startups and social enterprises with the design tools they need to increase their impact. Through a dedicated design thinking course for up to 25 people, a six- to eight-week collaborative pro-bono project, and further ongoing support, we will help a local organization get the hands-on experience they need to make the human-centered design process central to the way they operate.
What is human-centered design?
Human-centered design (HCD), is an approach to problem solving that’s centered on building empathy for the people you’re designing for. The approach consists of three phases: 1) Discovery, in which you seek to understand the users, their needs and pain points. 2) Ideation, in which you identify opportunities and come up with creative solutions. 3) Prototyping and Implementation: During this phase, you build quick prototypes of the concepts, test them and define which ones are the best options.
How long is the program?
The complete program lasts from May to November. There are three main components of the program:
- Two-day dedicated design thinking Immersive course. Up to 25 members of the organization will be invited to join the course
- Six- to eight-week collaborative design project
Do you need to be a nonprofit to apply?
You don’t have to be a nonprofit, but you do need to be a social enterprise or an organization that operates in the social impact space.
Who is your ideal candidate/partner?
Our ideal partner is serving their community, has an agile team that can make decisions quickly, and has a specific challenge that can be tackled in six to eight weeks.
We’re open to collaborating with organizations in a wide range of industries and social impact areas, including sustainability, food waste and food systems, justice and inequality, poverty, homelessness, healthcare, education, accessibility, arts and culture, smart city/IoT, civics, and more.
What’s the catch?
There’s no catch! We want to engage with the larger social impact community and collaborate on how we can make a difference together.
What will you expect from the partner organization?
As a Designit pro-bono partner, you must agree to the following:
- Participating in a two-day design thinking course. Open to up to 25 people in your organization
- Designate a team of up to four core members to work with our designers for the duration of the six- to eight-week project. The two- to four-member core team must be able to dedicate up to four hours per week to the project.
- By participating in the program, you must also allow Designit to use your organization’s name as well as photos and video recordings of the project in marketing communications, including but not limited to our website, social media pages, newsletters, and conferences. You must also authorize Designit to publish a case study of the project. You can refer to our work page to familiarize yourself with our case study format.
What kind of teams will we work with?
You will be working with a team of three to five Designit designers from different disciplines. (design research, UX design, business design, etc)
How will you select the pro-bono partner? What's the selection criteria?
Once our pro-bono team screens all organizations through the application requirements, our designers will review all applications and invite up to five shortlisted organizations to meet with us in person and tell us more about the project they need help with. Selection will be based on the following:
- Organization needs vs. Designit capabilities match: Is the challenge something Designit can tackle?
- Length of project/need: Can we complete the project within eight weeks? What value can we provide in that timeframe?