Strategic Consulting for Social Impact, Belonging, and Design-Led Change

PDA’s approach is grounded in equity-centered innovation and creative problem-solving.We partner with mission-driven enterprises, design firms, schools, and local government to employ design-driven processes and civic engagement as tools for building a more equitable world.

 

Strategic Visioning & Organizational Planning

We co-create long-term visions and goals for social impact alongside organizations and communities by beginning with a tailored process of uncovering and understanding your “Why?” “Why us?” and “Why now?” Visioning and planning work with PDA includes:

  • Theory of Change development

  • Mission and purpose alignment

  • Design-centered strategy for new initiatives, transitions, or equity audits

  • Design for Belonging informed by Design Justice and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) strategies

  • Philanthropic and fundraising proposal development

 

Program & Partnership Design

Lasting and effective programs are co-created with cross-sector partners, community members, and the unwavering understanding that diverse expertise, lived experiences, and social connections strengthen outcomes. This includes greater creativity and innovation, effective problem-solving as well as driving successful outputs—like growth. Partnership and program development with PDA includes:

  • Dual Capacity-Building Framework” exploration and strategies

  • Cross-sector partnership frameworks for mutual benefit

  • Strategic program management and personnel asset-mapping

  • Timeline, budget, and resource management

  • Impact, evaluation, and reflection toolkits for long-term learning and measurement

 

Community-centered Co-Creation & Engagement

We stand firm in our belief that designers should never impose design solutions on communities that have not asked for design support. PDA empowers our clients to advance collective capacities for social impact through a process of cultural awareness and co-creation, which is non-negotiable when working with BIPOC and historically marginalized populations. Working with PDA to develop equitable and intentional engagement strategies includes:

  • Community and stakeholder design charettes and co-creation processes

  • Culturally relevant and responsive feedback-generation strategies

  • Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

  • Pop-ups, community meetings, and activations

  • Healing Centered Engagement strategies

 

Purpose-driven storytelling

Powerful storytelling and communication has the power to inspire action, provide crucial information, challenge perspectives, and spark emotional connections. Working with PDA to tell authentic, important, and visionary stories includes:

  • Informational campaign strategy and implementation

  • Communication planning and purpose alignment

  • Graphic design and artistic direction

  • Transformation of collective narratives into artifacts, spaces, and archives

 

Urban Design, Public Art & Place-keeping

We believe that each and every one of us is endowed with the ability to be creative, that the built environment should be equitable, and that “artists are the gatekeepers of truth.Public Art and cultural assets are proven to improve health outcomes, increase social cohesion, build community trust, and improve quality of life. Working with PDA to design public art and place-keeping initiatives includes:

  • Strategies for preserving shared cultural legacies (digital, spatial, narrative)

  • Public arts initiative development and administration

  • Strategies for new, climate conscious, and radical uses of public space

  • Livable neighborhood planning rooted in Missing Middle Housing strategies

  • Art installations that catalyze cross-cultural exchange and accessible creative expression for youth, adults, and families