I completed the Graphic Design Internship at Planned Parenthood Federation of America this summer in downtown Manhattan. I had been interested in this job
for years, having known for a long time that I want to pursue design for
social change - specifically to empower women and the LGBTQ+ community. Planned
Parenthood’s commitment to reproductive health and justice for all racial,
gender, and sexual minorities is something I’m very proud to stand by, so it
was my top choice in looking for social justice nonprofit work experience. My mother
and grandmother have been volunteering for them for decades, which
helped me feel like the organization and its mission are also a part of my
roots. When a previous supervisor of mine from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) started designing for Planned Parenthood in 2015, I
knew I had to apply. My portfolio wasn’t ready when I interviewed with him as a
college freshman, but he gave me great feedback that I applied to my work for
two years and that helped me land the internship this summer! I was honored to
be chosen from 2,200 applicants, and thrilled to work for a mission I’m so
passionate about.
The headquarters, where I joined the Creative Team, is
comprised of two nonprofit entities. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a 501(c)(3) that works
towards reproductive healthcare and justice, advocates for public policies that give everyone access to
those healthcare services, provides educational programs regarding human sexuality, and promotes
research to advance our understanding of that topic. The Planned Parenthood
Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) faction, which protects individuals’ right to reproductive choice,
and works towards queer, socio-economic, and racial justice to create a political climate that honors that right.
Working under Annie Pearlman, the Senior Graphic Designer, I was able to complete design projects for the
Federation, the Action Fund, and the affiliate clinics nationwide. I designed
digital and print materials for national campaigns, conferences, events, and advocacy efforts. These initiatives
focused on reproductive health, LGBTQ+ pride and inclusion in healthcare, racial justice, immigrant rights, and
sex education. I created newsletters, brochures, apparel, social media graphics (still and motion), surveys,
placards, programs, and internal logos in both English and Spanish. I also spearheaded the
design approach and execution of a voter registration campaign and a series of graphics working to
protect Roe v. Wade, two projects I was most proud of this summer. One of my illustrations - about
protecting Roe v. Wade in the wake of Brett Kavanaugh‘s SCOTUS nomination - was Planned
Parenthood’s top performing Instagram post for the month of July, with more than 33,700 likes. Getting to design for
social change with access to a local, regional, national, and international audience for my graphics
was deeply meaningful. I was so happy to reach so many people!
I have never this much energy and excitement for any other type of work.
5 p.m. snuck up on me every day, and I was still focused on and enthralled with my projects when it
was time to leave. I felt an incredible amount of fulfillment doing
issue/mission-based work and doing it with a community of politically progressive creatives! Perhaps the most important thing I
learned was that designing in a social justice nonprofit (and specifically Planned
Parenthood) is a perfect combination of my passions for graphic design and activism, and I need to do whatever I can to make
that kind of career sustainable for myself financially, emotionally, and intellectually.
This kind of work has become my priority, even if that looks like doing corporate agency work
for a few years first in order to enter a nonprofit at a higher (and therefore more financially sustainable
for the longterm) position later. I learned so much about effective change-making strategies using design, technical skills
in After Effects and InDesign, and about the environment, ethics, and culture of a
nonprofit organization, and am looking forward to taking that information with me into my next job. This
summer I felt like I made a valuable contribution to an empowerment movement that I’ve been dedicating my time, energy,
studies, and personal life to, and I
have so much gratitude for having had the opportunity to do so.
