How to Contribute or Add an Item to the People's Graphic Design Archive

Updated

The People's Graphic Design Archive accepts contributions from anyone through its Add to Archive entry point, which appears alongside the main browsing interface. You can submit a design work by providing at minimum an image, a title, and a category; creator and date fields help others find it. Before submitting, browse existing entries to match the archive's format and classification conventions. Beyond uploading, the site also invites participation through Get involved and Donate.

What the Archive Accepts

The archive describes itself as "a virtual design archive built by everyone about everyone for everyone," and its existing collection shows the range of material it holds. Contributions are not limited to famous names or canonical works.

From the visible entries, the archive organizes items by category and topic. Examples of categories in use include:

Category Example entry
Poster Trainspotting Poster; Yukio Mishima Poster
Magazine Gebrauchsgraphik de 1925; Inuktitut Magazine #74
Book 红楼梦 Dream of the Red Chamber; Pictogram Design
Album Art Kala Album by M.I.A.; Siouxsie & The Banshees – "The Rapture"
Newspaper Off Our Back, vol. 3, no. 10; The Organ, vol. 1, no. 3
Packaging Jacob's Ladder; Milk Soap Packaging
Video Game Skylanders Spyro's Adventure; Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Logotype / Logo In Living Color logotype; J League Logo
Advertising Gaea QuadSpinner Logo; Access Art
Signage Scoreboard Clock at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Catalog Iowa Seed Company Catalog 1892
Product Peggy Moffitt modeling a Rudi Gernreich design
Motion Graphics "Silence" Motion Graphics
Article "John A. Groen"
Publication Inuktitut Magazine #74 (Publication 187)

Entries also carry contributor names and creator names separately — for instance, a poster may list a designer such as Tadanori Yokoo or Shin Matsunaga, while the person who added it to the archive is credited as the contributor. Some entries list multiple creators (e.g., Skylanders lists I-Wei Huang and Tom Hester).

Step-by-Step: Adding an Item

  1. Open the archive and locate "Add to Archive." This is the submission entry point on the site. It sits near the browsing and sorting controls.
  2. Browse a few existing entries first. Look at items in the category closest to yours — a poster, a magazine cover, a piece of packaging — and note what information they display: title, category, creator, date, and an image.
  3. Prepare your item's details. At minimum you need an image of the work, a title, and a category. Add the creator's name and a date if you know them, since existing entries consistently include these.
  4. Choose the correct category. Use the categories already in the archive (Poster, Magazine, Book, Album Art, Newspaper, Packaging, Video Game, Logo, Advertising, Signage, Catalog, Product, Motion Graphics, Article, Publication) rather than inventing a new one, so your item appears in the right filtered view.
  5. Submit and check the result. After submitting, your item should appear in the archive's listings, where it can be sorted by Contribution Date, Item Date, Most Discussed, or Most Viewed. If it does not appear, the most likely cause is a missing required field or a category that does not match the existing set.

Other Ways to Get Involved

Uploading is not the only form of participation. The site's navigation includes:

  • Get involved — a general participation entry point beyond item submission.
  • Donate — a direct call to support the archive financially. The presence of a Donate link indicates the project seeks funding, but the site does not publish pricing or payment details in the material available here, so check the Donate page itself for current options.
  • Newsletter — sign-up to follow new additions and archive activity.
  • Events and Press — sections for archive-related happenings and media coverage.
  • Resources — reference material for contributors and researchers.
  • Contact and Instagram — direct channels to reach the archive team with questions about a submission.

Common Snags

  • Wrong category. If your item is a logo but you file it under Advertising, it will not show up when someone filters by Logo. Match the existing category list.
  • Missing creator credit. Many entries distinguish the designer from the contributor. If you are uploading someone else's work, credit the original creator rather than yourself.
  • Skipping the browse step. The archive's entries follow a consistent pattern (image + title + category + creator + date). Submitting without checking that pattern can produce an entry that looks out of place or gets held up.
  • Assuming submission is instant. The material here does not state whether items are reviewed before publishing, so treat your first submission as a test: confirm it appears in the listings before uploading a batch.

Quick Reference

  • Entry point: Add to Archive
  • Minimum fields: image, title, category
  • Helpful fields: creator, date, contributor name
  • Sort options after publishing: Contribution Date, Item Date, Most Discussed, Most Viewed
  • Other participation: Get involved, Donate, Newsletter, Events, Press, Resources, Contact, Instagram