Center for Civic Design
Center for Civic Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and design studio that applies human-centered design to U.S. election administration, producing free field guides, toolkits, and ballot templates used by state and local election offices across 16+ states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Center for Civic Design does
Center for Civic Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and design studio founded in 2012 and headquartered in Cambridge, Maryland, with 11–50 employees. Its mission is to improve election administration and the voter experience by applying human-centered design methodology to ballots, voter communications, polling place signage, vote-by-mail materials, accessibility, and plain language. Core outputs are freely distributed — Field Guides (best-practice research documents), Toolkits (downloadable PowerPoint/InDesign templates such as the Polling Place Signage Toolkit and Public Audit Sign Templates), the Anywhere Ballot open ballot design system (HTML5/CSS3), and civic design skills training. The Center does not sell proprietary products; instead it operates as a public-good producer whose resources have been used by election offices in 16+ states, with vote-by-mail designs deployed in 20+ states since 2016 and materials reaching an estimated 53 million voters in the 2022 cycle.
The organization is funded through a mix of foundation grants (notably Democracy Fund and James Irvine Foundation), contract engagements with election offices, and donations. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven rather than sales-led: it engages state and local election administrators through referrals from partner organizations (Democracy Works, All Voting Is Local, U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence), conference presentations at NASED and similar forums, and direct collaborative projects. Its research and resources have shaped national standards, including usability and accessibility requirements in the EAC's Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) and plain language laws in states such as Maryland and New York. Microsoft selected the Center as a user experience partner on the ElectionGuard open-source voting system, and it holds an ongoing co-development relationship with Democracy Works that has informed the TurboVote platform serving ~7 million voters.
Strategically, the Center is led by Executive Director Sean Wang (appointed 2024) and Chief Program Officer Whitney Quesenbery, with a board that includes former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar and TurboVote co-founder Kathryn Peters. Recent activity (mid-2025) shows continued product expansion into operational signage and audit-related templates, sustained standards-setting engagement, and partnership deepening with the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence — consistent with a stable, mission-driven scaling trajectory rather than venture-style growth.
Center for Civic Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Center for Civic Design
- Legal name
- Center for Civic Design
- Website
- https://civicdesign.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Center for Civic Design is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and design studio that applies human-centered design to U.S. election administration, producing free field guides, toolkits, and ballot templates used by state and local election offices across 16+ states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Center for Civic Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Design and Election Administration Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Digital Inclusion & Civic Tech (Connectivity, GovTech for Social Good) (BPAGALAK), City Clerk/Records, Elections & Civic Engagement (BPAIACAB), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)
Keywords
Where Center for Civic Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Center for Civic Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: As a non-profit organization, Center for Civic Design operates primarily through grant funding from democracy-focused foundations and government agencies. Grants fund specific research projects, design collaborations, and field guide development.
- Contract Work: The organization also generates revenue through contracted design and research engagements with election offices, government agencies, and non-profit partners who commission specific civic design projects.
- Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals and institutional donors aligned with its mission to improve elections through design.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Center for Civic Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Center for Civic Design is a nonprofit research and design studio that produces field guides, toolkits, templates, and research publications to help state and local election offices design ballots, voter communications, polling place signage, and election materials that are accessible and usable. The organization also conducts usability research, offers civic design training and workshops, and partners with election offices on direct collaborative projects funded by grants and contracts.
Product overview
Center for Civic Design operates as democracy's innovation lab, offering a portfolio of research-based tools, templates, and training resources for election administration. The core offerings include Field Guides (best practice documents covering ballot design, accessibility, plain language, and voter communication) and Toolkits (downloadable templates in PowerPoint and InDesign formats). Key products include the Polling Place Signage Toolkit, Public Audit Sign Templates, Communicating Election and Post-Election Processes Toolkit, and the Creating Accessible Forms for Print + PDF workbook. The organization also developed the Anywhere Ballot research project for accessible voting technology. Services include civic design skills training and workshops for election offices. All resources are shared freely and are used by election offices across the country.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Field Guides
Quantifiable outcome
- 53 million voters used election materials designed or informed by Center for Civic Design research in the 2022 election cycle
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Center for Civic Design
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Center for Civic Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Center for Civic Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Microsoft (ElectionGuard)coreCenter for Civic Design collaborated with Microsoft on the ElectionGuard project, an open-source voting system that provides verifiability and accessibility. The Center contributed user experience design, voter-facing materials, and usability research to the ElectionGuard initiative, working alongside technology partners Hart InterCivic, MITRE, and Enhanced Voting to pilot accessible voting technology.
- Democracy WorkscoreDemocracy Works is a long-standing operational partner of the Center for Civic Design, collaborating on the TurboVote voter registration and engagement platform. The Center's civic design expertise informed the user experience and voter communications design of TurboVote, which has reached approximately 7 million voters. This is an ongoing co-development and content partnership.
- Oxide DesignminorOxide Design collaborated with Center for Civic Design on the Anywhere Ballot open-source ballot design system, contributing visual design and accessibility expertise to the project. The University of Baltimore also participated as a research partner in the Anywhere Ballot initiative.
- U.S. Alliance for Election ExcellencecoreThe U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence serves as a key partner and distribution channel for Center for Civic Design resources. The Center's field guides, toolkits, and research publications are featured in the Alliance's resource library, and the Center actively contributes design expertise to the Alliance's programs supporting election office improvement.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Center for Civic Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Common Cause: Long-standing nonpartisan government accountability and democracy organization with extensive election reform work. Broader mission than CCD but overlapping concerns around voter access, election administration, and democratic participation.
- League of Women Voters: Established nonpartisan civic organization focused on voter engagement, education, and advocacy. Adam Ambrogi (CCD board chair) serves as Senior Director of Voting and Elections at LWV. Broader civic engagement scope but overlapping voter-education and election-administration concerns.
Direct peers
- MIT Election Data and Science Lab: Academic research lab producing data, analysis, and evidence-based guidance on U.S. election administration. Comparable to CCD in producing rigorous research that informs election official practice and policy, though more academic in orientation.
- Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy institute at NYU that produces influential election administration research, including the 'Better Ballots' report co-authored by CCD's Whitney Quesenbery. Highly comparable in combining research, policy advocacy, and practical guidance for election officials.
- Democracy Works: Nonprofit civic tech organization that built TurboVote and other voter engagement tools reaching 7M+ voters, with whom CCD has a long-standing content and design partnership. Comparable as a mission-aligned civic-tech nonprofit serving election offices and voters through research-driven, free products.
- Verified Voting: Nonprofit focused on voting technology, election security, and election administration research. Comparable to CCD as a research-driven nonprofit publishing reports, tools, and standards that election officials and policymakers reference.
- U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence: Nonpartisan initiative setting benchmarks for election administration excellence, of which CCD is a core partner and resource provider. Highly comparable as a nonprofit shaping election-office standards and providing toolkits that election offices adopt.
- Center for Tech and Civic Life: A nonprofit that supports local election offices with funding, research, and technology tools to improve voter access and election administration. Directly comparable to CCD in mission (election administration improvement), customer base (local election offices), and grant-funded nonprofit operating model.
Emerging players
- Issue One: Nonpartisan political reform organization working on election integrity, voting access, and reducing political polarization. Comparable as a nonprofit focused on election administration reform through research and policy work.
- Election Protection Coalition: Nonpartisan voter protection coalition providing voter assistance and election monitoring. Comparable mission area (voter access and election integrity) though oriented toward voter support rather than election-office design enablement.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Center for Civic Design social profiles
Digital presenceCenter for Civic Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Center for Civic Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Center for Civic Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Center for Civic Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Center for Civic Design
What does Center for Civic Design do?
Center for Civic Design is a nonprofit research and design studio that produces field guides, toolkits, templates, and research publications to help state and local election offices design ballots, voter communications, polling place signage, and election materials that are accessible and usable. The organization also conducts usability research, offers civic design training and workshops, and partners with election offices on direct collaborative projects funded by grants and contracts.
Is Center for Civic Design a public or private company?
Center for Civic Design is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Center for Civic Design founded?
Center for Civic Design was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Center for Civic Design based?
Center for Civic Design is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Center for Civic Design make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grant Funding is the primary driver. The others are contract Work and donations.
Who are Center for Civic Design's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Common Cause and League of Women Voters. Direct peers are MIT Election Data and Science Lab, Brennan Center for Justice, Democracy Works, Verified Voting, U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence and Center for Tech and Civic Life. Emerging players are Issue One and Election Protection Coalition.
Does Center for Civic Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Center for Civic Design.
What industry is Center for Civic Design in?
Center for Civic Design's product category is Civic Design and Election Administration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAJ, Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAC, Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government). Its NAICS code is 81341.