Sylvia Harris

Sylvia Elizabeth Harris Singer (1953 – July 24, 2011) was an African-American graphic designer and design strategist. She has been considered a pioneer in the field of social impact design. The Sylvia Harris Citizen Design Award was named in her memory by the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Early life Sylvia Elizabeth Harris was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1953, to Thomas "Tricky Tom" Harris. Her father was a women's basketball coach at Virginia Union University and her mother was an art teacher and artist. As she grew she experienced racism and attended a desegregated high school. Harris has stated that she remembers her mother shouting from her car at the Ku Klux Klan while they were displaying on the street. Her experience as a young black woman growing up during desegregation in the South instilled in her a strong belief in social justice that can be seen through her artwork. She graduated from John Marshall High School in 1971. Harris went on to attend Virginia Commonwealth University, where she graduated with a BFA in communication art and design with an undergraduate focus in film and photography in 1975. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design from Yale University. Harris led a team consisting of Yale Graduate Design students, Two Twelve Associates, and Don Dillman in creating an effective and effective survey that would produce effective results.

Assessment Management Strategy Design Implementation

Personal life Harris married Gary Singer, with whom she had one daughter, Thai. She had collapsed three days prior while attending a meeting in Washington, D.C. and was taken to George Washington University Hospital, where she later died due to heart problems.

Awards and legacy In 2014, Harris was awarded the American Institute of Graphic Arts medal.