The Design Writing Fellowship

Program Overview

2026 Facilitators

Maggie Taft, Co-Director of Fellowship Programming and Director of the Reviews Group
Aaris Sherin (Professor of Graphic Design, St. John’s University), Co-Director of Fellowship Programming and Workshop Facilitator
Liat Berdugo (Associate Professor, University of San Francisco), Director of the Articles Group
Robin Landa (Distinguished Professor of Design, Michael Graves College at Kean University), Director of the Books Group

The Application Process

FAQS

Information about Past Fellowships - 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

The Design Writing Fellowship Program

Writing Space is pleased to host the 2026 Design Writing Fellowship (formerly the Design Incubation Fellowship), a program to encourage and facilitate scholarly pursuits within the field of design. Under guidance of facilitators (senior faculty members and writing mentors), participants will work on a book review, journal article about a teaching innovation, or book proposal. During the three-day workshop, participants hone their skills in the fundamentals of writing and revision and explore various publishing options suited to their projects. Fellowships are open to full-time and contingent faculty in one or more of the following areas: graphic design, information design, branding, marketing, advertising, typography, web, interaction, film and video, animation, illustration, and game design.

This year, we are excited to offer a new program for the Articles Track, which will feature a specialized program for applicants who are interested in turning their teaching innovations into publishing in the form of an article for an academic journal. For more information about this track, please see the track-specific FAQs.

This year, the Design Writing Fellowship Program will run from May 27–May 29, 2026.

The Design Writing Fellowship Workshop

All Fellows participate in a three-day, virtual workshop that offers participants the opportunity to share and develop ideas for research and individual writing projects while receiving constructive feedback from faculty mentors and peers in their field.

Fellows prepare a piece of writing in advance of the Fellowship and then work on this project throughout the various sessions of the Fellowship Workshop. Activities include short informational sessions, an afternoon devoted to analyzing and editing written work, and workshops in which participants share their projects with peers and receive structured feedback. Throughout the fellowship, collaboration is encouraged.

Applications to the 2026 are open through December 1, 2025. See here for more information about how to apply.

Tentative Schedule

all times are eastern

Day 1
Wednesday, may 27, 2026

10:00am-11:00am Introductions + Icebreaker

11:00am-12:00pm Exercise: What, Why, and How We Write
Aaris Sherin

12:00pm-12:15pm Mini Break

12:15pm-1:30pm Presentation: Where Writing Meets
Publishing
Aaris Sherin

1:30pm-2:30pm Lunch Break

2:30pm-4:00pm Workshop: How to Think and Talk About
Writing
Maggie Taft

4:00pm-4:15pm Mini Break

4:15pm-6:00pm Workshop: How to Think and Talk About
Writing
Maggie Taft

Day 2
Thursday, may 28, 2026

10:00am-11:00am Presentation: Submitting a Book Proposal or
Manuscript
Louise Baird-Smith

11:00am-1:30pm Group Workshop Sessions

1:30pm-2:30pm Lunch Break

2:30pm-3:30pm Presentation: Writing for Journals
Maggie Taft

3:30pm-3:45pm Mini Break

3:45pm-6:00pm Group Workshop Sessions

Day 3
friday, may 29, 2026

10:00am-11:00am Presentation: Getting Published: The Writing
Life
Robin Landa

11:00am-1:00pm Group Workshop Sessions

1:00pm-2:00pm Lunch Break

2:00pm-3:00pm Presentation: Public and Academic Scholarship
Liat Berdugo

3:00pm-4:00pm Group Workshop Sessions

4:00pm-5:00pm Wrap-Up Exercise and Discussion