knowledge
where it
belongs

We design with the people who live the data, honor the knowledge it produces, and will use it to build just futures.

what we do

Community-Owned Evaluation

Our approach to program evaluation shares power with communities and holds deeper trust, improved justice, and decisive action as desired outcomes.

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Learning Partnerships

Ongoing support for organizations and coalitions to build systems, make sense of data, and continuously improve.

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For Artists and Movements

We gather community stories to inform artwork or social movements, and support our collaborators to understand how their work is inspiring change.

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staying rooted

We stay embedded in cultural infrastructure through:

Pop-ups and activations

Data you can hear, taste and feel. We develop experiences that raise awareness, spark conversations, and move people to act on pressing issues.

Data-driven artwork

Reports sit on shelves. So, we create original work based on publicly available data to further discourse and strengthen movements.

Art and community investments

We invest in the spaces where artists connect, create, and share, and are working toward grants to fund artwork that invites participation and discovery.

staying rooted

We stay embedded in cultural infrastructure through:

Pop-ups and activations

Data you can hear, taste and feel. We develop experiences that raise awareness, spark conversations, and move people to act on pressing issues.

Data-driven artwork

Reports sit on shelves. So, we create original work based on publicly available data to further discourse and strengthen movements.

Art and community investments

We invest in the spaces where artists connect, create, and share, and are working toward grants to fund artwork that invites participation and discovery.

our thinking

The glass dome of Germany's Reichstag building, seen from below

What's the Difference Between Participatory and Community-Owned Evaluation?

Start here to understand community-owned evaluation and how it differs from participatory evaluation.

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Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty earthwork coiling into the Great Salt Lake

What Happens After a Community-Owned Evaluation?

Most evaluations are designed for delivery, not longevity. Here's what COE builds for the long term.

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Three black-and-white portrait photographs of cast members from a reality competition show

Banished: What The Traitors Gets Right About Strategy, Data, and Power

We're obsessed with The Traitors. Here's what the iconic series reveals about good MEL practice.

Read

the ball's in
your court

Start a conversation
Availability Taking engagements for 2026 We work with a limited number of collaborators each year.
  • Learning Partnerships and Artist and Movement Collaborations are open for a near-term start.
  • Community-Owned Evaluation inquiries are welcome for work beginning late 2026 or early 2027.
Contact howdy@evaldesignstudio.com Discuss our approach, request a proposal, or learn about other ways to collaborate.