What Guides Us
Care is Civic
Every act of design, storytelling, and community engagement is a form of public care. We don’t extract attention - we earn trust.
Dignity Over Optics
If a product or message doesn't reflect respect for all people, it does not leave the drawing board. We don’t adjust for safety - we shelf it with integrity.
Community Over Control
We co-create with artists, educators, and everyday citizens. Our designs, stories, and even ownership model are participatory.
Repair Over Reaction
If we cause harm, we don’t spin. We name it, pause, invite testimony, and co-design repair. We document harm - not bury it.
Our Ethical Practices
1. Design Integrity
o Every product passes our Dignity, Context, and Narrative Tests
o No trend-driven releases or reactionary slogans
2. Co-design input from the Care Circle and featured collaborators
o Artist Rights & Transparency
o All artists are paid fairly (flat fee or 5–10% royalty)
3. Consent and approval required for every final use
o Right to remove name if values diverge
o Artist bios and process notes included on product pages
4. Sourcing & Production
o U.S.-based artists
o Ethical, traceable production standards
5. Story Ethics
o Every civic story is opt-in, revocable, and consent-based
o No editorial distortion, no tokenism
o Contributors can stay anonymous, or change their mind later
6. Governance & Capital
o We reject growth-at-all-costs pressure
o All funding must pass values-alignment filters
o No capital accepted with exit expectations or ideological strings
o Future profits support the Civic Care Fund and artist equity
Our "Do not Continue" List
We refuse to move forward when:
· A design lacks community resonance
· A partner carries unresolved public harm
· We’re tempted to use urgency tactics during social crises
· A product could unintentionally cause erasure or misrepresentation
If we Fail, we Remember
If POP ends, we commit to:
· Preserving the archive as cultural commons
· Donating final profits to community efforts
· Co-writing the final statement with our community
· This platform isn’t just for now. It’s for legacy.