Do you use p5.js? Whether you are a beginner, a seasoned p5.js user, or a p5.js contributor, read on to learn about the upcoming release of p5.js 2.0! It brings some exciting new features and updates based on community input gathered since the end of 2023. In a few weeks, when the release is ready, we will enter a new phase of community testing.

p5.js 2.0 will be released soon. The p5.js Editor will default to p5.js 2.0 in August 2026 (next year!). Until then, we continue to invite all users of p5.js to help shape it!

Background

p5.js 1.0 was first released in 2020. It has been used worldwide by classrooms at all levels. Members of our vibrant community have created wonderful educational resources on many topics and in many languages! In an average month, p5js.org and editor.p5js.org get almost half a million visitors. Tutorials and other resources on the p5js.org website focus on accessibility, inclusivity, and beginner-friendliness.

So, why p5.js 2.0? A major version release (change from 1.x to 2.x), makes it possible to consider bigger changes from the many different proposals solicited from the community starting in 2023. A big change can be a chance to create significant improvements and expansions. Some of the most exciting new features include support for variable fonts, beginner-friendly shaders that can be written in JavaScript rather than GLSL, new color modes (including OKLCH), and more! Many updates make the library easier to maintain and make the p5.js core more welcoming to new contributors.

In my first four months as p5.js Project Lead, I conducted an anonymous survey and a series of in-person and online conversations. This survey got 31 responses (view the survey questions and anonymized responses here). Nearly half (14/31) responded that they were “not too familiar with the p5.js 2.0 project.” Very few (3/31) were already active in the existing GitHub discussion.

At the same time as conducting the anonymous survey, I also met with around forty p5.js enthusiasts in local events and online chats. I learned about the paths different people have taken with p5.js or Processing, and their visions for the future. In these conversations, qualitatively, it seemed that the familiarity with p5.js 2.0 was around half and half, too.

Taken together, the survey and the conversations so far suggest to me that more can be done to share p5.js 2.0 updates and to invite people into conversation. I hope the rest of this post can be helpful to understand the various changes in p5.js 2.0 and show where you can join the conversation.

Whether or not you join ongoing discussions, I hope every person reading this feels free to drop by for a chat with me in the next month in public office hours: you can find a time in my calendar. If this is a helpful structure to keep in touch, I’ll make more time available in the future, too!

Compatibility

Many people were not too familiar with the p5.js 2.0 project and were concerned about the upcoming changes and compatibility between p5.js 1.x and p5.js 2.0, both for sketches and for community add-on libraries.

A lot of the comments — both in the survey and on GitHub — that focus on compatibility have helped develop theupdate guide and compatibility resource, including add-on libraries and guides. The add-on libraries will come pre-loaded in the p5.js Editor once p5.js 2.0 is released. You are welcome to check out (and join) the discussion about this feature here!

In addition to making compatibility resources available, we are proactively checking known libraries for compatibility. So far, out of over a hundred, about a third have been checked by trying the demos and examples with p5.js 2.0. In many cases, there are no breaking changes. In some cases, we opened issues on those repositories about how to support both 1.x and 2.0; in some cases, it helped to improve p5.js 2.0.

Survey respondents wanted to make sure the reference would be intact and usable for both versions. As a result of both the survey feedback and the discussion on GitHub, here’s the plan: once p5.js 2.0 is released, its documentation will also be released on a beta version of the website. This beta version will not interfere with the main site so that they can coexist.

Although p5.js 2.0 will be released very soon, that does not mean it will immediately replace 1.x; we have more than a year (until August 2026) as a community to test, iterate, and improve.

Timeline

Even as p5.js 2.0 becomes more stable, p5.js 1.x will continue to be supported for at least a year. Here’s the timeline so far:

• Start of April 2025: release — opt-in in the p5.js Editor
• Start of August 2025: communication about not updating 1.x soon
• End of March 2026: after this, no further updates on 1.x
• Start of August 2026: p5.js 2.0 is the default version in the p5.js Editor

Preload & Shape

One of the biggest changes from 1.x to 2.0 is how files are loaded, which is now also something that the Friendly Error System (FES) helps guide.

When it comes to the async/await and preload topic, any newcomers to this discussion can also check out last year’s discussion about this. There are different opinions on what best serves students. Moving away from preload and toward await/async means changing p5.js to reflect changes in JavaScript so that students who learn p5.js do not have to unlearn/relearn concepts when they use JavaScript more widely. I’m open to all ideas on how we can make this transition more supportive of learners and educators. You’re welcome to check out the guide on moving from 1.x to 2.0 or talk with me directly during public office hours.

In addition to preload and promises, there are some upcoming improvements in how shapes are handled. Both preload and shape from p5.js 1.x are available as compatibility add-on libraries so that p5.js 2.0 can be used even if you prefer the 1.x style.

Tables and Data Structures

Other changes included removing functions that p5.js implemented but which are actually supported by JavaScript itself. Removing these makes the library easier to maintain: this means fewer bugs, faster fixes, and easier entry for new contributors.

The survey asked about various functions, and based on the feedback, it’s clear that while the data structures functions could be replaced by JavaScript ones, the Table API did not have a good alternative, so Table functions will remain in p5.js 2.0. All those functions that will not be part of p5.js 2.0 also have a compatibility add-on and are listed in the compatibility guide.

Getting Involved

So what’s next? This has been a summary of the first p5.js Community Check-in, which was intended for anonymous feedback from a wider audience than contributors already on GitHub and Discourse. The feedback has been very helpful, so we’ll keep conducting these every few months. You can expect the next Community Check-in Survey to be about p5.sound.js!

Transparency is not about putting information out there, but doing it in a way that can be found and understood.

— Roopa Vasudevan, 2024 Processing Foundation fellow and creator of Aligning an Open Source Ethos

The intent of everything in this post is this: I want to share with you what we’ve been doing, and I’d love to know what you’d like to see more of, or done differently, in connecting with the community in various ways.

• GitHub: continuing discussion of specific features and bugs and proactively reaching out to community add-on libraries
• Discourse: continuing to invite input, but with added regular recaps of the GitHub discussions, so that it could be a little easier to enter and navigate if you’re interested but not sure where to jump in
• Newsletter, social media: the survey was mainly shared on social media, and it found people who were not already familiar with 2.0, so we’ll keep on sharing updates there! You can expect the next Community Check-in Survey to be about p5.sound.js
• Through communities and events we are connected to: after the p5.js 2.0 release, I will reach out to educators and users who might not be on Discourse or GitHub already. If that’s you, feel free to reach first!
• Conversations: for the next few months, I will host public office hours. When I started, I piloted the “check-in” survey as a way to include more voices in decision-making around the core library, and based on the comments it’s clear something more direct and conversational is important, additional to anonymous feedback and GitHub discussion.

This is all to say that I’m happy to meet you wherever you are: if you see a survey or a discussion here or there, jump right in with your thoughts, ideas, and questions!

Until next time & thanks for tuning in!
Best,
Kit

p5.js 2.0: You Are Here was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

🚨 DEADLINE EXTENDED: Sunday, May 4th at 11:59PM EST 🚨

The Processing Foundation Fellowship is back! This year’s theme, Data Storytelling, invites artists, coders, and researchers to transform data into interactive, visual, and performative storytelling experiences. Fellows receive $10,000, mentorship, and community support.

🌟 New this year! The Extended Realities Fellowship with The Unusual Suspects Theater Company and Street Poets in Los Angeles, where a fellow will collaborate with youth artists to create innovative digital theater projects.

We are thrilled to team up with a cohort of multi-talented organizations to provide mentorship to our 2025 fellows:

• Arab Image Foundation
• Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation
• MIT Open Documentary Lab
• The Data Garden Collective
• The Unusual Suspects Theater Company

📅 Important Dates:

🔹 Open Call Announcement: March 18, 2025

🔹 Applications Open: April 1, 2025

🔹 Fellowship Info Sessions: March 29 & April 10, 2025

🔹 Applications Close: May 2, 2025 — Extended to Sunday, May 4th at 11:59PM EST 🚨

📢 Processing Foundation Fellowship 2025: Call for Applications was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Processing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is excited to announce our open call for a Program Manager position! This position is fully remote and starts on May 1, 2025. For full consideration, please submit your application by Sunday, March 30, 2025.

We are looking for passionate and resourceful individuals who are knowledgeable about p5.js or Processing to apply for the Program Manager position. The ideal candidate is well-versed in event planning and execution, cares deeply about increasing access to coding education, is proactive in learning new skills, and is eager to co-envision the future of our software with project stakeholders.

p5.js and Processing are creative coding software focused on broadening access. Rather than using a top-down leadership model, the projects values collective work and seeks guidance from communities systematically marginalized in technology and the arts. The Processing Foundation aims to provide coding education and creative expression for beginners across social strata. You can learn more about our projects on our website. Ongoing work can be found on Medium, GitHub, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

Processing Foundation cultivates free, open-source software to facilitate K-12, postsecondary, and community-based education. Our project ecosystems are supported by a vibrant community of contributors, artists, educators, and students. You can find the full job description here. Learn more about the organization’s work on our Processing Foundation website and our Impact Report. If you have any questions regarding the application, please send them to employment@processingfoundation.org.

Processing Foundation is hiring a Program Manager! was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Our dedicated Program Manager, Tsige Tafesse, has played a remarkable role in shaping our fellowship program over the past 3 years. With record-breaking fellowship application numbers reaching 346 incredible applications in 2024 and 241 applications in 2023, Tsige has cultivated a program defined by kindness, compassionate criticality, and ingenuity. Her empathetic leadership has helped widen the capacity for the care of our fellows while nurturing a supportive and thoughtful community.

Through her vision and care, the program has expanded in impact and equity. In this short feature, we celebrate Tsige’s achievements thus far in our organization and the lasting legacy she will continue to build as she transitions into her new position as ‘Community and Fellowship Manager.’

During Tsige’s 3-year tenure as Program Manager, she directed and facilitated 2 years of fellowship programs at Processing Foundation. She supported the work of 28 fellows in total, along with 20 fellowship finalists and 16 fellowship mentors over the course of 2 years. She organized a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the fellowship program at NYU ITP as our first-ever in-person fellowship presentation, along with directing a digital fundraiser around the theme of ‘Decade of Code’, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the fellowship program.

Tsige collaborated with Yoon Grace Ra to produce 8 fellowship videos each year and June Canedo de Souza for the Decade of Code annual fundraiser video. You can find all of our fellowship videos on our fellowship playlist on Youtube.

Her care, professionalism, and sensitivity have been felt internally and externally, with Tsige organizing and initiating holiday parties and team retreats.

Tsige supported organizational shifts with new executive management during a tenuous time at our foundation. During this time, supported and facilitated our board retreat. She directed and curated a new theme for last year’s 2024 Fellowship ‘Sustaining Community: Expansion & Access’ with collaboration and feedback from fellowship alumni, Processing Foundation team and board members, and an external review committee. Within the theme were 4 focus areas: Archival Practices: Code & New Media, Open-Source Governance, Disability Justice in Creative Tech, and Access & AI. Outside of our organizational work, she was Inaugurated as an Arts Leader by Studio Museum in Harlem — truly a title well deserved.

​​

Gratitude from Fellowship Alumni

“My experience working with Tsige during the fellowship was amazing — our meetings and conversations were always filled with warmth and kindness. She is such a positive, supportive, and empathetic person. I’m really grateful for her work as Program Manager, and I wish her all the best!” — Luís dos Santos Miguel, 2024 Fellow

“I remember Tsige as the first ‘face’ of the Processing Foundation I’ve ever directly met, and that was during my Fellowship application process. All I can say is for her warmth, energy, kindness and optimism, I could not think of a better person to embody and represent this vibrant community. Tsige not only shines in her role as Program Manager, with evident strength in connecting dots and bringing people together. But she is also extraordinarily kind and so fun to have a conversation with (and I say this from the other side of the world!). I leave every conversation with Tsige feeling excited, inspired, and hopeful about the work we do. This comes from her genuine enthusiasm and unwavering support that have really defined the dynamic of our Fellowship/Alumni cohort to make it a loving and supportive space — and I’m sure the same for the broader Processing Foundation community. To have someone like Tsige in our corner, I consider all of us so fortunate.” — Joanne Amarisa, 2023 Fellow

“Tsige has been an inspiration of love and care as well as a lifeline of support. It was such a joy to have her hold space for us and guide us through the development of our project by creating the perfect balance of container and fluidity. Thank you Tsige!! May all your dreams come true!!!” — Kendra Krueger, 2023 Fellow

“Tsige cares A LOT about people and always makes sure that everyone feels included. From our very first conversation, I already felt the warmth of her kindness, even from halfway across the world. Without Tsige’s encouragement, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to pursue what I am doing today. Thank you, Tsige!” — Nhan Phan, 2023 Fellow

We are grateful for the incredible impact Tsige has had on our open-source communities. Her empathy, kindness, and brilliance have inspired us and will continue to support our global community. Thank you for sharing your light with us and continuing to shape our journey together!

Would you like to support us in shaping our creative open-source tools and fostering an equitable community? Donate today to help sustain and grow the impactful work of our Processing Foundation team members! Your donation supports our organization’s mission to provide self-determined communities with access to creative open-source technology. Thank you for your unwavering support.

Celebrating Communal Care with Tsige Tafesse was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We’re beyond excited to welcome Kit Kuksenok to the team! With a deep passion for creative coding, Kit brings extensive experience in algorithmic art, data visualization, and tech criticism. They have loved using p5.js since 2019 and have researched body data (both voluntary and otherwise). Algorithmic art in p5.js sketches has allowed them to explore (il)legibility and (un)certainty in data visualization. Between their personal p5.js sketches and teaching courses with p5.js, their aim with generative art has been to facilitate data-feminist practice and discussion.

They deeply believe in the power of creative coding communities to reframe and reclaim our collective engagement with technology. We can’t wait to see the fantastic work they’ll be doing for the Processing Foundation. Thank you, Kit, for your brilliance and dedication to critically envisioning open-source creative technology while supporting others on their journey. Stay tuned for more from Kit — including updates on p5.js, p5.js contributor support, and shaping the future of p5.js!

Kit Kuksenok (they/it) is an artist, writer, and coder. Since first learning to code in 2002, they have worked as a systems integrator, web developer, software engineer, data analyst, and lecturer in computer science. Their art/writing is informed by their proximity to technology and its variegated uses; they’ve taught numerous courses exploring technology’s role in society through algorithmic art. They hold a PhD (2016) in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle. Born in Ukraine and having lived in the US and Germany, Kit speaks English, Ukrainian, Russian, and some German.

Follow them on Instagram @xn_ze_ro and LinkedIn (Kit Kuksenok)

Help shape the future of p5.js! The beta release of p5.js 2.0 is ready — try testing and report any bugs you encounter. We invite you to weigh in on the coming updates in this community check-in survey as well: If you are an artist, teacher, or use p5.js in any capacity, Kit would love to hear from you. Thank you for contributing to our open-source community!

Announcing our new p5.js Project Lead, Kit Kuksenok! was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Processing Foundation’s 2024 Fellowship season has drawn to a close, and with it, we celebrate another year of transformative projects at the intersection of art, technology, and community. This season has been a testament to the creativity and dedication of our fellows, and it’s my honor to showcase one of this year’s standout projects: Ephemeral Experiments: Decoding Tendencies in Live Coding by Roxanne Harris.

Roxanne Harris (she/her), known as alsoknownasrox, is a New York City-based new media artist, researcher, and musician-programmer whose work masterfully blends computational rigor with artistic improvisation. Her practice reflects a deep commitment to algorithmic transparency and creative vulnerability, pushing the boundaries of programming as a creative medium. With a B.A. in Computer Science and Music from Yale University and an M.F.A. candidacy in Design | Media Arts at UCLA, Roxanne brings technical expertise and an artist’s intuition to her work. She has performed at renowned venues such as MoMA PS1, ZeroSpace Brooklyn, and Gray Area in San Francisco, and her research has been featured at the International Conference on Live Coding, SXSW, and in Office Magazine and Alternative Press.

Roxanne’s project, Ephemeral Experiments: Decoding Tendencies in Live Coding, is a groundbreaking exploration of the ephemeral nature of live coding performances. Live coding — a practice where artists write and modify code in real time to create music, visuals, or other outputs — is inherently improvisational, with its processes often fleeting and undocumented. Roxanne’s project bridges this gap by developing a platform-agnostic tool to capture and analyze the live coding process. By recording keypress events, mouse movements, and state changes in the source code, this tool not only preserves the moment but offers artists and researchers invaluable insights into the mechanics and aesthetics of live coding.

At the core of Ephemeral Experiments is Roxanne’s innovative use of Python to build custom modules for event capture and data visualization. Her tool transforms live coding performances into 3D visualizations of interaction patterns, offering a granular view of how intent, spontaneity, and computational output intertwine. The intuitive PyQt5-based interface empowers users to seamlessly record, visualize, and analyze their work, fostering technical precision and creative reflection.

What resonates most about Roxanne’s approach is her commitment to creating a tool that feels alive. As she beautifully puts it, “This project is about practicing letting go, making mistakes, and finding freedom within constraints.” That ethos reflects the Processing Foundation’s mission to support work combining technical innovation with artistic exploration. Roxanne’s project invites us to see live coding as a performance and as a collaborative and reflective practice where every keystroke becomes an opportunity for growth and connection.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Ephemeral Experiments is its ability to translate the transient nature of live coding into something tangible and enduring. Roxanne has created a tool that enables replayable documentation and retrospective analysis by mapping user interactions — such as mouse positions or typing speeds — to real-time visualizations. The project’s open-source foundation ensures accessibility and adaptability, inviting the broader live coding community to collaborate and innovate.

Supporting Roxanne’s journey has been an absolute privilege for the Processing Foundation. Her work challenges traditional hierarchies within creative technology spaces and invites us all to reconsider what it means to document, share, and celebrate artistic practice. By making the ephemeral tangible, Ephemeral Experiments fosters a shared language for live coding, strengthening the bonds of a global community of artists and technologists.

Roxanne’s work reminds us why we do what we do: to support projects that bring creativity, technology, and humanity together in inspiring and transformative ways. I encourage you to explore her project further on the Ephemerex GitHub repository, where you can download the tool, explore its documentation, and contribute to its development. As we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our 2024 Fellows, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to witness and support such visionary work.

Stay tuned as we continue to highlight the remarkable contributions of this year’s fellows, each of whom is redefining what is possible at the intersection of creativity and computation. For more information on the fellowship program and past fellows, visit the Processing Foundation Fellowship Page. Follow Roxanne on Twitter/X @alsoknownasrox, Instagram @alsoknownasrox, Roxanne’s Website, Bandcamp @alsoknownasrox, Tiktok @alsoknownasrox, and Soundcloud @alsoknownasrox.

Donate here if you would like to support the incredible ongoing work of our fellowship programs sustaining critical work within open-source and creative technology!

Fellows in Focus: Capturing the Ephemeral in Live Coding with Roxanne Harris was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Processing Foundation’s 2024 Fellowship season has come to a close, and with it, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of this year’s fellows. Among them is Amad Ansari, whose project, Palestine Online, bridges digital archiving, cultural preservation, and creative technology to amplify Palestinian voices and history in an era of erasure.

Amad Ansari (he/him) is a software engineer with a computer science and art history background. His practice lies at the intersection of digital archiving and creative technology, focusing on preserving what might otherwise be lost. Through Palestine Online, Amad brings together a curated collection of websites created by Palestinians — or about Palestine — from the late 1990s and early 2000s, a crucial era for digital self-representation. By documenting and revitalizing these websites, his work emphasizes the role of the internet as a vital tool for resistance, connection, and cultural preservation for a people under occupation.

At its core, Palestine Online is a repository of web pages sourced from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. These pages include personal homepages, news websites, online magazines, art showcases, and memorials that capture the experiences and expressions of Palestinians during or near the Second Intifada. Palestine Online recreates the aesthetics of the early internet through a period-correct interface while showcasing its potential as a tool for advocacy and storytelling.

For Amad, this project is deeply personal and political. “Especially with the current siege on Gaza, it’s important for me to place the history of Gaza front and center,” he explains. “This project preserves the culture of a place being demolished and destroyed.” Amad’s work honors the resilience of Palestinians who have continuously created their own digital spaces, even amid displacement and occupation. By categorizing these websites into themes like “documenting and memorializing,” the project highlights the creative ingenuity of early Palestinian internet users and the enduring importance of remembering those lost to the occupation.

One of the most striking elements of Palestine Online is its attention to the unique characteristics of the early web. From tile backgrounds and Flash animations to the simplicity of early coding, Amad uses these elements to immerse users in a digital time capsule. For younger audiences, many unfamiliar with the early internet, this project is an educational tool that bridges the past and present. “When I’ve shown this project to teenagers in workshops, they’re amazed,” Amad shares. “They see parallels between the documentation of that era and the stories they see today on Instagram.”

Amad approaches his role in this project with sensitivity, especially as a non-Palestinian. He emphasizes letting the websites and their creators to speak for themselves. “This project is about amplifying voices, not imposing my own,” he says. He aims to create a space where users can explore, learn, and come away with a deeper understanding of Palestinian resilience and solidarity.

During the fellowship, Amad focused on refining the user interface of Palestine Online to ensure it is robust, accessible, and adaptable for future expansions. He also organized the collection of websites into categories and subcategories to make navigation intuitive. The project’s open-source nature allows others to contribute, extending its reach and impact. Amad envisions Palestine Online as a standalone archive and a framework that can be replicated for other communities and contexts.

The fellowship has also allowed Amad to connect with youth in his local community, using Palestine Online as a teaching tool. Workshops in Bay Ridge with an Arab American organization introduced younger participants to the history of Palestine and the early internet, sparking curiosity and engagement. “Seeing people browse through these websites and come away with intense passion and solidarity with Palestinians today makes me incredibly happy,” he reflects.

“Seeing people browse through these websites and come away with intense passion and solidarity with Palestinians today makes me incredibly happy,” — Amad Ansari

As Palestine Online continues to evolve, Amad plans to enhance the project’s educational capabilities by incorporating user-submitted content and tools for contextualizing the websites further. He also hopes to showcase the archive in physical installations, using period-appropriate hardware like CRT or 4:3 monitors to immerse audiences in the early internet experience fully.

For the Processing Foundation, supporting Palestine Online has been a profound privilege. The project exemplifies this year’s fellowship theme, ‘Sustaining Community: Expansion and Access,’ by using technology to create a living archive that resists erasure and celebrates cultural resilience. Amad’s work reminds us of the internet’s transformative potential — not just as a technical tool but as a space for connection, resistance, and expression.

Stay tuned as we continue to highlight the remarkable contributions of this year’s fellows, each of whom is redefining what is possible at the intersection of creativity and computation. For more information on the fellowship program and past fellows, visit the Processing Foundation Fellowship Page. Explore Palestine Online at palestineonline.net, or follow Amad on Instagram @badgalansari for updates.

Donate here if you would like to support the incredible ongoing work of our fellowship programs sustaining critical work within open-source and creative technology!

Fellows in Focus: Digital Resistance & Palestinian Web Archives with Amad Ansari was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Processing Foundation’s 2024 Fellowship season has come to a close and continuing our series honoring our fellows we are so excited to share about How do We Care for Each Other (Vì Mình Thương Nhau), created by Anh (Autumn) Pham. Anh (they/them) is a Deaf, Queer tech worker and writer from Vietnam, now based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their work bridges the intersection of accessibility, storytelling, and advocacy, focusing on empowering marginalized communities. Anh’s personal experiences growing up in Vietnam, where disability was often stigmatized, inspired this project. “My culture, my family, and my community saw disability as something wrong with us,” Anh shares. “I hope that through this project, Deaf children and other disabled people will feel they are not alone in their experiences. It’s something I wish I had growing up.”

At its core, How do We Care for Each Other is an archival website documenting the lived experiences of disabled people in Vietnam. Through visual storytelling powered by creative coding tools like Processing and p5.js, the project celebrates the diverse and complex lives of disabled individuals. Anh’s game prototype, built using p5.js, immerses players in a soundless experience, replicating the Deaf perspective and challenging audiences to reconsider how they perceive disability. “Disability isn’t something wrong with a person,” Anh emphasizes. “Disabled people live, love, make mistakes, and thrive like anyone else.”

“Disability isn’t something wrong with a person. Disabled people live, love, make mistakes, and thrive like anyone else.” — Anh (Autumn) Pham

The fellowship allowed Anh to combine their technical expertise with their passion for storytelling and advocacy. The project’s message is a call to action beyond visibility. “I want to advocate for better treatment and access to basic services like healthcare, education, and social support for disabled people in Vietnam,” Anh explains. By presenting this archive to scholars, students, and even policymakers, they hope to inspire systemic change and dismantle ableism within the Vietnamese cultural context.

One of the most powerful aspects of this project is its emphasis on community. Anh collected first-person narratives from disabled individuals, creating a space where their voices could be heard and celebrated. The project also poses an essential question, “How have you cared for your community, and how has your community cared for you?” This reflection invites audiences to think critically about their roles in fostering inclusivity and equity.

Anh’s personal and professional journey adds depth to the project. A recipient of an Apple award for a visualization project that teaches people how to read audiograms, Anh also interned with Apple’s iOS Accessibility team, working on hearing accessibility. Outside of their 9-to-5 in financial tech, they write the Letters from Anh newsletter about accessible tech, disability, and humanity, and organize mentorship and fellowship programs for young people. Anh’s work is driven by curiosity, care, and a vision for a world where no one is left behind.

Supporting How do We Care for Each Other has been a privilege for the Processing Foundation. This project aligns with the fellowship theme, ‘Sustaining Community: Expansion and Access,’ by amplifying marginalized voices and fostering a deeper understanding of Disability Justice. Anh’s work reminds us of the transformative potential of creative technology to advocate for care, equity, and systemic change.

How do We Care for Each Other serves as an archive and a call to action. Beyond the fellowship, Anh envisions this platform as a resource to inform policy and inspire research, cultivating a stronger Disability Justice movement in Vietnam. “Better data informs better policies,” Anh reflects. “This archive can help advocate for better support in housing, education, healthcare, and beyond.”

Stay tuned as we continue to highlight the remarkable contributions of this year’s fellows, each of whom is redefining what is possible at the intersection of creativity and computation. For more information on the fellowship program and past fellows, visit the Processing Foundation Fellowship Page. Follow Anh on Twitter/X @anhphamprog, LinkedIn (Anh Pham), and Substack. This project is a testament to the power of storytelling, technology, and community care to drive meaningful change.

Donate here if you would like to support the incredible ongoing work of our fellowship programs sustaining critical work within open-source and creative technology!

Fellows in Focus: Disability Justice & Digital Archives with Anh (Autumn) Pham was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Processing Foundation’s 2024 Fellowship season has come to a close, and with it, we celebrate another year of transformative projects that redefine the boundaries of art, technology, and community. Among the exceptional fellows this year is Luís dos Santos Miguel, whose groundbreaking project, Holografia: p5.js in Brazilian Sign Language, is a powerful step toward accessibility and inclusivity in creative coding.

Luís dos Santos Miguel (he/him) is a São Paulo-based designer, audiovisual producer, translator, and educator deeply committed to accessibility and inclusive design. With a Master’s degree in Design and a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from São Paulo State University (Unesp), as well as ongoing studies in Brazilian Sign Language (Letras-Libras) at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Luís brings a wealth of expertise to his work. His practice centers on bridging communication gaps through innovative design and education, focusing on audiovisual accessibility and multimodal expression. His academic research has explored digital interfaces, semiotics, and the unique affordances of sign languages, making him an ideal leader for this ambitious project.

Holografia: p5.js in Brazilian Sign Language is an initiative rooted in open-source principles, designed to promote creative coding and design literacy within Brazil’s Deaf community. The project features a series of freely accessible educational videos in Libras, the sign language used by Deaf communities in urban areas of Brazil. These videos introduce the fundamentals of p5.js, utilizing visual resources, Portuguese audio tracks, and subtitles to ensure accessibility for a broad audience.

Central to this project is Luís’ innovative approach to addressing the lack of technical vocabulary in Libras. Collaborating with Deaf colleagues, Luís has developed new signs for key concepts like “Processing” and “p5.js,” which integrate visual elements from logos and letters to make these terms intuitive and meaningful. Luís explains, “Especially for Deaf people whose first language is sign language, it’s much more comfortable to access this knowledge in their native language.” This pioneering work lays the groundwork for standardizing technical terminology in Libras, fostering a more inclusive landscape for creative technology.

“Especially for Deaf people whose first language is sign language, it’s much more comfortable to access this knowledge in their native language.” — Luís dos Santos Miguel

Luís’ journey through the fellowship has been marked by breakthroughs. However, Luís used this time to deepen his research, refine the project’s visual identity, and engage with the Deaf community to co-create terminology and design strategies. These efforts have enriched the project and sparked valuable conversations about accessibility within the Processing Foundation and beyond.

One of the most inspiring aspects of Holografia is its potential to impact multiple communities. By creating bilingual resources, the project serves Deaf learners while offering hearing audiences a unique opportunity to engage with Libras as a second language. As Luís notes, the project highlights broader gaps in educational accessibility, “There is an educational gap for Deaf individuals in Brazil, and many are not familiar with subjects like coding, math, or design. This project seeks to bridge that gap while modeling systemic solutions for future accessibility initiatives.”

The technical and pedagogical strategies underpinning Holografia reflect Luís’ thoughtful and holistic approach. In addition to creating educational videos, the project includes a dedicated website and plans for promotion across platforms popular in the Deaf community, such as Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp. Luís is also developing a roadmap to guide future initiatives incorporating sign language into creative coding and design education.

For the Processing Foundation, supporting Holografia has been a profound privilege. Luís’ work exemplifies this year’s fellowship theme, ‘Sustaining Community: Expansion and Access,’ by addressing systemic barriers and creating opportunities for connection and learning. The project not only enriches the field of creative technology but also serves as a model for inclusive practices that can be adopted globally.

Luís’ vision extends far beyond this fellowship. He envisions Holografia as a long-term resource for design literacy and creative coding in Libras, contributing to the normalization of sign language in educational content and empowering the Brazilian Deaf community to explore new forms of creative expression. As he reflects on the project’s impact, Luís shares, “This is more than a series of videos — it’s a way of making knowledge accessible and meaningful to a community that has long been excluded from these conversations.”

Stay tuned as we continue to highlight the remarkable contributions of this year’s fellows, each of whom is redefining what is possible at the intersection of creativity and computation. For more information on the fellowship program and past fellows, visit the Processing Foundation Fellowship Page. Follow Luís on Instagram @luis.santos.miguel and LinkedIn (Luís dos Santos Miguel), or visit Luís’ website for updates.

Donate here if you would like to support the incredible ongoing work of our fellowship programs sustaining critical work within open-source and creative technology!

Fellows in Focus: Creative Coding in Brazilian Sign Language with Luís dos Santos Miguel was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Written by Tsige Tafesse, Edited by Suhyun (Sonia) Choi and Xin Xin

The Processing Foundation’s 2024 Fellowship season has drawn to a close, and we are proud to highlight the completion of Applying Restorative Practices to Develop an Openly Licensed Conflict Resolution System for Self-Organized Communities. Created by Dorothy Howard and David Isaac Hecht, this project provides a much-needed framework for addressing conflict in self-organized communities, blending the ethics of care with restorative justice to build stronger, more equitable governance systems.

Dorothy Howard (she/her) is a researcher and open knowledge advocate based in Brooklyn, NY. She has deep experience in designing governance systems that center accountability, transparency, and marginalized voices. David Isaac Hecht (he/him) is a facilitator, researcher, and community organizer whose work spans collaborative labor practices, knowledge structures, and organizational dynamics. Together, they have created a resource that offers transformative tools for communities seeking to handle conflicts with fairness and care.

This project addresses a fundamental challenge: what happens when conflict arises in an organization without clear mechanisms to process harm? Dorothy explains, “Without a structure, marginalized people often face the worst effects of negligence when they come forward with a report. Our work provides organizations with tools to assess their preparedness and ensure equitable processes.”

At its heart, this project is an openly licensed conflict resolution system designed for self-organized communities, such as open technology projects, cooperatives, or online groups. The system is built around a self-assessment tool that organizations can use to evaluate their readiness to intake and process reports. Additionally, it provides a customizable framework for creating safe spaces and handling incidents, allowing communities to adapt the system to their unique needs.

The fellowship allowed Dorothy and David to ground their design in rigorous research and community engagement. They reviewed restorative justice practices, case studies, and academic literature to inform their approach. Additionally, they facilitated listening sessions to gather insights from practitioners and community members, ensuring the system is practical and responsive to real-world needs. “The listening sessions emphasized the importance of confidentiality and comfort for participants,” David shares. “This guided our design toward solutions that prioritize safety and compassion.”

One of the standout features of the system is its emphasis on openness. By releasing the framework with an open license, the team ensures it can evolve with input from the communities using it. “We hope organizations pick it up, tailor it, and put it back into circulation,” Dorothy says. “This iterative process is key to creating governance systems that are living, adaptable, and effective.”

The project also highlights the importance of accessibility in governance. Dorothy and David have worked to ensure the system is easy to implement and understand, avoiding dense legalese and focusing instead on practical, user-friendly tools. Their work acknowledges the power dynamics inherent in conflict resolution, offering strategies to create equitable outcomes that center both accusers and those accused of harm as individuals deserving dignity and respect.

For the Processing Foundation, supporting this project has been an honor. It aligns deeply with the fellowship theme, ‘Sustaining Community: Expansion and Access,’ by addressing structural inequities and offering tangible tools for community resilience. Dorothy and David’s approach demonstrates the transformative potential of open-source governance, fostering cultures of accountability and care in creative technology and beyond.

The project is an openly licensed resource organizations can use, modify, and improve. Dorothy and David envision it becoming a touchstone for communities navigating conflict, promoting transparency and equity in addressing harm. As Dorothy reflects, “This project is about helping people work together better. It’s about creating systems that support not just individuals but the entire community.”

Stay tuned as we continue to highlight the remarkable contributions of this year’s fellows, each of whom is redefining what is possible at the intersection of creativity and computation. For more information on the fellowship program and past fellows, visit the Processing Foundation Fellowship Page. Follow Dorothy on Instagram @hexjelica, Twitter/X @hexatekin, and Dorothy’s website, and David on Instagram @wileycount, Twitter/X @wileycount, and David’s website.

Donate here if you would like to support the incredible ongoing work of our fellowship programs sustaining critical work within open-source and creative technology!

Fellows in Focus: Restorative Governance & Open-Source Justice with Dorothy Howard & David Isaac… was originally published in Processing Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.