DERT works with emerging designers to create unique books and learning tools. All of our products are designed to enhance learning and living through the power of stories. Our customers activate books into creators of social good, as proceeds from the sale of each book...
DERT launches a new line of classic chapter books, with cover artwork created by design students. DERT is offering a curated set of classic literature which feature stories and characters that connect to the journey of 21st century men and women. The books are being...
In 2020 DERT begins a new campaign to promote the cause of children’s literacy by providing books to barbershops in at-risk communities nationwide. DERT is launching a new program that activates the professional barber industry to join in DERT’s mission to ensure that all children...
Parsons School of Design students recently conducted a project which explored a new marketing strategy for DERT in the barber industry. DERT co-founder, Marcos Chavez worked with his communication design students challenging them to create a promotion campaign that positioned DERT within the barber industry...
After receiving more than 800 entries, the jury of AIGA and Design Observer 50 Books | 50 Covers chose DERT’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland cover design as one of the winners in their annual competition. The classic children’s story was given a unique look with...
DERT co-founder Marcos Chavez and designer Sage Smith have been awarded the 2018 Ideas That Matter Grant. DERT’s Read To Me Book and Letters/Numbers Learning Tablet has been selected as a recipient of $20,000 grant. The award will fund the printing of both pieces which...
As our Kickstarter campaign closed on June 29, we were happy to see that not only did we meet our goal of 9,000 dollars but exceeded it and raised over 10,000 dollars. Thanks to the help of our friends, family and fans, and above all...
In the spring of 2018, DERT is introducing its first ever Kickstarter campaign to help bring The Little Books, its first board books, to life. The Little Number Book and The Little Letter Book were designed and illustrated by Sage Smith, a New York City...
This year, DERT has again partnered with Parsons School of Design and the Design for Literacy class. The 16-week class engages graphic design students to reimagine classic stories from literature into newly designed books and book products for the 21st century. The class is created...
DERT proudly participated in its first fundraising effort by contributing to Parent-Child Home Program’s annual gala auction event. This annual event is hosted by PCHP to bring together its donors and sponsors in celebration of the work being done across the country to help underserved families receive...
This Fall DERT participated in an advertising class at Parsons School of Design. Communication design students at Parsons were assigned the task to help promote DERT as a new social venture that sells student designed books which raise money for literacy charity. Students created fully...
DERT is in partnership with Parsons School of Design participating in an ongoing Collab class called Design for Literacy. Created by DERT partner and Parsons Part-Time Faculty, Marcos Chavez, this class engages with graphic design students to create book products that fulfill DERT’s mission. Students are challenged to...
Students Parsons School of Design met at the design office of TODA to present their final presentations of DERT book projects. The class, made up of communication design students from the Spring 2015 semester, was assigned to redesign a set of classic hardcover covers, as...
DERT recently worked with students from The Parsons New School for Design to create a series of children’s book that feature the fables of Aesop. These books were designed as part of DERT’s social entrepreneurship model that activates books as fundraising tools to help fund...
For the past two years, DERT co-founder Marcos Chavez has been working with graphic design students from The Art Institute of New York City to create a range of projects to help DERT develop its social entrepreneurship model. Students worked on various social media promotion...
A dynamic evening of interaction as students from the Parsons The New School for Design exhibited their work. The projects featured were developed over the Spring 2014 semester as part of Parsons Collab program. The class, Design for Literacy class, was create by DERT co-founder...
Our name is DERT. We are reader activists here to campaign for change in the field of literacy. To revive literacy, we first call for books to be curated locally for community enrichment. We propose a model of book-selling to help communities rediscover books not...
Initial prototypes for DERT’s custom designed dust jackets. DERT is currently working through it’s collaborative studio program to develop a new line of book products. These efforts are part of DERT’s mission to create new models of book selling that energize readers and enhance literacy...
DERT was founded with a vision to re-invent literacy as a social phenomenon with a global outreach. Much of what is considered “literacy” is changing, especially with new electronic media. We are in the process of creating a book-selling model around this idea, connecting...
DERT is a social enterprise that seeks to activate books into fundraising tools that raise money for the cause of early childhood literacy. DERT was founded by two brothers: an Olympia book curator, Ernesto Chavez, and a Brooklyn graphic designer, Marcos Chavez. Inspired to brand...
