The Digital Public Square project (DPS), Munk School of Global Affairs, on behalf of the Governing Council of the University of Toronto (the “University”), seeks the services of a Proponent to provide web design and development to the school’s Digital Public Square project. The successful Proponent for the Digital Public Square project will be accountable for supporting the development of all online platforms and content that enable current and proposed future campaigns. By building new platforms and providing new and innovative tools designed to increase digital spaces for free expression, open political dialogue, and engagement where citizen participation and civil society is threatened, the Digital Public Square project seeks to enable the largest possible number of active participants to debate, share, and form opinions in the marketplace of ideas.
A.3.2 Digital platform development
The Proponent will develop multiple web based platforms that are compelling and desirable to share – and crucially – secure for users to engage with. This service should include expertise developing platforms for people that face restrictions online due to censorship, bandwidth limitations, and surveillance. Development expertise should ensure each platform functions well across a variety of web browsers (and particularly mobile devices). The Digital Public Square team will provide language translation and research expertise, but the Proponent should consider and anticipate the impacts local digital contexts (e.g. non-Latin script) will introduce to the design and development process. The Proponent’s expertise should include developing online platforms able to accommodate a large number of users in short or long intervals (upwards of 100K users per day).
The Proponent will also develop and maintain the following as required: all associated platform databases; custom CMS systems; analytics dashboards; API access points; and automated backup procedures.
Additionally, the Proponent will provide critical bug fixes in a timely manner that prioritizes user safety and platform security.
A.3.3 Graphic and print design
The Proponent will provide design services to the Digital Public Square for both digital and print products. A successful Proponent will have demonstrated experience creating graphic designs and/or print design products for multiple cultural contexts (including, but not limited to, the Middle East and Asia). All original graphic designs will be provided to the Digital Public Square for unrestricted use. Original working files will be provided upon request for Digital Public Square use.
