Harris has stated that she remembers her mother shouting from her car at the Ku Klux Klan while they were displaying on the street.

[5] Her experience as a young black woman growing up during desegregation in the South instilled in her a strong belief in social justice that can be seen through her artwork.

This was a formative time for Harris and led to her discovery of graphic design as a career path.

Harris began working at Washington Business Group on Health, where Chris Pullman mentored her.

On Pullman's advice she left Architects Collaborative to earn an MFA in graphic design from Yale.

Based in New York City, Two Twelve Associates designed work for some of the nation's largest hospitals.

While working at Two Twelve Associates, Harris found a passion for designing public information systems in a comprehensive and effective way.

The goal of the 1998 user-centered form redesign was to encourage Americans, including those who were previously underrepresented citizens, to participate.

[11] Sylvia Harris was hired as an independent project leader to design more effective communication with patients of New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center.