April 29, 2008 • 12:27 am
Whilst admiring the work and words of C&G Partners graphic designer Scott Ballum (aka. Sheepless) this evening, I soon found myself exploring the online pages of GDUSA’s January issue, “People to Watch in 2008″, where Ballum was featured. The 2008 annual feature of “newsworthy designers”, asked each designer about the future of their profession, the health of the economy and the state of planet Earth. The responses are certainly worth a browse.
Filed under: On Graphic Design, On People, On Social Design , profession, Social Design, Graphic Design, Visual Communication, GDUSA, Magazine, Designers, Future of Graphic Design, Talent
Reading the archive of MotherJones this afternoon, I came across a photo essay entitled “American Happiness and the Need to Consume”, featuring the work of American photographer Brian Ulrich, who is known for his photographic exploration of consumer culture.
Filed under: On Culture, On Social Design, On Society , brian ulrich, consumer, Consumerism, Culture, photographer, photography, Society
Last night I came across a magnificent online resource and initiative dedicated to socially conscious design, its name Creative For A Cause. Founded and set up by Denver based Graphic Designer Heidi Cies, Creative For A Cause (A Resource for Visual Communications Educators) aims to assist teaching social responsibility in design education.
“While social responsibility is being discussed more and more frequently within the Visual Communications industry and among educators today, no standards or guidelines currently exist to aid in the implementation of these concepts into the higher education curriculum. Where social responsibility is not already part of a Visual Communications program, and there is little or no administrative support for inclusion, it is left to individual instructors to decide how to best integrate this topic into their syllabi.
This site is a collaborative resource for educators of Visual Communications who wish to instruct their students on the importance of adopting a social and ethical approach to their work. If you know of additional resources that you feel would be of value, please contact us.” (Heidi Cies, Creative For A Cause).
Heidi, well done – this is a fantastic project that is certainly going to prove useful. I look forward to our future conversations.
+ Creative For A Cause
+ Via. Randy J. Hunt
Filed under: Art & Design, On Education, On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Society , Creative For A Cause, design education, ethical, heidi cies, Randy Hunt, resources, Social, Social Design, social responsibility, Syracuse, Visual Communication
In my search for socially-based designers, working with contemporary and intelligent design thinking, I have come across a number of inspiring U.S based designers/agencies/projects this evening.
The first I am going to mention has to be, Citizen Scholar, Inc, founded by designer Randy J. Hunt. This New York design consultancy specialise “in creative services for cultural institutions, educators, artists, non-profits and social entrepreneurs.” Although the website only profiles the work in a blog format, it is worth a look around.
Hunt also blogs on design, for UnderConsideration and AIGA/NY at Designy.
Filed under: Art & Design, On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Social Design, On Society , AIGA/NY, Citizen Scholar, Creative For A Cause, Designer, Designy, New York, Randy Hunt, Social, Social Design, Society
Article for DesignSessions: Are You a Good Designer?
When I was first asked to contribute a piece on design ethics to Design Sessions: Notes on Design, I wondered how I could credibly comment on such a complex and highly academic topic. Whilst sitting at the early stages of my creative career, I wondered how many of us really understand what it means to be a “good” designer, and asked myself, if and how, I am a “good” (socially-responsible) designer?
Design Ethics
Throughout every stage of my creative training, I have echoed the belief that design is “quintessentially an ethical process” (Devon and Poel 2002). I strongly believe that Communication Design has a positive and negative ability to affect social change, but recognize that its influential power should be treated with respect and careful consideration, of its use, from all its designers.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Society, On Sustainability , Communication Design, design ethics, Ethics, future, Graphic Design, Kate Andrews, Social Design, Visual Communication
London College of Communication are hosting the New Views 2 Symposium and Exhibition this coming July, entitled “Conversations and Dialogue in Graphic Design”. Although the call for papers is now closed, the conference registration is online and a call for poster submissions is underway.
“By facilitating large and smaller more focused groups of delegates, New Views 2, aims to identify the challenges we are currently facing in graphic design, but more importantly proposing potential ways forward.”
The suggested themes that New Views 2 may cover:
Problems of defining terminology: visual communication, communication design, graphic design, information environments.
the role of graphic design for the ‘real world’.
graphic design and interdisciplinarity
graphic design and research methods
design writing/criticism and repositioning the debate
practice-led PhD research in the field of graphic design
responsive curriculums and shifting paradigms
research, innovation and new critical thinking
New Views 2 has asked for poster submissions that “through the use of graphic language, address the issues and the core themes of the conference and demonstrate the use of graphic design as a means to critique and reflect upon its future.” Individuals or groups, Design students, Design Faculty and Professional Design Studio submissions were all welcome (more details on the website) and the selected works will be included in the traveling exhibition and/or the digital exhibition. I look forward to seeing the online exhibition later in the year.
Symposium:
July 9 – 11, 2008
London College of Communication
University of the Arts London, UK
Exhibition:
9 – 21 July 2008
Opens in London and then travels to RMIT, Australia.
A digital exhibition will also be presented through the conference website.
+ New Views 2
Filed under: Art & Design, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Research, On Social Design , Communication Design, Conversations and Dialogue in Graphic Design, Design Criticism, Design Future, Design Research, Design Writing, LCC, London College of Communication, New Views 2, Social Design
Forever an inspiration voice, John Thackara is a symposiarch who designs events, projects, and organizations. Director of Doors of Perception (Doors), and author of the awe-inspiring publication, In the Bubble, John has for the last two years lead the Design of the Times (dott 07) project in North East England.
“If you attend certain events, read certain books or policy papers it is possible at the minute, to formulate a world view whereby design is the panacea of all ills.” Wodcast.
Recorded at Intersections07, Wodcast recently caught up with John to discuss the dott 07 project, design and social change, sustainability, and design education. Thackara explains how designers should not see themselves as the cause of social problems, or pretend to have all the answers to solve them. The interview is short but definately worth listening to.
All the Intersections Conference podcasts can be found at The Design Council website.
Filed under: On Education, On Ethics, On People, On Social Design, On Society, On Sustainability , Change, Culture, Design, design education, DOTT07, Intersections, interview, John Thackara, podcast, Social Change, Social Design, Society, sustainability, wodcast
Response to “What is Success” by Ellen Lupton, made on Thu Aug 30, 2007
Having recently immersed myself into Oliver James’ book Affluenza, this is a wonderfully topical discussion, which I have also been discussing with colleagues and students. Affluenza (which at most criticizes and abruptly awakens its readers to a money-grabbing, consumer “must-have” society), ultimately questions if success can be gained in any competitive industry and within any consumer-focused society. For example: Can a single ambition ever be experienced? As one success, ambition or goal is reached another one is created, superceding its previous. Therefore, I agree that a consistent “raising of the bar” (Jared Lantzman), certainly plays a part of being a “successful” designer. Why this is the case, however, is an entirely different discussion.
Success is subjective to personal ambition and at its core is defined by each individual. The problem I see however, is that success is taught initially by a grading matrix and later by an overly powerful “celebrity” culture (especially in the Design Industry). I believe being a successful Designer entails the creative ability to evolve and grow at the same pace that the industry does, yet whilst remaining unique in ones own ability and passion.
For me, my creative and professional success will be determined by any socially conscious contribution I make to the world around us, via the medium of Visual Communication; a combination of Design Methodology and Creative Intelligence. Making a difference is far more “successful” than merely making an impact and should the former be achieved, the latter tends to follow.
Great discussion Ellen.
Filed under: On Education, On Graphic Design , Ellen Lupton, Graphic Design, Success
After Jody Boehnert forwarded me a link to Rick Poynor’s recent critic of Design Conferences, for Creative Review, I have thought a lot about their impact/importance and relevance.
The celebrity culture that has developed in the design industry is not something I have followed since being a student, however I was quite shocked at the monochrome nature of responses to this article, which it would seem illustrates a dichotomy of current day designers.
Response made to Rick Poynor’s feature:
Many conferences are simply an exhibition of famous works, but as Rajesh comments, students will forever love the opportunity to meet/see/admire their favourite designers (and there is nothing wrong with admiring your inspirations). As we develop into professionals however, there is more to learn and think about than “new tricks and computer skills”. If everyone just learns how to recreate the same thing, designers will evolve into nothing but another form of technology.
We should be asking for a new kind of design event that gets its audience off the seats and use their talents to challenge current day social problems. I therefore agree that smaller interactive debates, discussions and workshops that consider social change will assist the Communication industry to evolve positively into the future, and perhaps eradicate the risk of stagnating its designers into aesthetically orientated tech-savvy talent.
+ Creative Review: Design Conferences. Isn’t it time we demanded more?
Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Social Design , Creative Review, Design Conferences, Design Critic, design education, Rick Poynor
I have just listened to an interesting interview with Think Public’s Deborah Szebeko, via Wodcast.
Szebeko opens the discussion to talk through her definition of “Public Service Design”. She continues to discuss Think Public’s recent project “The Real Work Experience” – which I am ever more inspired by having (like many of those involved) left my BA degree in Graphic Design a bit lost at how to vehicle my work/skills/education toward positive change, rather than choosing a career path toward the more typical designer routes of advertising, for example. Szebeko further explains her motivation for starting Think Public and the Real Work Experience to have been driven from a frustration that designers have so little awareness as to where they can use their communication skills to design for greater good. Worth taking 12 mins to listen to the interview, if you haven’t come across Szebeko’s work yet.
Wodcast_thinkpublic.mp3
Filed under: On Education, On Ethics, On People, On Social Design, On Society , Deborah Szebeko, Ethics, Health, NHS, Public Service Design, Social Design, Think Public
Previously unreleased footage from the legendary TCT at The Royal Albert Hall will be available on DVD from Monday 14th April 2008.
Packed with performances that capture the spirit of this unique event, including one-off collaborations between Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller and Razorlight and The Who’s Roger Daltrey, the DVD will be available from the Teenage Cancer Trust website immediately at a special preview price. All profits from the sale of the DVD will go to Teenage Cancer Trust, helping them to continue to build specialist teenage cancer units within the NHS for young people with cancer.
What a great contemporary design for such a great purpose! It would be great to see this design style attached to the main Charity website though!
Filed under: On Ethics, On Events, On Graphic Design, On Social Design , Royal Albert Hall, TCT, Teenage Cancer Trust
This poster by 23 yr old UK designer Alex Jarvis explains the advantages of drinking tap water as opposed to buying bottled water.
Filed under: On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Social Design, On Sustainability , Social Design, Graphic Design, design ethics, Alex Jarvis
I just came across a really great portfolio of socially responsible communication design, from Glasgow graduate Chris Thompson. Plenty of great work Chris, I can’t wait to see more.
Via. The Serif.
Filed under: On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Social Design, On Typography , Social Design, Graphic Design, chris thompson, design ethic
Great TED talk from Norman Foster, Building on the Green Agenda.
Recorded at the DLD Conference, Munich, Architect Norman Foster discusses his own work to show how computers can help architects design buildings that are green, beautiful and “basically pollution-free.” He shares projects from throughout his career, from the pioneering roof-gardened Willis Building (1975) to the London Gherkin (2004). He also comments on two upcoming megaprojects: a pipe to bring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, and the new Beijing airport.
The DLD (Digital Life Design) Conference, in Munich, Germany, is hosted by publisher Hubert Burda and Israeli investor Yossi Vardi, covering digital innovation, media and design.
Filed under: On Culture, On Ethics, On People, On Social Design, On Sustainability , sustainability, Environment, TED, norman foster, green agenda, buckminster fuller, digital world, DLD
It’s been a long time coming, but my very first “feature” article for Design21 is live today! Having interviewed Emily Pilloton, Founder of the magnificent non-profit Project H Design (and colleague at Inhabitat.com), I am also pleased to share some of the images Emily has recently sent me, from her trip to South Africa.
Read the Design21 interview here.
Filed under: On Ethics, On People, On Social Design , Kate Andrews, Social Design, poverty, Ethics, Emily Pilloton, Project H Design, Aid, Design21, South Africa
