September 17, 2008 • 5:16 pm
On Friday evening, as part of the magnificent Greengaged hub of sustainability events (at London’s Design Council), a series of leading speakers will debate; “Should we believe the hype? Green Marketing, spin and substance.”
In 2007, 70% of the US’s GDP was generated from consumption. UK household waste has been growing by 2% – 3% per cent a year. The average shopper in the developed world shopper adds 3 tonnes of CO2 to their carbon footprint by simply buying stuff. Products and services are clicking on to the big sell of green. In the climate of economic down turn how can we create behaviour change in consumers who are bombarded by advertising and bored of green wash.
Chaired by Lucy Siegle from The Observer, the speakers include: Ed Gillespie (Futerra), Sophie Thomas (thomas.matthews), Stewart Rassier (Saatchi & Saatchi S), Richard George (Plane Stupid), Chris Sherwin (Forum for the Future), John Grant (author of The Green Marketing Manifesto).
To join the debate visit Greengaged.com and book your place! Kick off is at 6.30pm.
Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Ethics, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Society, On Sustainability , Green, greengaged, greenwash, London Design Festival 2008, sustainability, thomas matthews
September 9, 2008 • 3:50 pm
With the 2008 London Design Festival only a matter of days away, it is with great respect to read ‘Scenes of Graphic London’, an editorial piece written by Teal Triggs (Professor of Graphic Design, University of the Arts London). Highlighting the importance of Graphic Design to the UK capital, Triggs beautifully captures a timeline of the UK’s most iconic work, and intelligently pays respect to the changing faces of its future. You can download the full article from the London Design Festival website.
Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design , creative, Design Writing, Graphic Design, london, London College of Communication, London Design Festival 2008, Scenes of Graphic London, Teal Triggs, UK
August 19, 2008 • 8:25 pm
The San Jose Business Journal has reported that Stanford University and the Hasso-Plattner-Institute have announced a $16 million research collaboration that will investigate “design thinking”. “The methodology that melds an end-user focus with multidisciplinary collaboration and iterative improvement to produce products, services or experiences.”
Filed under: On Research, On Social Design, On Sustainability , Co-Design, Collaboration, D.School, Design Research, Design Thinking, Standford
The New Views 2: Conversations and Dialogues in Graphic Design symposium and exhibition opens at London College of Communication this week.
With introductory speeches from Design Council Chairman Sir Michael Bichard KCB and Live|Work Founding Director Chris Downs on Wednesday evening, the symposium running through Thursday and Friday will bring together leading academics, professionals and students to explore the practice of graphic design for the future.
Co-ordinated by Professor Teal Triggs (LCC) and Dr. Laurene Vaughan (RMIT), New Views 2 is structured with intent to allow open dialogue. Over the two-day symposium, six topical clusters – formed from the selected paper submissions, allow attendees to join discussions specific to their interest areas:
• Cluster 1: Design Writing/Criticism: Repositioning the Debate.
• Cluster 2: Graphic Design: Interdisciplinary.
• Cluster 3: Graphic Design: Practice and Methods.
• Cluster 4: Research/Innovation: New Critical Thinking.
• Cluster 5: Responsive Curricula: Shifting Paradigms.
• Cluster 6: Graphic Design: Changing the ‘Real World’.
The clustered group propositions are now available for download from www.newviews.co.uk
Filed under: Art & Design, On Ethics, On Events, On Graphic Design, On Research , Conversations and Dialogues in Graphic Design, Design Council, Design Criticism, Design Writing, Design Writing/Criticism, Graphic Design, graphic design future, livework, london, London College of Communication, New Views 2, Public Service Design, Social Change, Social Design, Teal Triggs
Last night saw the launch of the radical architecture manifesto ManTowNHuman. In the words of Nico Macdonald, it’s “[...] more progressive than First Things First.”
Founded by Director of The Future Cities Project, Austin Williams, the ManTowNHuman Manifesto was co-written by Alastair Donald, Richard J Williams, Karl Sharro, Alan Farlie and Debby Kuypers.
Toward a New Humanism in Architecture:
The time has come to re-think architecture.
The time has come to re-imagine the city.
The time has to re-engage with society.
The time has come to break free from building identity, community, and stability… and get on with building.
The time has come to challenge ‘what is permitted’, with ‘what could be’.
The time has come to break free of the architecture of limits.
The time has come to prioritise the human and downplay – and exploit – the so-called natural world.
Austin Williams’ opinion on The Future Cities Project website states, “Sustainability is killing creativity” …really!!? As an advocate of creativity and sustainable design, I feel, this is a debatable argument. How can architecture and building be as imaginative as it is (required to be) ecologically sound? Saddened to have missed the launch event last night.
+ ManTowNHuman.
+ BBC Newsnight: Architects to Launch Manifesto.
Filed under: On Culture, On Research, On Sustainability , architecture, future, Manifesto, ManTowNHuman, sustainability
Filed under: Art & Design, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Society , Anna Gerber, Design Criticism, Design Writing, Design Writing Criticism, London College of Communication, Stephen Bayley, Teal Triggs, The State of Design Criticism Today
Award winning public service and communication design agency ThinkPublic launched The Social Lab last night, a project space set up for people to meet and discuss design-led concepts to address social challenges.
Each lab event is given a theme and invitations sent to an array of people with professional expertise spanning countless industry sectors. During the labs, attendees explore particular challenges using design tools and techniques, gain fresh insights and propose future steps for social development. Current Social Lab projects include The Real Work Experience, Public Service Thank You and ithinkpublic.
I am looking forward to watching this project evolve.
For more information visit www.thesociallab.com or contact the team at hello@thesociallab.com
Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Research, On Social Design, On Society , Communication Design, Design Thinking, Events, london, Public Service Design, Social Change, Social Design, The Social Lab, ThinkPublic, UK
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
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
March 25, 2008 • 11:25 am
Amidst the feline army, I curled up on the sofa this afternoon, to finally finish reading Lucienne Roberts’ publication GOOD: An Introduction to Ethics in Graphic Design [2006]. An interesting read that presents a selection of opinions, from Ken Garland, Simon Eterson, Thomas Matthews, Deborah Szebeko of the magnificent ThinkPublic, Sheila Levrant de Bretteville and Pat Kahn to Daniel Eatock.
Truthfully, I was particularly taken by the inside front cover [of all things] – which captures an extensive collection of books and CDs, that [I can only imagine] are a selection of resources Roberts used as research for the discussion. Admittedly, to me, this image was the most personal visual used in the book - an authors touch that visually frames an introduction to the complex subject that is design ethics and [creative] social responsibility.
Starting at the beginning of ’Early Civilisation’ (p.21), Roberts takes the discussion through History, Philosophy (p.34), Law (p.44) and Politics (p.58), to a series of discussions with a collection of credible designers (p.113-192) – ultimately questioning what it means to be a “good designer”. I was taken by Paula Scher’s response, to which she responded: “I don’t understand how the word good is used here. Am I a well-behaved Graphic Designer? Am I socially conscious designer?”
For all designers interested in their work being more ethically or socially responsible, this introductory text offers plentiful food for thought over what is really takes to be a “good designer”. The text is a great introduction to design ethics, that I feel, should be mandatory reading for todays designers and undergraduates alike. On the topic of designer ethics, I came across an interesting article entitled In Search of Ethics in Graphic Design [2004] by Paul Nini, which I would also recommend reading.
Filed under: On Education, On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On Research, On Social Design , Book, Garland, GOOD Introduction to Ethics in Graphic Design, Graphic Design, Lucienne Roberts, Social Design
February 28, 2008 • 11:27 am
“I wish I could report that it [graphic design] was doing its bit. Trouble is, tap “sustainable graphic design” into Google and you get a thousand suggested links. But, tap “Helvetica Movie” in, and guess what, you get fifteen thousand. So in cyberspace at least, that makes people 15 times as interested in a move about typeface than how to design responsibly. Great.”
- Johnson Banks [04.10.07], Thought of the Day: Leaching it of any Meaning.
Filed under: On Culture, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Sustainability, On Typography , Design, google search, Graphic Design, helvetica, helvetica movie, johnson banks, sustainable graphic design
February 22, 2008 • 12:36 am
DesignLondon will develop, research and deliver radically new practices, tools and processes to transform the way businesses innovate, and translate their creativity into commercial success.
This new venture combines creativity and expertise in design from the Royal College of Art, engineering from Imperial College’s Faculty of Engineering and the business of innovation from Imperial College’s Tanaka Business School. It was established following the Cox Review: Creativity in Business that highlighted the need to stir together the scientific, engineering, business and creative design communities to enhance business and public sector innovation. Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Art & Design, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Research, On Social Design , Creativity in Business, DesignLondon, Imperial College, Innovation, Public Sector Innovation, RCA, Research, Royal College of Art
February 18, 2008 • 10:42 pm
Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Research, On Typography , Education, Elif Ayiter, Graphic Design, History, Technology, The History of Visual Communication, Typography
February 17, 2008 • 2:04 pm
The INDIGO: International Indigenous Design Network is a research initiative, which explores the role of indigenous visual culture within contemporary society and looks at its relationship to National identity. The issues and pressures facing indigenous cultures around the globe are similar. INDIGO’s aim is to encourage and promote constructive exchange between the worlds’ indigenous communities. The objective – to help to elevate the profile of indigenous design by encouraging contemporary interpretation of traditional techniques and themes.
In 2006, a pilot of the collaborative projects possible through the INDIGO: International Indigenous Design Network was demonstrated when Monash University (Australia) and the University of Hartford (United States) created MIX06. MIX06 was a cultural exchange project that explored the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous culture within the context of national identity. Workshops, research, and collaborative teamwork took place in both countries and included indigenous participation. The workshop results can be found under the title: One Step Back, Two Steps Forward, an Icograda endorsed website. Inspiring results! Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Research, On Social Design , INDIGO, Mix06, indigenous Design, Icograda, Visual Culture
January 27, 2008 • 5:34 pm
“I read and research everything I can and will continue to do so, but I question whether this will be enough to survive against a rising force. Deep down I know that the core principals I learn will provide sustenance and sustainability, but for every one of them that fails, a hundred will replace them. Will they overwhelm us? And if so, how will design, and our roles, be affected when everyone becomes a ‘designer’?”
Reference: Le, L. (2006). The New Battlefield. AIGA.
Filed under: Art & Design, On Graphic Design, On Research , AIGA, Design Research, Designer, Education, Future of the Designer, Observation, Opinion
November 2, 2007 • 11:26 pm
Bringing Graphic Design back to its roots and creativity, Princeton Architectural Press launched D.I.Y. Kids in October 2007, a book by Ellen and Julia Lupton. Beautifully illustrated with “real artwork by real children”, D.I.Y. Kids engages young people in making stuff, from binding their own books, sewing their own clothes, making stickers, logos, clothespin dolls, box buildings, graffiti furniture, ribbon accessories, and many more projects. What a fab way to get our kids creative, whilst recycling!! Each project is explained with step-by-step instructions and colorful photographs of great designs and the kids who made them. The activities—rated by difficulty, time, mess, and cost—are intended for ages 7–12, but can easily be modified to suit all ages.
“D.I.Y. Kids aims to trigger imaginative play, without requiring fees, teams, or a minivan. It’s for parents, teachers, aunts and uncles, friends and baby-sitters, neighbors and citizens – anyone who wants to create a better world not only for, but also with, the next generation. Most of all, it’s for kids who want to make their mark (and make a difference) by exercising the arts of design with wit, intelligence, and style.” – Ellen and Julia Lupton
+ D.I.Y KIDS+ Princeton Architectural Press $14.95
+ Amazon.com $10.17
Filed under: On Education, On Graphic Design, On Research , Book, Creative Intelligence, Creativity, D.I.Y Kids, Design, Ellen Lupton, Julia Lupton, learning
