D Scott, Designing for Social Change

D Scott, Designing for Social Change

This is a book that I have used in supporting reference to the COP2 essay. The information taken from the text and then used in the essay have bettered my understanding of designing for social change and therefore provides a strong area of development for this module.

- 'for the benefit of society the graphic designer needs to start implementing them in the course of their work and professional practice.' (:5)

- 'Shel Perkins believes there to be three categories to be considered when discussing responsibility and ethics in design: professional behaviour, professional expertise and professional values. The first involves the designer’s behaviour in the daily business of their work. The second covers the expertise needed in areas such as accessibility, usability and sustainability, and the third that deals with the values, beliefs or moral principles the designer has towards society, the economy or politics (aiga.org 1). '

- 'Another example of responsibility that the graphic designer has is related to sustainability in their profession and the environmental effects and consequences that may occur from their work. ' - This introduces that design can be used in a sustainable and therefore effective way in society. This may be through the technological processes that the designer uses to produce their work or the materials used to make up the design. A sustainable designer may choose to use efficient and environmentally friendly materials/processes and therefore are aiding with the change of design towards bettering the environment we live in and therefore reducing the levels of climate change

- 'This can also include the designing of solutions that may be seen as having a longer life, be non-disposable or recyclable or solutions that can lead to sustainable development, a term that has been defined by Ann Thorpe (2007, p.6-7)) as: “development that cultivates environmental and social conditions that will support human well-being indefinitely” ' 

- This section of the article outlines a designer's overall responsibilities. This is a background area that will be interesting to read further into to strengthen my background knowledge therefore adding more depth and understanding for writing the essay.

Chapter 2.1.2 The graphic designer's social responsibility

This chapter features a number of quotes from David Berman, Do Good Design (2009) who 'believes designers to have an essential social responsibility due to design being at the core of the world’s largest challenges and solutions.'

'The power that the designer has over their surrounding is an important thing to consider when addressing social responsibility within graphic design as it is the designer’s creativity which fuels the most efficient (and most destructive) tools of deception in human history. Not only that, but the same design that fuels the mass overconsumption that threatens the world and mankind also holds the power to repair it. (Berman, 2009, p.2) '

'He states that the designer needs to be aware of the influence and impact of their work, an impact that can lead to the creation of artificial needs and the promotion of unnecessary products. ' (Shel Perkins :7)

'In First Things First Revisited (emigre.com), Rick Poyner also agrees with the current state of design and the role it has in the creating of false needs and the promotion of unnecessary products. He believes that designers are engaged in nothing less than the manufacture of contemporary reality and that our skills and creativity should not be wasted on such things as commercial advertising but rather be focused on producing useful or lasting artefacts that contribute to society. '

Each of the above quotes has bettered my understanding of the impact that a graphic designer can have on society and the environment. If the design is distributed efficiently and effectively (reaching and impacting the intended target audience) the it can be successful at addressing the appropriate concern.