Must We Support Activism to be Good Designers?

8 Responses to “Must We Support Activism to be Good Designers?”

1. 

   johnny
   December 31st, 2007 at 12:25 am

   Oh, I agree totally!

2. 

   LL
   December 31st, 2007 at 1:14 am

   Our field is one of pure motives and artistic feeling. It would not do to have it sullied by members twisting our fine traditions by projecting them into causes helping the less fortunate, those in genuine need. That these ‘designers’ drag us all down into the muck of charity and good works is untenable; we do not engage with the world and its problems, and their desire to link their profession with their passions in other areas is laughable, naive, and unprofessional.
   I, for one, will turn up my nose and anyone who tries to include me by proxy in their virtuous deeds. Their base, desperate desire to have a positive impact on the world degrades me. Designers, think of those among your teachers who were mean in their grading! Consider your work colleagues who are miserly and elitist! Your charity is cold to them, and you are shunned.

3. 

   Nik
   December 31st, 2007 at 8:03 am

   Hi, very interesting points brought up here. I agree that there i a fine line between doing ‘charity’ work for recognition as your first priority and doing it for the right reasons.

   However- as a designer with my own personal agenda and opinions of current causes/issues, why wouldn’t I want to inject some knowledge or perspective into the world via a poster or another kind of visual entity? I feel that if someone has a specific talent, trade or knowledge that can be used to do good- all the better!

   But beyond the power to shape the end-meaning, designers end up influencing culture- and this could certainly be abused, which is why any such endeavor should be approached with research and care, but certainly not discouraged

4. 

   Kevin M. Scarbrough
   January 12th, 2008 at 6:24 pm

   >>So in the end I say be an activist but as a human, citizen, or concerned parent, not a designer.

   I honestly could not agree with you more. A designer has the same amount of power to change the world as anyone else, be they an accountant, a banker, a plumber.

   This doesn’t make a designer’s roll in making the world a better place, it gives us more allies in the struggle.

5. 

   Joseph Maguire
   January 25th, 2008 at 10:26 am

   Yes and no. Yes in the sense that every talented designer wishes to effect the thoughts of others with their tiny bit of influence. The way they see something or how the world looks to them. And flagerantly altering images in magazines so that people’s perspectives are flat out changed… Now I think thats bad design, and even worse manipulation.

   I think supporting causes is important, but its our choice. So you dont have to support anything and you can still be good. Its not connected to design in my opinion.