A designer’s role
It’s Monday. It’s lunch time. It’s the Monday lunch blog… Do I need a catchier name?
Lately I’ve been thinking about where I want to be in my career in the near and distant future. There are so many things I would do aside from design if I had the time and training or expertise — mobilize transit users to demand better service, start a community garden project on a vacant lot, crusade publicly against plastic bags, that sort of thing. Fortunately, as a designer I have the opportunity to help other people pursue the causes I value. It’s not entirely selfless as I know I’d get some kind of satisfaction knowing I made a difference but it’s out of my inherent care for people and places that I want to make a change.
I believe in the power of the individual and of the collective, and one has to believe in this in order to commit to large scale change. As an individual with education and specific skills, I can use that power to design inspirational and informative websites, print campaigns, newsletters, whatever, that will enable organizations of change to spread the word and increase their support and impact.
Designers — communication (web/print), industrial, interior, architectural, etc. — have a responsibility toward people and the environment (animals, plants, geography…); that goes without saying. But it’s communication designers in particular who have the tools and knowledge for marketing organizations of change. Not everybody will contribute to social causes, though many agencies make it a part of their activities. Not every designer will be passionate about it, so that’s all the more reason for those who are to step up and take on the challenge.
I see design as a way for me to address my concerns without actually being an environmental activist, a farmer, politician, active Better Environmentally Sound Transportation member, or alternative health advocate full-time. Chances are I’ll pick a couple and do what I can. At this stage of my life, I’ve realised contributing to these crucial and diverse causes is more important to me than designing for a big client. If I AM going to design for a big client, it has to be one that doesn’t conflict with any of my key values, e.g. I will not design for multi-million dollar real estate for rich tourists in a poor country, or support pro-GMO companies. (I appreciate design firms that think about their values when they accept projects.) These days a lot of people share the same skills; I think it’s going to be our values that set us apart.
