Citizen Designer

          I enjoyed Katherine McCoy's article on value-free design, I think she made some great points about the responsibilities designers face that I've been hearing more and more. Considering that this was written close to 20 years ago, I think that design and design education particularly has come a long way from the disconnectedness that she discusses. At least in my educational experience (and maybe I'm just lucky), I feel there's always been a strong emphasis on the content and the substance behind design. Particularly in my studies abroad in London, the content was almost more scrutinized than the actual visual outcome.
          I will also admit though, that there is still, and likely always will be a very much corporate side to design. It's unavoidable really, particularly as we are graduating students with a great deal of debt on our shoulders. I'm sure that I will end up designing projects for clients who are not changing the world for the better. However, I can safely say that I would never feel comfortable doing good design for a company that is disseminating hurtful or greed-based information. I simply couldn't do it, regardless of the paycheck. I feel more and more strongly that good design drives people, and it makes or breaks a message in almost any context. As Maud Lavin said, "our culture is dominated by the visual." Designers therefore hold a huge amount of responsibility in their hands, and should avoid using it for less than admirable causes. As McCoy stated, there simply isn't such a thing as value-free design.
          That said, I don't personally feel I'm the sort of designer who will go out and present loud challenging messages to the masses. As important as I feel that is, I know I'm more of the type to work towards social good in smaller ways, fighting against corporate manipulation on a more person-to-person level. I think change can be encouraged even in the smallest details, and I think that personally that's where I'll be focused in my career. That could change, but for now I think that a conceptual awareness is enough for me and my work as I develop it.

Good Citizenship