Design 21: Social Design Network

Really great portfolio of socially responsible communication design, from Glasgow graduate Chris Thompson.

Via. The Serif.

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 tho...

"Sustainability Posters by Marian Bantjes, Christoph Niemann and Paula Scher, which were commissioned by Winterhouse last year for Stora Enso sustainability initiative, have been accepted into the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum."

Via. Winterhouse.

"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.

The Messenger/Receiver House is a project by design students Chris Knox, Colm Keller and Bastian Bischoff, studying on the Master Programme in Design at HDK (The School of Design and Crafts at Göteborg University in Sweden).

Conceived to collect and analyse public opinion about homelessness, the graphic and product design students created this eye-catching public exhibit. As MocoLoco reported, the future of the M/R House project looks to involve "smaller versions to be decorated by homeless people and well known creatives to be auctioned off to raise funds for organizations that deal with homelessness."

Via. DirtyMouse

Beautifully crafted reports, designed for IAG, by Australian based War Design. A great portfolio of work worthy of a look too.

In 2006, a pilot of the collaborative projects possible through the INDIGO: International Indigenous Design Network [previous post] 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. Quite inspiring results!

+ MIX06

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 is to help to elevate the profile of indigenous design by encouraging contemporary interpretation of traditional techniques and themes.

A great collection of inspiring projects.

In August 2007, ThinkPublic launched Public Service Thank You, a small movement to encourage appreciation and thanks to all the people doing great work in public service roles.

ThinkPublic explain that the website and thank you cards "provide you with a way to say thank you to all the people doing amazing jobs, who sometimes we forget to thank. Great concept, definately worth bookmarking this one!

Communication designers and its graduates, certainly have the creative ability to make significant change to society and public service, and yet I question why this is not sold to designers as a credible route to take post Graduation.

Pitching the fact that only 23.2% of design graduates will find jobs in the creative industry itself, London based [public sector] design agency ThinkPublic, introduce The Real Work Experience.

The real work experience aims to open design graduates' eyes to the opportunities of using their skills beyond the usual design roles and the possibility of working in the public sector. Concurrently, the programme aims to educate public sector bodies on the skills and value designers can bring to their organisations.

This is one of the most inspiring and much awaited initiatives I have seen for a long time. The situation so many design graduates find themselves in is frightening, and yet there are so many possible avenues to vehicle our talents toward.