Change by Design

So last week, a casual texting with a designer friend sparked a very interesting yet profound conversation. She and I had both been working on projects that deal with issues of social justice. The amount of depressing facts and shocking statistics we are exposed to can be extremely overwhelming, especially for those of us who go in thinking we are just going to design a flyer or two. It is easy for us to be affected by all that negativity and pessimism, however, we need to learn to use it as motivation to drive our work and actions. We are not called to be ignorant of the injustices in the world. We are called to be world changers. And to start, we need to be aware of what's going on outside our comfortable bubbles. They may be statistical numbers that are hard to swallow or issues we don't want to believe are true. But we need to hear them.

Design and change. To me, those words go hand in hand. As a designer, I am fully aware of the impact great design can have and the extent of what it can do. Idealistically speaking, I believe it has the power to change the world. I have always understood the importance of art and design, but it wasn't made clear to me as to why until I took my first step into a world of charcoal dust, X-acto blades and hours of staring and drawing of naked body parts. Yup, art school.

Art has played a huge role throughout history. Propaganda posters, beautiful cathedrals, photojournalism and painted portraits, just to name a few. These were not only artistic expressions, but they were important means of communication. The one that has stood out to me is the origin of the stained glass windows. Stained glass windows were designed and used at Cathedral churches to communicate the gospel to the largely illiterate population at the time through the use of illustrated narratives of the bible. A picture is worth a thousand words? Yes, that was certainly true with this art form. The church saw a very real problem of reaching out and struggled to make the bible accessible to the common people. And the key to solving this problem was through the power of art and design! They came up with a solution with the people in mind and created something beautiful with function and purpose. Design is ultimately for the people. We designers are constantly observing the way people interact with their surroundings. The way we kern type on a newspaper based on how people read, the way we design UI/UX on devices based on how people move their fingers on a screen. We are always watching! (Haha, maybe that's why my friends always joke that I am watching them. I am either an observant designer, or your average everyday creeper. I would like to believe that I am the former...) We notice the need, and we come up with a well designed solution that is not only practical, but beautiful. We are observers, critical thinkers and creators. I believe this design thinking is crucial in making positive changes in today's world. A lot of people can say otherwise, but design matters.

Here's a great excerpt from Just Design that sums up all my rambling.

"Designers frequently describe themselves as "problem-solvers." We apply our creative talents to finding new and appropriately innovative solutions to common questions. These questions may include how to best articulate a corporate brand, how to connect with a particular audience or how to communicate across cultural boundaries. Sometimes the question may just be about how to sell the most widgets. Each of these are worthy pursuits and each involves a certain kind of problem solving – what Charles Eames described as "design addressing itself to the need." But now – just as in any age – there are problems that are larger than brands and consumers (and widgets). There are needs as fundamental as equality, water, education, community, peace, justice and hope. As designers, we work according to own interests and values (and/or those of our clients). When and where these motivations intersect with those of the broader profession and (more importantly) society as a whole, we realize the potential for our work to both be and do good."

So if you are like me who's passionate about making a difference through design, here are some great resources that have been very helpful in my quest for change. I am always on the hunt for additional materials, so feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions!

1. The Design Activist's Handbook: How to Change the World (Or at Least Your Part of It) with Socially Conscious Design by Noah Scalin and Michelle Taute (more info here)
2. Just Design: Socially Conscious Design for Critical Causes by Christopher Simmons (more info here)
3. Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility by Steven Heller and Veronique Vienne (more info here)
4. Designing For Social Change: Strategies for Community-Based Graphic Design by Andrew Shea (more info here)
5. Branding for Nonprofits by DK Holland (more info here)
6. Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch (more info here)
7. Designing for the Greater Good: The Best of Non-Profit and Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design by Peleg Top and Jonathan Cleveland (more info here)
8. How to Give Half of Your Work for Free by Matthew Manos (more info here)
9. Do Good Design: How Design Can Change Our World by David Berman (more info here)

Happy reading!