End of Module Self Evaluation

Throughout this module my knowledge and understanding of how graphic design influences society and how sustainability can be improved through design has developed. This has made me consider the environmental impact that design can have and how this can be improved through the materials used and the overall design. These are morals that I would like to guide and influence my design practice in the future. This development of knowledge and understanding has informed the decision to continue and explore the topic of sustainability through CoP3.  

The extensive research stage for Studio Brief 01 and 02 has developed my skills in vocabulary and in analysing research. This has built on a catalogue of reference points for research. This is something that I will continue to work on throughout the completion of CoP3 as well as through other modules so that my practice is well informed and demonstrates my ability.

As this module has run throughout the year I have been able to work on my time management. Through the completion of CoP1 this is an area of my practice that was identified as an area of improvement. The below images are examples of how I have stayed on track with the completion of the module. I also ensured that the studio briefs and session tasks were completed within a week of being set so that the workload was maintained and the tasks completed.

Submission Boards

https://issuu.com/kathrynbrown3/docs/design_boards

ISSUU - Research Proposal

Good: An introduction to ethics in graphic design

Roberts, L. (2006) Good: An introduction to ethics in graphic design, Lausanne: AVA

From reading Shel Perkins article on the AIGA website on Ethics and Social Responsibility, a link between "good" and ethics has become more apparent. This is therefore another subject area that has been explored and relates back to green design.

The definitions given in the text have enhanced my understanding of ethics and the subjects relating. In the text "good" is said to be 'about ideas. Not design ideas', but life ideas'. At the beginning of the text, Roberts makes the connection between good and ethics 'What is good? and what is bad?' 'I give the name ethics'. 

Quotes:

- 'Good is certainly ethical in intention, but only to an extent in outcome' :13

Anthony Grayling on self and aesthetic:

Q: Is it possible to arrive at an ethical code of practice for an activity like graphic design?

'Yes, absolutely. A code that says 'thou shalt' and 'thou shalt not' is inflexible and fits awkwardly with real life, which is complex and protean.' Instead of this strict structure, Grayling suggests a more suggestive form, 'here are examples of what a responsible and well-intentioned designer might be like; go and do likewise'. 

'I’ve always thought that if you want to live a good life, and to do good in the world, you’ve got to be good to yourself. You have a responsibility to be a good steward of your own gifts, and you’ve got to take care of yourself in order to be a more flourishing, effective person [. . .]

Thomas.Mathews

Thomas.Mathews is a team of communication based designers who are based in london. They brand themselves as being a studio who 'specialise in design solutions for the built environment and social change, focusing on the delivery of good design that is appropriate, sustainable and beautiful'. This is an example of a studio who relate to the research question as well as having visual/physical projects that have been completed with these elements in mind. They claim to 'embed systematic sustainability with environmental and social integrity' which is clear through the projects that they present in the online portfolio. 

ActionAid

Send My Friend To School (2004-15):

Get On Board (2005):

Cast Iron Design

Cast Iron Design are a pair of designers who aim to create a positive impact by creating memorable brands, implementing environmentally responsible practices, and helping the design community achieve the same. In their abouts page they go into detail about their method of rethinking how they approach design. This is through the materials and technologies used when completing a project. Through the development of their knowledge they are reducing their overall size of their environmental footprint without a loss in quality of work.

To share their knowledge with other designers, they designed and made this small eco-notebook. This notebook has been made and printed using minimalistic carbon footprint materials. They identified that the majority of graphic designers use a notebook throughout the creative process. The design also acts as a resource of information on paper, aiming to encourage designers to integrate sustainability in their own practice by having the information in an accessible and informative form. 

Being Good - Eye Magazine

 A handful of quotes have been extracted from the text, Being Good, first published in Eye no. 63 vol. 16 2007 and can now be read on the Eye Magazine website. When reading the a number of opinions raised coincided with those of the previous texts researched at this stage of the project. 

Quotes:

'When ‘ethics’ and ‘graphic design’ are put in the same sentence, two subjects inevitably come to mind. One is that of production methods – recycled paper and so on. The other is the client. ‘The client’ is shorthand for ‘the client’s message’.'

'The job of graphic design is generally to persuade – so do we have a responsibility to be mindful of what we are persuading people to do or does this role as censor sit uncomfortably alongside tolerance and open mindedness?' - The role of a graphic designer is something to initially be explored. The opinion that a graphic designer's job is to persuade contradicts those who believe graphic designers to be 'communicators', 'problem solvers'. (Dougherty, B. 2006) 

'For many designers the property of goodness lies primarily in aesthetics. When a piece of work is deemed ‘good’, really what we mean is either that it is to our taste or that we think it has merit for expressing the zeitgeist or being ground-breaking in some way.' - This is an alternative opinion to what is written by L, Roberts (2006). 

'most designers fear that in order to achieve access for all they will have to adhere to creatively restrictive guidelines. So accessible design could result in exclusion of a different kind – aesthetic refinement. Could it be argued then that goodness does not lie in the design outcome alone but that the intention of the designer has some bearing as well?'  This supports Dougherty's opinion that designers feel restricted by those of a higher status to them and the materials that are available. 

Outcome

The design that brings together each of the successful aspects of the explored designs, identified through feedback comments have been coupled together to produce the final response.The proposed design for one of the largest supermarkets, ASDA, therefore fulfils the original aim set for the brief: To produce a design that is visually encouraging and informative to the audience, as well as influencing them to change their behaviours towards the environment in a positive way. This had been achieved through the design process and therefore supports the statement that graphic design can influence change in society. This therefore links and supports the critical writing piece as well as the comments made by Scott, 2012; Perkins 2006; Berman, 2009; Shea 2012. 

'the designers job is to communicate and inform people and prompt them to make educated choices about what they do, how they act and what they consume’ Scott, D (2012)

‘The graphic designer has an immense power over their surrounding, due to the nature of their work; work that can be very powerful and persuasive and can influence how we engage our world. 

(Berman, 2009, p.1)’

‘By utilizing our ability to effectively communicate and build interest, we can generate awareness and further cause to end global warming.’ 

(www.designcanchange.org)

Green Graphic Design

Dougherty, B (2008) Green Graphic Design, New York: Allworth Press

From reading Green Graphic Design, it has developed my understanding of what green design is and how it can be brought into practice. This has built on my basic understanding of the materials that can be used and their efficiency, as well as discussing the issues that may arise when completing a project using green design. 

Raised questions/points from text:

- The way that a graphic designer views themself and their practice is a strong factor in whether design can influence change in societies behaviours. In terms of good design, a designer must understand that their work can go past meeting the client's needs, 'we have the poster to change the brand' 'we have the power to influence the substance of a product or service'. The text goes on to say that if you believe yourself to be: a manipulator then you have the power to 'specify recycled paper and green printing', a 'message maker then you can actively help influence the ideas'.

- 'Ideas related to sustainability are in the process of transforming the way businesses and other organisations operate and communicate' :21. This chapter of the text explores the idea that green design is the future. This is a valid topic of discussion due to the global changes in the environment and the push for changes to be made to slow down these polluting/damaging behaviours. Green is described as becoming 'mainstream', turning it into a fashion trend that gains a lot of publicity and therefore support. Does being a green designer set you apart from others? It is a more appealing form of design? 

The questions raised when reading the text are further relevant when discussing the 'Eco-quality - The mainstreaming of green'. In this page of text it is suggested that individuals would prefer to buy ecologically but would they sacrifice paying more to do good? This is an area to explore further. 

- Another interesting chapter in the text is 'Focus on Value'. The research carried out for OUGD501 developed my understanding of graphic design influencing change in society through the design itself. This meant considerations were made to the sustainability of the printing methods, materials and the effective distribution of the creative. This chapter has introduced the opinion that green design also relates strongly to the methods of distribution and how this can be made more efficient and sustainable. Suggestions made are:

'You may find savings by optimizing your design to reduce postage costs'

'Print efficiently'

Another interesting suggestion is the considerations that should be made by the client. In terms of a direct mailing list strategy it is suggested that asking the marketing team 'how well targeted' the mailing list is. By simply updating addresses or removing the ones who a response has never been received by can reduce the number of prints and therefore reducing the overall cost. It is filtering out 'the time wasters'. 

Quotes/understanding:

'Within the conception of graphics, green design is a matter of finding and using better physical materials.' :11 - This is a definition that can be developed further, however it opens up the simplicity of what green design is which is developed on further throughout the text:

 - 'Designers may research things such as recycled and tree-free papers; or try to find nontoxic inks; or devise folds and structures that result in less waste.' :11

- 'In addition to seeking out better materials and manufacturing techniques, designers can craft and deliver messages that have a positive impact on the world' :12 - potential to link to an example, exploration

'Green graphic design is, first and foremost, about using the power of design to shift the status quo toward sustainable solutions' :14

- 'Good design is greener than bag design because it actually achieves desired outcomes without blanketing the world with poorly conceived, poorly executed communications'

'The messages designers make, the brands we build, and the causes we promote can have impacts far beyond the paper we print on' :11 - This quote in particular relates to the critical analysis I completed for CoP2. This is a supporting statement that demonstrates that graphic design, in a number of different forms, goes on to influence society past the initial design. There is the potential to link this further with supporting or contradictory statements from other writers/theorists. 

The text also goes on to discuss how graphic designers feel limited by their response due to individuals of a higher status. However, Dougherty simply states that 'if we redefine "good design" to encompass green thinking, then it is automatically part of our job' :15. This is one of the approaches that can be taken in ensuring that individuals feel the support and confidence to use green design. (Links to Do Good Design, Berman, D)

Providing definitions to each the next chapter of the text goes on to discuss the differences of sustainability and unsustainability. This chapter has opened up a number of different areas of thought when considering green design. The main message that is being suggested is that if our actions are producing materials that can't be 'decomposed or filtered by natural systems' :31 then these are actions that are unsustainable. This raises the question for a graphic designer to consider when producing design; can this design be effectively disposed of without harming the environment?

'The word "sustainable" can apply to any action that does not degrade the system supporting it'

'If our collective actions cause us to "harvest: more resources during a particular span of time that the productivity of any of the Earth's systems, then those actions can be called "unsustainable".

Examples:

- Celery, Thinkbook

This is an example of a piece of design that falls under the category of reuse. The journal has been made from recycled silicone rubber sheets which ads an interesting texture to the pages. A number of design problems arose when producing a journal out of a 'nonstick' material, however these were overcome by thinking of alternative binding and design methods. 

- Netflix, Post

Netflix once used returnable mailing envelopes so that customers could mail back rented DVD's in the envelope it was first delivered in. This drastically reduces the amount of paper required. Since then the service has moved online. 

Distribution

Double sided demonstration:

Taking into consideration the most successful designs highlighted through the comments made in the survey and the distribution of the bag, the following design has been put together. Considering the distribution of the design to reach as large an audience as possible, the most obvious solution would be for the larger supermarkets to take on such designs and use them for their plastic carrier 5p bags. This coupled with a pattern design would increase the audience's awareness to the plastic bag as well as encouraging them to reuse or recycle the plastic bag. The shock fact further encourages the audience to recycle the plastic bag, which is supported by the text on the front of the carrier bag. 

The bags would be commercially printed and therefore an offset printer would be the most efficient machine to use (from the research conducted). It would be important to ensure that vegetable or other environmentally friendly inks were used, to maintain the green design element. Although the plastic that the bag is made out of is the main issue, this is a material that will continue to be used until a better alternative has been developed and it is therefore the design on the bag that is of importance. 

Theme/Question

Question: What is good?

Using the research, understanding and analysis that has been explored around the subject of a graphic designer’s role in influencing change in society through completing CoP2, the proposed focus question that will be explored for CoP 3 is; What is Good.

Looking at this question in a more in-depth way, the subject of the social responsibility of a graphic designer will be explored in terms of ethics which relates and will be linked back to the overarching question. What ethics is and how this relates to design will be one of the initial starting points to the research project, as well as looking at theorists and designers who have considered this in their design practice. This will then lead on to the exploration of what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of design, providing case studies and theorists to explore the definitions.

So far the initial research into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ has drawn attention towards what is ‘green design’ and the social responsibility that graphic designers have towards society in producing efficient and recyclable design. This will allow for an extension of the research already carried out in CoP2 and for a development of understanding around the social responsibility of Graphic Design in terms of sustainability. 

From the reading already completed for this research project, the understanding is that ‘green design’ is something that each designer will eventually be apart of. It is therefore imperative to explore the practice involved in green and ethical design and how they then relate to sustainability, furthering on to how this can affect society. 

Outcome

References from critical writing/research:

'the designers job is to communicate and inform people and prompt them to make educated choices about what they do, how they act and what they consume’ Scott, D(2012)

‘The graphic designer has an immense power over their surrounding, due to the nature of their work; work that can be very powerful and persuasive and can influence how we engage our world. (Berman, 2009, p.1)’

‘By utilizing our ability to effectively communicate and build interest, we can generate awareness and further cause to end global warming.’ 

(www.designcanchange.org)

The above quotes are from three of the main influential texts read that influenced and guided the critical analysis and visual investigation. The outcomes have both been shown (through feedback comments) that they would influence an individual to recycle and reuse the plastic carrier bag. This is in terms of the bag being received at a supermarket or local store. The designs therefore are prompting the audience to make educated choices about what they do, further demonstrating the power of a graphic designers communication with society. 

Product Survey

To identify the most appropriate design in terms of encouraging the audience to recycling and reuse the plastic carrier bags, the designs were tested through the use of a survey. This survey was directed towards the target audience (the general public aged 16+). 

The first question asked the audience to identify the design that they felt influenced them most to recycle the bag. Through the 50 responses made, the most popular selection was for design number 5 followed by design 2.  

5. 

2. 

Q: Please state why you chose the selected design.

5 -28 votes

- It is a provoking and shocking statement. The bold type will make others look at the bag and provoke them to recycle too

- It is more in your face with the damage being caused

- Makes me think about the consequences of not recycling

- The red writing makes the idea behind saving the environment seem serious, it is almost like a personal threat that if you don't recycle the bag then I will be the cause of what the bag states

- The shock tactic really works and is emphasised by the the negative connotations of the red text

- This statement is not something that I was aware of and it would therefore shock me into recycling the bag

- This fact is not something I would typically expect to see on a plastic carrier bag - it is different from your typical supermarket bag so draws my attention to the design more

2 -20 votes

- Visual of what a difference recycling can make

- I would never think to relate plastic bags and park benches. This demonstrates what the material can be used for if recycled and therefore influences me

- This design shows what the bag can be if recycled and therefore gives me an insentive to do so

The overall comments made towards design 2 follow similar lines to the responses documented above. Nearly all of the responses given indicate positivity towards seeing a visual of what a plastic bag can be if it were to be recycled and this is something that would influence them to do so. 

However, when comparing the responses to the ones given for design 5, there is a lack of enthusiasm and subsequently less votes for design 2. As this is only the opinion of the 50 respondents, a conclusion can only be made on the smaller selection of the target audience.  The remaining 3 designs were not selected to a significant value to be recorded. 

The second section to the survey asked the audience to select the design that influenced them the most in terms of reusing the carrier bag. This was a use that came from identifying that a number of individuals reuse carrier bags before 'binning' them, a purpose identified through the first survey.

As can be seen in the results chart above, the most popular choice was design 3. A number of the coments made were:

- Stylish design and exerts the importance of reusing. Will catch the eye of others and encourage them also

- Pattern design makes it more memorable and I would therefore reuse it for another/the same purpose

- I like the design so would be more likely to use it

- Stylish but is still making the point of reusing/recycling 

The summary of the comments shows that a pattern/more decorative design would encourage the audience to reuse the plastic bag. 

Development 2

Following on from the sketches made focusing on five distinct approaches and the feedback received, the following designs have been produced and mocked up on a white plastic bag. This provides a visual example of the design in the format that it would be shown if commercially used/printed.

The following designs have been produced with the aim of being informative. Currently there is little to no encouragement of recycling on plastic bags. This is one direction that could be taken in response to demonstrating how graphic design can affect societies behaviours. If individuals who buy 5p carrier bags are able to see firsthand on the bag that it can be recycled, then this provides a greater incentive for them to do so. 

As Scott, D says ‘one of the biggest ways in which a designer can bring about change with their work is through the use of sustainable practises’. Although the production and use of plastic carrier bags are not a sustainable practice, until technologies improve they are going to remain the most popular choice of a carrier bag. Alternatives are canvas or paper bags however they are more expensive to produce and therefore companies are less likely to use. One way to make the production more sustainable in terms of printing is by using the discussed eco-friendly inks.

This design demonstrates what the plastic bag material can be used for if it were to be recycled. This adds an incentive to recycle the bag as there is an outcome shown to the audience. Through the research gathered it has been brought to my understanding that the material can be recycled and remade into park benches. This is an object that is seen in communities across the globe and therefore has a very high recognition factor. 

This design demonstrates how the simple use of typography can clearly communicate a message to a wide audience. The bold text ensures that it not only catches the eye of the individual purchasing the bag, but also to the wider audience of the general public. This increases the exposure of the message and therefore would hopefully encourage more individuals to reuse and responsibly recycle the plastic bags.  

Using the typeface Gill Sans, inspired by the work of Anthony Burrill allows for the shock fact to stand out against the white plastic bag. Having the 1,000 years in bold further emphasises the message being communicated. The aim of this design is to educate yet shock the audience, guiding them to understand the damage that not recycling plastic bags can cause. 

This design demonstrates how the concept can be applied to supermarket own carrier bags. Although the current bags that ASDA and other supermarkets have do have the recycling logo, or a small sentence asking for the bag to be recycled, these are often small and therefore lost in the design. Making the text larger and more evident would ensure that the message is being effectively received by the audience without necessarily having to look at the bag closely. 

The following designs were produced through the influence of a number of individuals preferring a carrier bag that is visually appealing. Influence has been taken from 'Bags for life', the more expensive durable plastic carrier bags.

Double sided example:

The colours from this pattern design are influenced by the previous carrier bags and poster designs that have been analysed. The flat yet bold colours have strong, environmentally friendly and clean connotations. The pattern design was initially influenced by Giovani Flores (https://www.behance.net/giovaniflores). The pattern reflects the various materials (through colour) that can be recycled and the creativity that is involved by using recycled materials. The bold white text reinforces the message of encouraging the audience to reuse the bag, return it to store or for it to be recycled. Having three simple words keeps the message clear and concise, being easily read by a number of individuals in the general public.