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. 

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. 

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.