This lecture highlights the importance of design from a socially responsible standpoint, with the debate centering around how design could be sustainable, ethical and most importantly, raise awareness towards certain social issues as well as having an impact on society.

The First things first manifesto published by Ken Garland argued that the priorities of designers should shift towards more useful and long lasting communication such as their education, trade and culture instead of consumer advertising. Questions surrounding the social responsibility of a designer was something that I found interesting and hoped to explore. As McCoy argues (2003, p.2), designers play a crucial role in using their skills to raise the awareness and participation of the public towards social issue. Designers ” cannot afford to be passive” and should take a stance in “shaping society”.

This awareness amongst designers occurred because industrialization and the mass production of goods, had led to a rise in consumerism. In Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936), we observe how workers in a factory become almost machine-like. The repetition of the same movements in front of a conveyor belt, lack of rest and harsh working conditions are critiqued in this film. There is a sense of detachment from the workers as they only work on one part and are alienated from the end product. Morris echoes this sentiment in his quote : “We need to do away with the toil which makes a thousand and one things which nobody wants.” (Morris, 1882) Meanwhile, the Bauhaus school embraced the machine aesthetics. Focusing on functionalism and geometric forms, they wanted to create a modern and progressive environment.

As advertisements became more sophisticated, design was used to market a fantasy of consumerism and convenience. As Ewen noted, design is used to “establish corporate identities firmly in the public mind” and to motivate the development of consumer markets. (Ewen, p193) Packard also criticized the use of consumer motivational research and psychological techniques in advertisements to manipulate consumer desire and expectations.

On the other hand, designers also created material that articulated social realities, including topics such as AIDS, homophobia, sweatshop labor and corporate power, such as Babara Kruger’s Untitled (I shop therefore I am). A greater emphasis was also placed on inclusive design and ecological awareness, with campaigns such as Friends of the earth’s litmus paper billboard on acid rain highlighting the planetary crisis.

Another concept that I was interested in exploring was Design Justice’s Network Principles emphasis of “citizen designers”. This priorities the users over the designers / makers, hence the role of a designer is to empower communities, while being mindful of design’s impact on a community. It is interesting to see the way that the uses for design have evolved over time, and I personally felt that Design Justice’s emphasis on collaboration and sustainability were more in line with today’s times and needs, as we are living in the age of digital technology and globalization. As Resnick noted (2016, p.12), the argument is that designers should be “professionally, culturally and socially responsible” for the impact that their design has on citizenry.

In my opinion, social media has enabled consumers to be more aware of social issues happening around the world, and good design is no longer limited to only the elites in society. Designers should adopt an open minded and problem solving approach so that everyone can contribute to design. In short, design should aim to create solutions or awareness towards social issues, empowering communities and fostering collaborative relationships.

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