The Impact of Design: The (new) Role of Graphic Design as Activist
This article was completed in conjunction with the Environmental Design: Materials, Ecologies, Futures course at the University of Edinburgh as part of my master's in Graphic Design.
Introduction
Climate change, the depletion of resources, the instability and vulnerable state of the ecosystems and our destruction of ecological capacity are some of the glaring symptoms of our unsustainable way of living on the Earth. These manifestations are the result of the accumulative impact of humanity on the planet and it’s ecosystems which demonstrate, in an alarming way, the urgent need to change and create a more sustainable future. The rate at which humanity is depleting the earth’s resources is addressed in the work of Tony Fry (2009) who points out the “accelerating defuturing condition of unsustainability” (Fry, 2009: 1-16). Fry’s book, ‘Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics, and New Practice’ establishes his notion of “defuturing”, which has become central in understanding unsustainability as, simply put, removing the possibility of futures (Fry, 2009: 1-16). This is one shocking aspect that we are facing in the Anthropocene, used to describe the epoch in which we are living, being the defutuing and extinction crisis as a result of the unsustainable way that humans are living. We have already seen mass extinction of other living species on the planet that it is not outside the realm of possibility that humans may face a similar outcome. This is why thinkers such as Jane Bennet, and similarly Deleuze and Guittari, say that it is in our self-interest to create a more sustainable way of living. As a result we need to “develop a world-wide accepted strategy leading to sustainability of ecosystems against human induced stresses” (Stoermer and Crutzen, 2000: 18).
Designs power as a “key agency in materializing, and designing, our lives” therefore provides an opportunity as a motive force to develop strategies for a sustainable future through suggesting and realizing new visions for our world (Faud-Luke, 2009: xx). Alastair Faud-Luke, a professor and Vice-dean for Research of the Faculty of Design and Art, goes on to argue that is it designs ability to operate through ‘things’ and ‘systems’ that makes it “particularly suitable for dealing with contemporary societal, economic and environmental issues” (2009: 2). This specific ability of design, which Faud-Luke has highlighted, also serves to uncover the complicit role design has played, and in many cases continues to play, in perpetuating this unsustainable way of life. Ramia Mazé (2013), a Professor in Design for Social Innovation and Sustainability at the University of the Arts London, supports this concept through her work as she elaborates on how profoundly enmeshed design is in all aspects of sustainability and unsustainability by conditioning life practices and shaping society. Therefore, design holds enormous responsibility to consider the “implications of change it might entail” (Chick and Micklethwaite, 2011: 22).
Amongst all this talk for sustainability however, Faud-Luke claims that rather than creating a surface level solution to sustainability, a more substantial and lasting social change is needed (Faud-Luke, 2009: 87). It is for this reason that the title of this essay focuses on social change rather than directly addressing sustainability and environmental goals. Supporting this view is Ezio Manzini (2008), an Italian design academic and author who has long declared that “sustainability is a societal journey” (in Faud-Luke, 2009: 78).
Therefore, in light of what has been discussed the aim of this essay is to examine the impact of design and its’ ability to function as a powerful tool for social change, guided by the underlying intention to create solutions to the complex challenges relating to the environmental crisis and sustainability.
Poster design by Kevin Finn (2017) entitled ‘Push for Change’ in which he considers how social and political movements start which led to his ‘Push For Change’ idea, which is a universal one and could be applied to any movement, anywhere in the world—and at any point in time
The (New) Role of Graphic Design
Designers have an essential social responsibility because they create so much of the world in which we live in and ultimately shape “what we see, what we use, and what we waste” (Berman 2018: 1). David Berman, as a designer himself, goes on to argue that “[graphic] design has enormous power to influence how we engage our world, and how we envision our future” (Berman 2018: 1). In support of this understanding, designer and researcher Jorge Frascara states that the aim of visual communications, such as graphic design, is to “change attitude and thus behaviour in its’ audience” (Frascara 2004: 31). This ability of design to initiate social change is what gives it power and what makes it such a valuable tool. This dimension of design has previously played into the creation of unsustainable patterns of living, but as Berman points out, “[graphic] design is a very young profession”, and therefore we still have the time to decide what role our profession will play, “Is it going to be about selling sugar water, and smoke and mirrors to the vulnerable child within each one of us? Or is it going to be about helping repair the world?” (2018: 156). We have the opportunity to decide whether “we will simply do good design or we will do good with design” (Berman 2018: 147).
The First Things First manifesto launched by Ken Garland in 1964 is one of the first instances in which graphic designers were called to take responsibility for their active role in social issues. The manifesto, and subsequent multiple reinterpretations of this text show a continued desire for responsible design. Interestingly, in Faud-Luke’s interpretation of the First Things First manifesto he suggests that graphic design has a central role to play in activisms wider purpose, ultimately creating this relationship between design and activism. In continuing with this concept whereby design is be understood as a form of activism, Faud-Luke argues that “design needs to take a more activist role of society/societies of the Environment” (2009: 189). Linking graphic design and activism is important because of the connotations tied to the definition of activism as “an attempt to disrupt existing paradigms of shared meaning, values and purpose to replace them with new ones” (Faud-Luke, 2009: 10). Tying activism and design together allows for a much more dynamic interpretation of graphic design that acknowledges the active and intentional role graphic design needs to take in order to move towards more sustainable solutions. Therefore, if graphic designers wish to contribute to new visions of for sustainable development then according to Faud-Luke they need to be prepared to take on the (new) role of a design activist (2009: 189).
A key thought to bring to the foreground here is that of Viktor Papaneck in ‘Design for the Real World’ whereby he states that “If design is ecologically responsive, then it is also revolutionary” (Papaneck, 1971: 200).
Design As Activism.
Graphic design activism can be viewed as part of a broad movement including social design, community design, participatory design and critical design and has come to be a focal point in this essay paper as, positioned within a sustainability framework, “reinvigorates the agenda for design and can genuinely affect ‘new’ and give directionality towards a more sustainable future” (Faud-Luke, 2009: 190). Therefore design activism will be used as a platform in this context to discuss further examples of “design thinking, imagination and practice applied knowingly to create a counter narrative aimed at generating and balancing positive social, institutional, environmental and/or economic change” with the underlying intention of creating solutions to the challenges relating to the environmental crisis and sustainability (Faud-Luke, 2009: 27).
The potential and the power of visual art such as graphic design to “persuade, educate or control” renders it extremely effective as an activism tool to catalyse, encourage, or bring about change in order to “elicit social, cultural, and/or political transformations” (Faud-Luke, 2009: 6). In this context, the education potential of graphic design is notable because of the way graphic design has been described as “messenger that communicates information to a viewer/audience” (Jedličk, 2010: 70). Therefore, understanding this in relation to Michel Foucault’s (1980) ‘power/knowledge’ theory, whereby he argues that power is constituted through accepted forms of knowledge, demonstrates the substantial importance and influence of design in spreading ideas that consequently might encourage social change.
Colorado River Delter #2 by Edward Burtynksy (2011) part of his Environmental Photography.
Incorporating this image above to provide a visual reflection of the discussion into the multitude of design approaches created, specifically plural, utilised within the design industry in response to the environmental sustainability crisis which demonstrates that there is no single path, answer, or magic solution to remedy the environmental crisis upon us. Instead there is an attempt to forge a multitude of new avenues for design to engage with social issues of unsustainability. In the following section, a selection of three case studies will be utilized to highlight and demonstrate some of the design approaches that are in circulation, aimed at generating and balancing positive social, institutional and environmental change.
Case Studies
01 Ink as a Vehicle for Change.
In the 2000 version of the First Things First manifesto, emphasis is placed on going “beyond sustainability – towards regeneration, exploration, and co-creation”, and this is exactly what Gravity Labs has been done with AIR-INK, an innovative product that produces black ink made from upcycled carbon emissions. The concept of AIR-INK goes beyond ‘sustainable development’ towards what Janis Birkeland prefers to talk about as ‘positive development’ (in Faud-Luke 2009: 24). In the challenge to ‘sustainable development, Faud-Luke argues that ‘positive development’ encompasses a more holistic approach to restore ecosystem services, as indeed AIR-INK does (2009: 24). Rather than adopting the approach of simply doing no harm, AIR-INK plays an active role in creating a positive impact. AIR-INK also gives designers the power to choose more sustainable products in their practice, a significant step in generating change as Lucienne Roberts points out, even what may seem like small design decisions has the potential to have larger, more profound affects elsewhere and on other people. (Roberts, 2006: 15). This sentiment is echoed by Faud-Luke who argues that “every choice a design makes when specifying materials has an effect on the habitat of other living species, so knowing where materials come from is an essential design skill (Faud-Luke, 2009: 64).
Designer using AIR-INK in her practice that in itself becomes a promotional piece for AIR-INK.
The upcycling of carbon emissions in order to create AIR-INK demonstrates how tracing the environmental impact of existing systems, in this case carbon emissions, can lead to informed design solutions. Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowan in their book ‘Ecological Design’ (1995) point this out through their five principles of ecological design, referring to this approach as the way in which “ecological accounting informs design” (Van der Ryn and Cowan, 1995: na). This can be coupled with the work of Julie Hill (2011) who speaks about the importance of examining the ‘life’ of stuff which allows us to delve deeper into thinking about the systems and structures that these materials are a part of or shaped by and design accordingly. In adopting this thought process, designers might better understand the ongoing impact that their designs have in the ‘life’ of the stuff that they have created. Similarly Faud-Luke mentions the ‘back-story’ to each product as “what happens upstream of the product and its associated rucksack of environmental impacts” which has resulted in designers considering a new way of thinking about creating (Faud-Luke, 2009: 67).
The upcycling process of AIR-INK also demonstrates to us the importance of seeing value in waste. This is significant as William McDonough and Michael Braungart point out in their book ‘Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things’ (2009), since nothing goes in or out of the planetary system therefore whatever human’s make doesn’t go ‘away’ (McDonough and Braungart 2009: na). Therefore, AIR-INK’s use of otherwise considered carbon emission waste is what McDonough and Braungart refer to as a “cradle-to-cradle system” approach, based off imitating nature’s highly effective system of nutrient flow and metabolism whereby the concept of waste does not exist (McDonough and Braungart 2009: na).
The imitation of nature, which McDonough and Braungart have touched on here in their cradle-to-cradle approach, opens up the discussion into ‘biomimicry’ as a design approach based on emulating nature’s strategies to create innovative and sustainable design solutions. Janine Benyus popularized the term ‘biomimicry’ in her book ‘Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature’ (2009) and proposed that we could design “sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating natures time tested patterns and strategies” (Biomimicry Institute, 2015a). Nature uses materials that are locally available and abundant, and recycles everything in an endless system whereby “waste from one becomes food for another” (DeLuca 2017: 459). AIR-INK has successfully adopted what has been laid out and discussed here in using carbon emissions as that which is locally available and abundant, recycled so that the waste from one becomes the use for another.
02 Urban Forest Projects
In the fall of 2006 an unprecedented outdoor exhibition took root in New York City where 185 of some of the worlds more celebrated artists and designers, local and international, employed the idea of form of a tree to make powerful visual statements that were placed on banners in Times Square in aid of the Urban Forest Project. The symbol of the tree was used as a metaphor for sustainability, which was one of the core principles of the project, and one which was woven into every aspect (Jedlička 2010: na). In this spirit, the banners from the exhibition were recycled into bags designed for the project by Jack Spade.
Urban Forest Project Piece as a banner (left) and transformed into a tot bag (right)
An unexpected outcome of the project, which Wedny Jedlička (2010) highlights in her book ‘Sustainable Graphic Design’, was the overwhelming interest from the design industry, city governments, and urban forestry and tree planting groups to mount the Urban Forest Project in their local communities (Jedlička 2010: na). The ultimate outcome of this project showcased the power of graphic design to unite a broad range of individuals including civic leaders, the general public, educators, students, businesses and the creative community around a common cause to promote sustainability (Jedlička 2010: na). The community and collective side of design is highlighted in the work by Faud-Luke who argues that the “inherent nature of design as a human activity is that it is, in general, deeply social orientated” and the Urban Forest Project proves exactly that (Faud-Luke, 2009: 146).
The evidence of co-design, specifically social design, approaches implemented in the Urban Forest Project in order to create environmental awareness serves to show how effective graphic design can be used as a tool for communicating, and inciting social change for the betterment of the environment. The participatory nature of Urban Forest Project, which included the mentoring of 35 high school students by the participating designers, had in mind the goal of making a difference in the lives of New York’s young artists which can be seen as an instance within the project of making grassroot changes in order to contests the previously mentioned “dominant hierarchically orientated top-down power structures” (Faud-Luke, 2009: 147). The strong participatory element within the Urban Forest Project as an extension of co-design is significant because at the core, co-design offers a more democratic, open and porous design process and the Urban Forest Project shows that these principles and approaches are in circulation and are being implemented (Faud-Luke, 2009: 147).
Finally, although the designs within the Urban Forest Project are aesthetically striking and pleasing, as the editors of ‘Design as future making’ highlight in general, there is less concern with the designs themselves per se than with how and where design can contribute to conversations larger that itself, and the Urban Forest Project puts a strong case towards the impact and far reaching affect that graphic design, and design in general, can have.
Conclusion
The (new) role of graphic designers, and designers as a whole, can be summarized by the view of designers as “connectors and facilitators, as quality producers, as visualisers and visionaries, as future builders (or co-producers)” and ultimately designers as catalysers of change (Faud-Luke, 2009: 190). What I hope this essay has demonstrated, in the words of Tony Fry, is that “design can (or perhaps should?) be at the foreground of growing sustainability and can be the key force in redirecting towards development of the sustainment” (Fry, 2009: 10). As outlined in this essay, the sustainability agenda must be addressed from a social standpoint, and in doing so will ultimately address the underlying intention to create solutions to the complex challenges relating to the environmental crisis and sustainability. However, in thinking about sustainability, it must not be considered as an end goal or final achievement but rather a “continuous process of learning and adaption” and an ongoing agenda to adopt within our design practices (Wahl and Baxter, 2008: na.)
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