No Logo: No Space, No
Choice, No Jobs
I think
an exploration into the influence that graphic design has on pop culture and
consumerism would interesting. I used to work for a newspaper and had to create
ads very quickly for a lot of different products. I started to feel guilty
trying to persuade people to pay $150 for shoes that I knew costs about $5 to
make. For products such as these, we generally attempt to appeal to something
in the person that is not entirely rational whether that be their self esteem
or some other area where there exists a vulnerability. A graphic designers
position at the forefront of the battle to sell puts us in a real position of responsibility.
I think that position leads to a need to have your own line drawn in the sand
that you refuse to cross. I know some people refuse to do anything that has
anything to do with cigarettes, etc. You get the idea
I do
enjoy the discussion of sustainability, and PD has some great jumping off
points.
Or,
another thought is the 'DIY' aspect of the field; ie What makes a designer? A
degree? A set of programs? An attitude? How do professionals differentiate
themselves from hobbyists or 'posers'? How do we educate the public about the
worth of quality? Etc. x 8
mass consumerism:
In the 20th century
graphic design became a valued tool for corporate America. This was
exemplified
when IBM legend Thomas Watson Jr. gave a lecture at the
Wharton School
of Business and coined the phrase
“Good Design Means Good Business.”
Designers were
generally seen as tools of capitalism. Creating brands, packaging, and
marketing for consumer goods, graphic designers became an integral part of the
free market system by contributing to the creation of wealth in society. Free
market supporters believe that this creates peaceful relations and moral
behavior.
Opponents feel that our
unbridled spending and greedy consumerism has led society to the state of
recession where we find ourselves today. The free market system is seen to be
contradictory to issues of sustainability and encouraging social and community
awareness. All over the world consumption rates are soaring. At the same time
millions of people consume barely enough to survive. Poverty is often blamed
for environmental degradation. Poverty does tend to affect local environments;
however, overconsumption is threatening the entire planet.
- See more at:
http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/integrity/mass-consumerism/#sthash.LNxdEX81.dpuf
