Questions and Themes to Consider?

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.

Watch the Story of Stuff for an illustrated presentation about mass consumerism.

Sources:
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/publications/news/ebulletin/ebvsepmm.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/themes/greenspan.html

- See more at: http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/integrity/mass-consumerism/#sthash.LNxdEX81.dpuf