Critical Debates in Design | Task 7: Advertising

After reading Ken Garland's manifesto (1984 and 2000 versions) I couldn't agree more. It is interesting to see how the manifesto got more serious and urgent with time meaning that designers haven’t done much about it. The text is urging them to put their talent and skills into more important matters than selling unnecessary products or services. Consumerism is getting faster and faster and bigger and bigger causing a lot of environmental and social side effects. There are also many serious, global cultural political or economic issues that require designers' attention and problem-solving skills. I believe designers in any sector have enough power to make a significant change for good in our society. It is foolish to think that designers can do it all by themselves but it is a good start. Designers working in advertising or communication can make a big impact by influencing masses of people's behaviour.

Knowing that we have to recognize that it is extremely important to regulate what is advertised but at the same time be cautious about who and how does that. I have known of this campaign advertising ghd hair-styling equipment that used part of the Lord's Prayer alongside  “eroticised” female imagery that have been judged as offensive to Christian and therefore forbidden from being screened on Tv again. In my opinion, though regulation is needed, we are at risk of being over-sensitive and consequently fall into censorship, very limited freedom of expression and alienation that it is not an easy task to draw the boundaries and impossible to keep everybody happy. 

 
Sources:

Ken Garland's manifesto

Critical Debates in Desing | Task 6: Product Packaging

The role of packaging is to protect and promote the product besides providing information to the consumer. It protects the product from germs, manipulation, external agents and transport; promotes the product within a shop by being different from the competitors or similar to the leader; and provides important information to the consumer like ingredients, instructions, precautions, etc.

The problem with packaging nowadays is the huge amount of rubbish it generates. Many of the material used in packaging are not recyclable like plastic film or polystyrene. In order to make the product more appealing to the customers, packaging is often fancy and redundant. 

I found a very good example of what I call packaging well designed. It is a TV packaging stand made by Tom Ballhatchet. It protects the screen while you move it and when you finish with this purpose, it becomes a stand for your TV. It is made of only one material and claims to be 100% recyclable.

 

  

Another example of good design, not only packaging but also the overall product, is represented by the Ecover brand. They produce cleaning products that are more environmentally friendly than most of their competitors by eliminating or reducing toxic or harsh chemicals. The packaging materials are recyclable and/or made of recycled ones. What makes the difference between this brand and the others is that they also encourage consumers to reuse the packaging by going to the shop and refilling them. I think it is a very good idea but the problem it is that it is not easy to find a shop or supermarket where you can refill them. I hope that is improved with time.

 

Ecover products

Refills

Sources:

http://www.tomballhatchet.com/tvpackagingstand1.html  

http://www.ecover.com/gb/en/default.aspx 

Business for design | Creating letterheads and business cards

Some ideas for the stationary of my design studio.

Letterheads

Business card horizontal

Business card vertical

Critical Debates in Design | Task 5: Two Responsible Designers

Valerie Casey

In my search of designers with strong ethics I came across the founder of an international coalition I heard of before which is the Design Accord. Her name is Valerie Casey.

Valerie Casey is a globally recognized designer and innovator. Casey consults with start-ups, governments, and companies all over the world on challenges ranging from creating new products and services, to transforming organizational processes and behaviors. She had workded with industry leaders like Microsoft, Samsung, Cisco and Johnson & Johnson among others.

Adopters of the Design Accord commit to the idea of creating positive social and environmental impact. They must publicly declare their participation in the accord, initiate a dialogue about environmental responsibility with every client, put programs in place to reduce their carbon footprint annually, and teach employees about the importance of sustainable values in design.

Consultancies that have adopted the Designers Accord must research and suggest more environmentally friendly solutions to their clients and try to convince them of the importance of using them. 

The Designers Accord, in addition to specific guidelines for firms and companies, has a five-point code of conduct: 

 

• Do no harm
• communicate and collaborate
• Keep learning, keep teaching
• Instigate meaningful change
• Make theory action
  
  

Casey says: “I hope that in next few years, these principles will be so integrated into the way people think about and practice design that it won't be necessary to have the Designers Accord. As a designer, I feel a responsibility to make positive social impact. Designers are a community of activists, not aestheticians.”

Sources:

http://www.designersaccord.org/

http://www.good.is/post/designs_on_the_future/

http://www.valcasey.com/

http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/the_designers_accord_a_conversation_with_valerie_casey_9401.asp

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/129/100000-and-counting.html

Dimitris Kanellopoulos

He is a graphic designer from Greece who has created several posters that show his views in different social issues. His opinion is expressed in a very simple, powerful way. The message does come across showing his compromise.

Sources:

http://www.b-positive.gr

Critical Debates in Design | Task 4: Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company's actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Furthermore, CSR-focused businesses would proactively promote the public interest by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making.

Big corporations are way too powerful to be allow to operate without thinking in the social and environmental impact they have. It seems just fair that they incorporate CSR to their practice. It can be a way of distracting or compensating public opinion though as the company may also be engaged with harmful business activities on regular bases.

Based on my online research I would say that Cannon has a good and very complete CSR policy. They include in their policy a wide variety of areas like environmental care, social welfare, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, arts and culture, science and education and workplace.

I consider my responsibility as a designer to be environmentally conscious and not to do anything against my own moral principles and political views. As a product and graphic designer I realize that my projects might be manufactured or printed spending a lot or resources so it is my duty not to put anything out there that is knowingly not a good solution, it is not offering anything innovative or doesn't optimize resources. It is important for me not to get involved with any company or individual that don't respect human rights or is prejudicial to the environment.

Sources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility#Criticisms_and_concerns

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainable-business/corporate-social-responsibility/index_en.htm

http://www.csreurope.org/

http://www.canon-europe.com/About_Us/About_Canon/CSR/index.asp

Critical Debates in Design | Task 3: Motion Graphics

The world of motion graphics is now more open and democratic than ever because technology and knowledge is more accessible so it's easier for anybody to create a good piece with creativity and few resources.

It seems to me that there are two main trends; one is about recreating a digital, crisp look, with the most amazing effects making the most of the modern technology, and another one that is about going back to basic animation techniques, creating pieces with a more organic, crafted look. In any case, it is very common to mix media like 3d graphics or cartoons with real image.

In cinema, after the movie Avatar by James Cameron, many movies have been released using the same 3d technology. In this case, it has been used to make a fantastic world look real and believable. I think that trend is going to continue but those movies will also have to have a good script that justifies the use of digital effects and 3d filming technology.

Here there is a number of different international top design studios specialized in motion graphics.

Studios:

http://www.studioaka.co.uk/#/work

http://www.psyop.tv/

http://www.sehsucht.de/page/work/

http://www.petpunk.com/reel/

http://www.youtube.com/user/MISSERISTUDIO?feature=chclk

http://www.physaliastudio.com/

http://elastic.tv/

The following is the trailer of an animated movie made with peanuts.

Critical Debates in Design | Task 2: The Cologne-Bonn Airport Signage

Logo

The sign system of the Cologne-Bonn Airport in Germany is not just signage but a complex system of communication based on pictograms that covers many things like wayfinding, of course, staff uniforms, interactive services, merchandising,etc. This distinctive system is also an important part of the airport fresh and friendly identity.

Cologne-Bonn Airport

The use of pictograms and colour for the airport signage makes it a very immediate and international communication system. Those are very important aspects of an airport wayfinding system as it can be a huge place with many people from all over the world trying to orient themselves, quite often in a hurry. 

Departures panel

Information desk

Bus stop

Floor signs

Departures entrance

Signs on the runway

Decorated plane

As far as my research can go I think this is quite a strong sign system. It is important to remember that for a sign system in order to be effective it is very important that it is well applied in the physical space and well maintained. Misplaced, broken, redundant or scarce signs can be very confusing.

It has been designed by In Two Design in cooperation with Ruedi Baur et Associés in 2003. 

 

Symbols

Stationery

iPod app

Sources

 

Designers:

http://www.integral.ruedi-baur.eu/

http://www.intwodesign.com/index.php/corporate-identity-en.html?PHPSESSID=993bdbe4b50c56a77d500219a142de32

Airport official website:

http://www.airport-cgn.de/index.php

iPod app:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cologne-bonn-airport/id368975940?mt=8

Others:

http://www.iconglobe.net/blog/2008/08/26/cologne-bonn-airport-signs/

http://www.lineasguia.com/grafico/senaletica-aeropuerto-colonia-bonn/

http://wayfindinguk.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/pictograms-international-communication-and-cultural-diversity-part-1/