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DESIGN REBELS : socially conscious graphic design in theory and practice GDES 491.003 Noah Scalin
Graphic design is the filter through which nearly all communication is now disseminated. Therefore graphic designers are in a unique position as the gatekeepers of information. What, how, and for whom we choose to communicate are crucial decisions that have a serious impact on our civilization.
This course is an overview of the ethical issues faced by people who choose to work in the field of graphic design. The class will cover three major areas of focus: Corporations (Clients), Advertising/Marketing (Work), and Designers (You). The historical context for ethical design will also be covered. Class time will be spent in discussion of the issues brought up in the lectures and required readings, hearing from guest lecturers on a variety of topics (including marketing, the media, community activism) and working on a final group project. Design Rebels is a Service-Learning course.
To encourage students to actively question the role and responsibilities of the designer in today’s society. The class will also allow students to see the practical effect their chosen field can have on the community while also allowing them to give something back to it.
Students will be aware of the diverse ways in which graphic design can affect the world and have an understanding of what options exist for designers interested in working from an ethical perspective. Students will also learn how to work as a team and break a large project into manageable components so that they can carry them out: including creating a project calendar; working within deadlines; working with a budget; interacting with the media and marketing an event.
As a group the students choose a single socially conscious design related project to manifest in the community. This project will be based on proposals which are presented by every student and voted on by the class. The requirements of the project are that it touch on one or more of the subjects covered in this class and reach the Richmond community outside of the school. The students have 7 weeks and $100 to work with to implement their project and class time is used at their discretion during this time. Some previous projects can be seen HERE.
Berman, David B. Do Good Design. Berkeley, California: New Riders, 2009 Roberts, Lucienne. Good: An Introduction to Ethics in Graphic Design. AVA Publishing SA, 2006 Williams, J. Phillips. “The State of Our Ballot.” Pp. 97-100 in Design Issues, edited by D.K. Holland. New York: Allworth Press, 2001 Papanek, Victor. Design for the Real World 2nd edition, revised. Chicago: Academy Chicago Publishers, 1992. Pp.54-85 (reprint of 1984 edition) Heller, Steven. The Swastika: symbol beyond redemption? New York: Allworth Press, 2000. Pp.3-15 “First Things First Manifesto 2000.” Adbusters Autumn 1999, No. 27. p.57 Warren, Chris. “Meet The Corporation.” Sierra, September/October 2005 Pp. 24-29 Yeoman, Barry. “When Is a Corporation Like a Freed Slave?.” Mother Jones, November/December, 2006. Pp.63-66 Turner, Ted. “My Beef With Big Media.” Ode, May 2005. Pp. 24-27 MacEnulty, Pat. “An Offer They Can’t Refuse.” The Sun, September 2005. Pp. 4-13 Dowie, Mark. “Gods and Monsters.” Mother Jones, January/February, 2004. Pp.49-53, 84 Bromberg & Sunstein LLP. “Flowchart for Determining When U.S. Copyrights in Fixed Works Expire.” http://www.bromsun.com/practice/copyrights/flowchart.html Rowe, Jonathan. “How to Create a Real Ownership Society.” Ode, March 2006 Pp. 41-47 Hart, Joseph. “The New Capitalists.” Utne, May-June. 2006 Pp.40-49 MicKibben, Bill. “Hype vs. Hope.” Mother Jones, November/December, 2006. Pp.52-57 Goodman, David. “Culture Change.” Mother Jones, January/February, 2003 Pp.52-57, 78 Rose, Sarah. “A Fast Organic Nation?” Plenty, October/November, 2005 Pp.71-75 Nader, Ralph. “How To Curb Corporate Power.” The Nation, October 10, 2005 Pp. 20-24 Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: BBC/Penguin Books 1972 Pp.129-154 Bryson, Bill. Made In America. New York: Avon Books 1994 Pp.235-247 O’ Reilly, Terry and Tennant, Mike. The Age of Persuasion; How Marketing Ate Our Culture. Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. Holland, DK. Branding For Nonprofits. New York: Allworth Press 2006. Pp. 128-138 Epstein, Edward Jay. “The Marketing of Diamonds: How A Successful Turned A Worthless Rock Into A Priceless Gem.” Abridged by Carrie McLaren. Linn, Susan. Consuming Kids. New York: The New Press, 2004. Pp. 11-30 Pozner, Jennifer L. “Triumph of the Shill part one.” Bitch, Winter 2004. Pp. 51-59 Pozner, Jennifer L. “Triumph of the Shill part two.” Bitch, Spring 2004. Pp. 55-61, 91 Gossage, Howard. “How to Look at Billboards.” Stay Free. No.17. Pp.16-19 Godin, Seth. “Stories That Shake The World.” Ode, April 2006. Pp. 42-45 McCarron, Carolyn. “First Things First: A Second Look.” Pp. 113-122 in Design Issues, edited by D.K. Holland. New York: Allworth Press, 2001 Kalman, Tibor. “Fuck Committees (I believe in lunatics).” in Tibor Kalman: Perverse Optimist, Edited by Peter Hall & Michael Beirut. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1998. p.25 Glaser, Milton. “The Road to Hell.” Metropolis, August/September 2002. Helm, Jelly. “Saving Advertising.” 77-87 in Looking Closer 4, edited by Michael Beirut, William Drenttel, and Steven Heller. New York: AIGA/Allworth Press, 2002. Kilbourne, Jean. Deadly Persuasion. New York: The Free Press, 1999. Pp.292-314 Emerson, John. “Taking It To The Streets, Graphic Design for Advocacy.” Communication Arts, Royte, Elizabeth. Garbageland. New York: Little Brown, 2005. Pp. 235-250. Shedroff, Nathan. Design Is The Problem. New York: Rosenfeld Media, 2009. Evans, Poppy & Sherin, Aaris. Forms, Folds, And Sizes (second edition). Massachusetts: Rockport Publishing. 2008. Pp. 158-179 Hochschild, Adam. “Against All Odds.” Mother Jones, January/February, 2004. Pp66-73 Bobo, Kim; Kendall, Jackie & Max, Steve. Organizing for Social Change 3rd Edition. Santa Ana, CA: Seven Locks Press, 2001. Pp. 22-28, 30-46, 48-61, 156-170 |