'Most things are designed not for the needs of the people, but for the needs of manufacturers to sell to people.'
- Victor Papnek (1971)
Idealistic design can be paralysing and not ideal for change. Graphic design is tied to commercial disciplines due to industrialisation, but in the 21st century, some practitioners are advocating towards a more humanist view of design. Social comment and commercial practice are not necessarily polarising and can be one and the same, however if you choose to communicate an idea, you cannot choose to ignore it's consequences.
Adbusters (2000):
In 1964, at a time of countercultural movements such as the rise of youth culture, pop music and the 'Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament' Ken Garland wrote his 'First Things First' manifesto aimed at creators and communicators with a persuasive talent calling for socially engaged creative practice. In response to decades of rampant consumer capitalism, Adbusters, a left-leaning, anti-capitalist, anti-establishment journal for cultural activist movements reprieved Garland's essay for the 21st century.
In this reprieved manifesto, Adbusters reaches out to the visual communicators and designers of the new millennium, encouraging them to utilise their talents for social change and not commercial purposes, citing ethical dilemmas such as outsourcing manufacturing to areas of cheap labour in third world countries. The manifesto proposes a more democratic ethical design practice, that is more socially aware, geared for social change and not profit oriented. Adbuster's ideology is very left-leaning and fairly incendiary, citing the 'you're either part of the solution or part of the problem' mindset.
'Artists who create advertisement and products for commercial purposes, you are endorsing ethically questionable practices and the predatory, toxic capitalist system. Your skills have more important
applications'.
- Adbusters Manifesto, 2000
One of the ways in which designers can utilise their medium for social change is through something Kalle Lasn from Adbusters calls 'Culture Jamming' or 'Meme Warfare'. Memetic information in the 21st century holds the keys to cultural dominance, with the advancement and proliferation of technology becoming a larger part of everyday life, easily digestible, hyper-charged memetic units of cultural information wields more and more power.
'Potent memes can change minds, alter behaviour, catalyze collective mind-shifts, and transform cultures. Whoever has the memes has the power.'
- Kalle Lasn, Adbusters
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