‘Design activists’ are contemporary designers who undertake projects based on their ethical concerns and a sense of social responsibility. The objects, communications, spaces and systems that they design, improve lives and benefit communities and the environment. Explore three recent projects in a design discipline (your own if you are a designer) and explain how these examples of design activism have led to effective responses to one or more contemporary social problems. (This could be a problem such as homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, youth unemployment, etc. Please note: The focus of this question should be on a social issue. If you wish to focus on sustainability, see question 8.)
Set reading (compulsory)
Fuad-Luke, A (2009). Design Activism: Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World. London, UK & Sterling Virginia: Earthscan. Rawsthorn, A. (2013, July 15). Expanding the Definitions of Design. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/arts/design/Expanding-the-Definitions-of- Design.html?ref=alicerawsthorn&_r=0 Roberts, L (2006). Good: Ethics of Graphic Design. Lausanne Switzerland: AVA Publishing. (Philosophy - an Interview with Anthony Grayling)
Recommended
http://www.designobserver.com/ Thorpe, Ann. Architecture & Design versus Consumerism : How Design Activism Confronts Growth, Taylor & Francis Group, 2012. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/swin/detail.action?docID=982117. For architecture/interior design topics For communication and digital media designers http://www.inkahoots.com.au/ Jarvis, J. (2009) The Crisis of Credit Visualized. Retrieved from http://vimeo.com/3261363
