Calling All Designers

DesignerForObama — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:37:27 EDT

When I attended the Emergence 2007 international design conference at Carnegie Mellon University, I was made aware that designers the world over were conscious of their responsibility to become part of the solution to the disastrous problems in our global and national communities. Design in its advertising and marketing forms has often been criticised for encouraging overconsuming, and at times design has unscrupulously been co-opted to propogate disinformation in politics through such abhorent events as the Willie Horton and Swiftboat ads. But the designers at this conference were not only condemning bad practices, but imploring design to do proactive positive good without being asked. The imperative was that we can't wait for politics or clients to catch up and ask. Time is too precious, and we must help before it's too late. Economies are failing, the sustainable environment is disappearing, energy resources are at limits, displaced and starving people are suffering and a multitude of other emergencies beckon. It's as though no responsible adult is at the helm. Being is the US under the current administration has been like living in the novel Lord of the Flies, where pre-teen boys are running the show based on testosterone posturing and impulse. Conversely, the design process, when used correctly, examines problems holistically so that innovation gets the right solution to the needed population with no harm done to any environment or at any cost to other people. It is the golden rule put to good use.

Another important message which came from this conference and designspeak in articles and blogs this year is the idea that designers are now designing for larger social structures and being used in fields which have previously thought to have no need of design. Design is a process that can enhance how anything is organized, thought through comprehensively and implemented effectively. It is not just visual organization any more. It is not only creative, but uses creativity in many expressions. In this way, design can be a means of imparting change that Obama seeks on our behalf.

I find that he opens my creative pores to design readiness. I want to do something positive. First I want to design messages which will help people understand confusing soundbites from the media that I feel distract from the issues. I want to create some simple ways to elicit trust from those who fear Obama because of race or religion-based negative propoganda. I really feel that those who aren't supporting him in the working class right now are the same ones who would most benefit by his policies and ideas. Design can help.

I am asking likeminded designers to put some effort into this task. Help design the truth. When we elect Obama there is much more work for designers in terms of the issues on the table. Design has a big role there. If he is the listening candidate I believe he is, there will be a call for us as volunteers, just as there was a call for mobilization of the Peace Corps to work for the good of all under Kennedy.

The Inspiration

DesignerForObama — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:43:29 EDT

Being over 50 and too often cynical about politics and the direction of America, I found myself growing more positive and more inspired to get involved as Obama's campaign continued. I had almost given up after our electorate put W in office again even after seeing the damage created in his first four years. Being a university professor, I was also incredibly disappointed in my beloved students who seemed to not take the issues that so affected them seriously enough to research them or vote based on them. The stats of their demographic in voting continued to slide downward. Then comes Obama. I first heard him at the Democratic convention which nominated John Kerry. I was moved to tears. I don't cry very often for any reason. But hope is moving when you are almost out of it. I have since been moved to tears at several of his speeches, particularly the Race and Politics speech. Inspiration mean enabling. You inspire me to action and I'll take it from there.

Obama is ciriticised for ONLY being a great speech-maker. For ONLY having ideas. Well, what else would you want in a President? An inspirational leader who can think on his feet and deliver amazing oratory that is quoteworthy for generations. That is how diplomacy can work. Just think about being around someone who can inspire you to do the right thing. What a power. In addition to being inspirational, though, Obama has proven he can pick the right people to organize an effort to accomplish the dream. Look at this incredible grassroots use of the internet. Picking the Facebook inventor to help was as natural as it was genious.

Obama draws on everything I believe is right in the issues and the motivation for his positions. He inspires me to be part of the change, to take any talent I can and use it for first getting him elected and then being the involved citizen who can help clean up this mess we both inherited and helped create through our past apathy and overconsuming.This is a time of reckoning on all fronts. First we need this inspirational leader who can keep us headed for the right change. Then we need to take that inspiration and make all the small and large changes that will save our planet and our future generations.

Designer for Obama

Calling All Designers

The Inspiration