911, 9/11: The Power of Communication Design
If design has the power to alarm, what role can it play in diffusing the explosive conditions that confound our times?
Virtually all the deadly conflicts around the world today result from the failure of one culture to understand, and tolerate, another. This understanding and trust depend upon effective communication. Communication design is the purposeful use of words and images to transform information into understanding over time considering form, content, and context.
While the challenges for design in the coming decade are to gain respect for its leadership and relevance in society, the very crises that disturb civilized balance provide the means.
Designers possess two special skills — creativity and empathy — to relate to the context of other cultures. These must become formative means in enhancing understanding. Designers have a way of thinking that allows them to discover potentially simple solutions to complex problems — by questioning assumptions and imagining options. How can they use these talents to provide human responses to inherently global issues?
A clear ballot. Understandable medical instructions. A treadle pump to bring water to a village. A “straw” that sanitizes water.
Design is a means of inspiration and celebration; it is a means of creating value for business; and, yes, it is also the means of profoundly changing the human condition.
Richard Grefé is the executive director of AIGA, the professional association for design, and the oldest and largest professional association of designers in the United States. He also helps shape design policy as executive director of the Aspen Design Summit and AIGA Design for Democracy. Viktor Koen is an award-winning artist and illustrator and a faculty member for the MFA of Illustration at the School of Visual Arts. You can view more of his work at viktorkoen.com.
Remarks 34 total remarks were added before the post was closed.
Matthew McVickar
This is interesting and very true. Hearing from designers personally and at, for example, AIGA talks, some if not all of their most rewarding work has been charity work or design that has had some effect on the world and the human condition.
I think one of the best things designers can do is teach, inspire; help others to realize the designing capabilities within themselves in places or times when those skills would go unfortunately undiscovered or uncultivated.
Fergus
Can anyone think of examples of design "profoundly changing the human condition"?
The wheel might be the first, but it feels a little bit more like a change to the human circumstance rather than the human condition.
James
Designers can get frustrated with the fact that although they tap into the artistic impulse, they are not artists. This often results in portentous self aggrandising statements like this one. I really do not see how design can make much difference at all to "the failure of one culture to understand, and tolerate, another".
Good design is important, because its opposite poor design can obscure a message, or make a task more onerous, but it is the message or the task that are important, and design can only, and should only aspire to be their humble servant.
If you truly want to change the world, or people's hearts and minds, you should perhaps consider alternate careers, as an artist, or politician, pop star, newspaper magnate, or maybe an engineer and inventor.
drfrank
'Communication design is the purposeful use of words and images to transform information into understanding [...]' - whilst a noble purpose, it may be misguided. My experience is that nobody communicating cannot determine another's understanding...
Randy J. Hunt
drFrank, I think you're suggesting that improved communication is not a fool-proof method for increasing understanding. While that is certainly true, it is only fractionally so. There's no black and white here, and I have to reiterate Ric's mention of empathy.
While we might wish it all to be so easily analytical, emotional responses are equal or greater in importance. An empathetic attempt to communicate clearly, respectfully, and appropriately can go a long way in making progress toward deeper understanding. No, understanding will rarely materialize in an instant, across cultures, at the sight of a single piece of communication, but collectively and cumulatively, well-designed expressions of intent can create pathways for continued exchange and progressively improve understanding.
It is not that as designers only that we have this potential...but as human beings.
drfrank
Oops - my comment should have ended, 'my experience is that nobody communicating can determine another's understanding'! Yes, it's a longitudinal process, through time; I wholly agree with the emphasis laid on empathy. My point was in parallel, I think, wishing to underline how understanding arises through conversation (rather than the unilateral transfer of messages), and the ongoing attention given to checking out our comprehension of what other's say and do; it's not my place to say I understand you - it's yours - and vice versa. This ongoing 'cheking out' requires thought and commitment. I can imagine that, just as good design may facilitate conversation, so we can all improve the 'design' of our respective contributions to ongoing conversations. Thanks.
Travis Fleck
I love that illustration. Wow.
I don't agree with the premise:
"Virtually all the deadly conflicts around the world today result from the failure of one culture to understand, and tolerate, another."
"You have what I want." Makes more sense to me. Without this premise the argument fails.
Creating anything that contributes meaningfully to society and helps ease communication and understanding is satisfying. Isn't that why you are a designer?
roxanne
The keyboard is mightier than the sword.
Communication and understanding are parts of an iterative process, that is continually informed, in part, by design.
Thanks for bringing to mind that "bigger picture"
John Ellis
Travis, I have to disagree with you. If you look back at the Crusades, any slave trade, and even today's middle eastern conflicts, you'll find that most of the problem comes from cultural disagreement/fear. Not to say that greed was never an issue...
On to the article. I mean this criticism in the most constructive way possible: this post reads like the introduction to a Graphic Design 101 syllabus.
I've seen a lot of industry talk about using our talents to solve world hunger and end all war and other wonderful objectives, but I have yet to see how graphic design in and of itself will ever make a direct contribution to these efforts. As pretty much everyone who's posted before me has said, all we can do is ensure the clarity of [someone else's] message.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have any answers as to how we can make a more direct impact, but I'm sure to spend much of my career trying to figure it out.
Shane
That image/illustration is awesome!
The article was enjoyable, but I was wanting the author to actually go more into how they feel this problem should be solved, rather then just posing question after question.
I do agree that communication is a HUGE global problem, even when speaking the same language communication and the lack of comprehending one another is the rsult of many conflicts in relationships and marriages. To bring it to a global level we run into even more communication problems because so much is lost in translation, even becoming fluent in another language it is still difficult to fully express yourself in any language other than your native tounge.
I feel any time you simplify any form of communication it is rewarding and an accomplishment, if on small levels such as a small business owners business card, or a cleanly well designed web site.
Brian
as soon as I saw "tolerance" I immediatly dismissed this as a designer hippie complaining about the state of the world.
david
This is great. I think more designer/people should realize that what they do can and does make a difference to others and can change the state of the world. Thanks for the reminder.
drfrank
Randy, roxanne, Shane - you may be interested in some thoughts on communication and facilitating change for the better that I've put up here.
Daniel Holter
+1 on the illustration. Really, really great work!
Daniel Holter
@ Brian
yeah, anybody who uses lame-ass, liberalspeak like 'tolerance' *must* be a hippie.
[sarcasm_OFF]
Count me as one who wishes there were more among us who wanted their work to have lasting meaning, be it in design, music, politics or business.
catherine
I get anxious when I read about designers, and forgive me but particularly Americans, talking about designing for other cultures. Because American culture is so dominant, it is very difficult for Americans to identify where their culture ends and another begins. Design is NOT a universal language that transcends cultural barriers. Until you are on the receiving end of this form of cultural imperialism, you cannot begin to understand how inappropriate it can be. While I applaud the sentiment to understand others, first understand how much work that really involves.
Ed Bondi
I think it's simple-minded to think that problems between cultures comes from just a lack of understanding and communication between those cultures. The main problem is difference in ideology. One culture may think that they are doing good by killing the culture that disagrees with them. Then the other culture defends itself and is called a war-monger. One culture may think they are doing good by enslaving people. Then the other culture fights slavery and is called an invader.
The message is the real issue. Simply, cut all the psyco-babble and "love thy neighbor."
Travis Fleck
@ John,
I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Each of your references are blatantly "You have what I want" to me. People usually live in peace when there is enough food/land/water to go around. If there isn't anything to fight over, we don't fight.
Christopher Fahey
@John Ellis & Travis Fleck
I have to go with Travis on this. Not only are John's citations (Crusades, slavery, the Middle East) clear examples of "You have what I want", but I would contend that the example of the MiddleEast we are looking at people who understand each other very well. Sure, many conflicts involve sides that don't understand each other, but that's a side issue, maybe even an exacerbation, not the root cause.
Where Rik is correct, however, is in the case of *American* foreign policy, to the extent that many Americans (and at one time most Americans) support a policy based on a series of fictions (spreading Democracy, Saddam attacked us on 9/11). It's an absolute certainty that a good deal of what Americans desire from our foreign policy results from profound ignorance of the world and the cultures who tremble under America's shadow. Governments act on the "You have what I want" rationale, and then uses our ignorance to justify those actions.
In short, ignorance justifies and enables atrocity, but the atrocity itself is inspired by simple power and greed.
By fighting ignorance, we don't remove atrocity's inspiration. We simply disarm atrocity of its most powerful weapon.
Amanda Kovattana
It could be argued that creativity and empathy, ie: understanding another culture, are skills that are also used by an engineer working to solve the design problems of creating more effective weapons as my Daddy did for the US defense industry (despite having come from another culture that could have easily been a designated target of his efforts). Design is inspirational, yes, but unless you want to start a Designers Without Borders not for profit organization, I still think it comes down to them that pays the designer and requests certain solutions whether for good or ill which means the market and culture that we all choose.
dan matutina
the difference in idealogies is one of the reasons why there is conflict, but it doesnt mean it cant be countered with good communication or design for that matter. the good thing about design is that it cuts through cultures without even having to put words in it. comms design doesnt dictate, it's just there for people to notice and understand (if not now, maybe later). people remember design because they interact with it and live with it; and that's the power of good communications design.
the way we dress, the colors we wear all say something about us and it definitely communicates that to other people around us. although the author didnt go into details, i think the article really started a good exchange of opinions amongst us designers.
cheers!
j yoo
The flip side of the power of good design is that some of the most efficacious communication design was executed in the service of totalitarian regimes. Oddly, the succinct message on the power of clear communication to resolve conflict has, as the comments seem to attest, created minor conflict in itself. Maybe we should look past design for the answers.
jonny.gotham
The use of "designer" doesn't have to be limited to just graphics, but the ability of an individual to create something from a vision. With communications, yes, message matters, but few can argue how effective messages can be without without the design to reach its audience. Yes, we can design better weapons, or we can design better means to utilize resources we have. You tread into engineering on that one... but that's the idea, as a designer, you aren't limited in your range of tools to use for impact.
As an American, yes, I cannot deny the overwhelming presence of our culture, but that doesn't deny me the ability to design for other cultures. It is entirely possible to effectively work with other cultures to create better means for communication and education. It's not about cultural imperialism, its about opening a channel that works both ways, and no, it definitely is not easy, but that doesn't mean it isn't achievable.
Conflicts are going to occur. A designer can affect change in many ways, communication being only one. The goal can't be to end conflict, but to reach, educate and create enough people to stop it before it gets out of hand.
Travis Fleck
@ Christopher
Well said and I completely agree. Design may have a substantial impact regarding your last point.
Brian
@ Christopher -
Just for the record, I dont believe it has been said anytime, anywhere that SADAM attacked us on 9/11. Everyone in the evil mean bush admistration has always said Sadam was a SUPPORTER & ENABLER of terrorist groups around the globe, including bin ladens al quadia.
Again like the hippies say, if only we wouldn't be in iraq, america wouldnt be "hated" or "attacked". Well what happened on 9/11?
ray
james nailed it.
Christopher Fahey
@Brian: Polls consistently show that enormous numbers of Americans actually think Saddam was directly behind 9/11.
June 2007 Newsweek poll: "Do you think Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq was directly involved in planning, financing, or carrying out the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001?"
Yes: 41% No: 50%
We can speculate and guess forever about exactly how those people came to think this ridiculous thing. Most Americans are pretty ignorant, period (look at the other frightening questions in that poll), and I'd even bet that a great many Americans think Saddam and Osama bin Laden are the same damn person. It seems like you are under the impression that I am implying that some administration official deliberately made or perpetuated this falsehood. I won't debate that, since there is a fine line between lying, exaggerating, and simply allowing a falsehood to remain intact.
But the fact remains that 41% of Americans believe this falsehood. And it's my contention that if those 41% of Americans knew the truth, most of them would NOT have supported the invasion of Iraq.
The war, thus, was enabled by ignorance. I don't need to blame anyone for that ignorance for my argument to be true.
ChewMouse
Uh, back to the idea of powerful communication design, the photograph at the top of this page is stellar in that it is as clear and moving as any work of poetry. So much is being said with utterly no words.
I had never learned to see photography as art, let alone valuable and relevant art like this, until I paid attention.
More people should pay attention.
Christopher Fahey
To bring this a little bit back on topic, let me ask a rhetorical question:
How can design help to lift the aforementioned 41% of Americans out of their profound ignorance? How can design help them understand that Saddam did NOT plan, finance, or carry out 9/11?
But more importantly, how can this be done in an apolitical way?
On the one hand, the perception is manifestly and thoroughly false. But on the other hand, as Brian has contended, a great many people do "connect" Saddam to 9/11 through some rather indirect but factually credible pathways. And many of these people probably don't particularly want this 41% of Americans to change their misperceptions. That is to say, they don't want that 41% to know that the connection isn't nearly as direct as they seem to think.
Any design effort to correct this misperception would probably be viewed by Administration supporters as political propaganda.
And maybe they'd be right. As is clear from the political bent to my own comments here, it's practically impossible to even discuss cultural ignorance without grappling with the problem of political positioning and political propaganda.
Is it possible to address political topics without simultaneously creating political propaganda?
Rob
Pangea Day - An idea worth spreading.
Karilyn
Complex problems usually require complex solutions. Simplicity, as an ideal, can often be dangerous.
"A clear ballot. Understandable medical instructions. A treadle pump to bring water to a village. A “straw” that sanitizes water."
I congratulate these designs but am afraid that while designers are holding these designs on a pedestal to show how design "is also the means of profoundly changing the human condition", it is easy to forget that their respective complex problem is far from being solved.
Tom
Matt Jobson
I think the use of the eyes and ears as a design tool are not taught anywhere near enough as they should be.
Effective communication is a dialogue, not a statement. If designers and also artists had a better grasp of that concept, they might actually make more of an impact on the world.
And why the hell are we so concerned with gaining respect and recognition from everybody else? Trying to prove to the rest of the world that design is valid and necessary. It's stupid. At any point, in history, have doctors had to prove that they had value and worth in society?
Most designers are going about it completely the wrong way.
Just focus on making things better for everyone. Listen, observe, learn from your users... Then, and only then put your designers spin on things.
Then, when you have actually changed the world, prepare your speech to glorify yourself. Not beforehand!
da Vinci was certainly ahead of his time. He's still ahead of most of us. Design is destined for mediocrity if we can't at least pick up where he left off.
ChewMouse
I could throw a recipe in here and I doubt anyone would notice.
TO TOM, the spelling list, it's inspired, if you have more, please let me know!
A recipe: two slices bread, one slice of cheese. Place cheese carefully on one of the slices of bread. Cover with other slice of bread.
Then EAT IT.