Graphic Design: Taking Lives or Saving Them?
It's not a surprise to most of us that Graphic Design has been credited with taking lives.Revisiting the rise of Joe Camel in the US during the 1980s before the campaign was banned offers a quick refresher. By the time it was stopped in 1997 Camel had 32 percent of the teen cigarette market, and more than 90 percent of six-year-olds could recognize Joe (more than knew Mickey Mouse).One needs to look no further than advertising for alcohol and its prevalence in major events like the Superbowl to find more examples of the strong influence graphic design has. Research shows that in addition to parents and peers, alcohol advertising and marketing have a significant impact on whether or not youths decide to drink. Research also shows that alcohol advertising and marketing influence expectations and attitudes and creates an environment that promotes underage drinking.A new exhibit at the Wellcome Collection in London takes a balanced approach. The exhibit features a collection of over 200 objects created by graphic designers that explore the role of graphic design in creating healthcare messages that inform, persuade, and empower people. Curators Lucienne Roberts and Rebecca Wright have included everything from 16th-century anatomical pop-up books, 21st century apps, to comic books advocating safe sex.The Guardian's recent review of the exhibit talks about how the section on smoking skillfully pairs examples of seductive attempts at selling tobacco with clever efforts to get people to kick the habit. The review features many examples of the exhibit, as does the exhibit's Image Gallery and Steven Heller's recent Print Magazine article, "Graphic Design is Healthy."If you are like me and can't get to London before it closes, be sure to view it online.Sources:https://wellcomecollection.org/graphicdesignhttp://www.printmag.com/weekend-heller/weekend-heller-graphic-design-healthy/?utm_content=buffera9f8f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=bufferhttps://amp.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/sep/07/can-graphic-design-save-your-life-review-wellcome-collection-london
Women in Graphic Design
There's much to celebrate for Women's History Month, and women in graphic design are definitely part of the conversation.Ethel Reed is considered the first American woman to achieve notoriety in graphic design. Self-taught, Reed received critical acclaim for her work at an early age when she was a highly prolific member of Boston's artistic community. Posters Reed created during a short, two-year window, earned her international recognition and were widely popular then, and still are now. They feature wonderful examples of Art Nouveau in the cultural context of early twentieth-century Boston. Unfortunately, Reed's commercial success was short, as she fell prey to issues of alcohol and drug abuse after her marriage crumbled and she spent her final years in poverty before her death in her mid-30sDesign Observer featured "Women in Design History" on their blog this month, celebrating women over the past century who are pioneers, having made significant contributions in the male-dominated field. Designers like Elaine Lustig Cohen, wife of the legendary Alvin Lustig, who took over his studio after his death, and Lucia Eames, the only child of Charles Eames, are featured. Lucia, an artist and designer, also became the preserver of the Eames legacy.This month's Design History Society article, "Where are the Women? Gender Disparities in Graphic Design History" discusses how understanding design history is a way to better understand wider gender disparities, including gender pay gap, small numbers of women in senior positions, and talking on stage at industry events. Author Ruth Sykes contends that graphic design history leaves the contribution of female graphic designers under-examined. She thinks that if this were revised, it would be a step in the process of achieving equal industry status for female graphic designers.The long-standing gender gap rises amid the data revealed in a publication by Lucienne Roberts and Rebecca Wright released last year, "Graphic Designers Surveyed." The authors found that while women designers are generally better educated than their male counterparts, they are still paid less.As we celebrate women in history this month, consider how you can help change the legacy of women in graphic design.Sources:http://designobserver.com/feature/women-in-design-history/39516/http://www.designhistorysociety.org/blog/view/feature-where-are-the-women-gender-disparities-in-graphic-design-historyhttp://artanddesigninspiration.com/celebration-womens-history-month-ethel-reed-art-nouveau-graphic-designer/https://www.fastcodesign.com/3057540/infographic-of-the-day/who-are-graphic-designers-anywayshttp://www.wallpaper.com/design/lucienne-roberts-and-rebecca-wright-graphic-designers-surveyed-book#146709
Ethics: Graphic Design In-takes
Sérgio Neves (aka Chazzy) is a design student from Lisbon who has written a thoughtful and creative collage and narrative on ethics in graphic design. He references findings from my thesis along with thoughts about ethics from Milton Glaser, Steven Heller, Helen Armstrong, Mário Moura, and Lucienne Roberts.You can see his work here: http://hausofcat.