Essayfinal

Is Ethical Graphic Design Possible Within a Consumerist System?

By Leo Sims

Addressing the question of graphic design’s compatibility with a consumerist social system first requires an examination of what ethical graphic design is. There are a variety of definitions according to the different uses of the word, however Adrian Shaughnessy’s choice of definition is the most relevant to the topic being discussed here: “The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics” [Dictionary.com, 2014]. When this definition of ethics within design is considered, it becomes apparent that the concept of occupational ethics can be applied across a variety of professions, and would have varying standards according to the job at hand.

Despite the accurate nature of Shaughnessy’s definition, it remains somewhat narrow in its application, as it implies that the ethics of one profession would not apply to another. However when combined with a further definition of ethics as “a system of moral principles” [Shaughnessy, 2012, p88], a truer meaning of the word comes into play. Alongside specific occupational rules of conduct should also exist a broader set of moral principles upon which practitioners base their work. An example of how these definitions co-exist would be seen in a designer creating a clear and concise label for a product which communicates effectively the ingredients, quality, and company name, giving clarity and information to the consumer. Such actions would constitute occupational ethics. Ensuring that the company commissioning the work is not lying when it states it is sustainably sourced, or that it does not illegally dump waste in Africa, would fall into the broader system of moral principles which apply to everyone. Combining both manifestations of ethical practice is what this essay would define as ethical graphic design.

A further point to be specified is what exactly a consumerist system is.

Naturally such a system relies on the act of consumption to ‘better the life of the consumer’ in a variety of ways, but one must also consider the economic implications of such system, whereby nearly all economic activity and business 1

must involve the sale of something (be it a product, an animal, or a house) for profit. By such parameters it would seem that a consumer system as we know it relies on the consumption of products by consumers, which in turn creates jobs and profit for companies.

When considering the possibility of ethical graphic design in a consumerist system, it seems prudent to look to how designers have successfully created work which adheres both to notions of occupational ethics but also broader moral ethics.

Pact (an online underwear company), through the “effectiveness of design thinking�[Shaughnessy, 2012, p101] fulfil both ethical criteria. By intelligently marketing their products to consumers, and sourcing work which was original and in demand, Pact employed professional ethics to ensure that the customer received the best product. Through the application of solid design, the company has managed to gain a large standing and now donate a portion of their revenue to socially beneficial causes, which they promote through their advertising and packaging. Furthermore the underwear they sell is made from organic cotton and packaged in recyclable materials, thus reducing the environmental impact of their business. Such broad moral considerations allow the design work of pact to be considered fully ethical, and functional within a consumerist system (as the company still records profits).

While there are forms of graphic design which function ethically in a typical sense, one must not diminish the ethical value of more mundane forms of design.

Just because a piece of work does not exist to serve a noble cause does not make it unethical. In fact, some of the most mundane forms of design can be seen to have immensely valuable ethical dimensions. As Shaughnessy [2012] does, one can take for example the production of the Food and Drug Association (FDA) nutrition labels in the USA. Despite receiving little to no critical acclaim in the design world, the FDA nutrition labels are one of the most widely printed and circulated pieces of design in the USA since its introduction in 1994. The labels allow consumers to discern what exactly it is they are eating and prevents companies from using deceptive nutritional information to market products. Despite some controversy at its introduction, the nutritional information the labels provide is doubtlessly of

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social significance, and has functioned well within the consumer system of food selling.

A further example of how ethical graphic design can be practiced within a consumerist system is seen in the work of Stefan Sagmeister [Sagmeister & Walsh, 2014). This New York City based designer takes a sabbatical year away from the office every seven years. Although the work he does during that time away from work does not constitute what this essay would call ethical design, it does allow him to escape the restraints of client lead commercial work, and focus on more creative self-lead briefs. While most designers do not have the option of taking such a considerable time off work to experiment with ideas, such a method of design practice would allow a designer to function normally in a consumer system for seven out of eight years, and then work exclusively towards social and ethical causes during their year out of the office.

An area as yet unaddressed by this essay (and indeed the larger world) is that of ethical design which manipulates the characteristics of capitalism to produce products which can promote positive social change and allow a greater quality of life for disadvantaged people. These products may or may not be produced in a commercial setting, however they could be employed as such and are therefore applicable. Take for example the design of a children’s book by Arlene Klasky (a student of designer Victor Papanek). By examining the flaws of commercially available children’s books (expensive, short, un-engaging for a young audience, lacking in educational value), it became apparent that the current market did not respond to what very young children truly desire. Klasky therefore produced a booklet that contained “optical saturation patterns, textures that feel good, and things that go squeak”. [Victor Papanek, 1985, p115] By researching what children really engage with (sounds, colours, textures, optical effects), the designer in question was able to produce a larger and longer book which would be commercially available for 60 cents, compared with the $2 price of other children’s books at the time. The techniques applied throughout the design of this book constitute ethical design thinking. Through identifying the problem before setting about an aesthetic solution, Klasky produced a better product for a lower price. By 3

the merits of any consumer system, such a product would achieve more success than its inferior competition.

Although Klasky’s book would have been marketable for a cheaper price than competition, it was not mass produced and therefore could be criticised as not being truly effective in a consumer system, where products are available to a wide range of audiences. Therein lies a further way in which graphic design can exist ethically within a consumer system. By spreading information to a variety of audiences, graphic designers are able to inform and educate a variety of demographics about useful skills, products, information and techniques for better living. The design process may not have been particularly ethical or ecologically managed, however the fact that a publicly beneficial message is being communicated on a non-commercial basis allows work of this kind to be considered as ethical and functional. The design and distribution of ‘The Great Recovery’ booklet (and supporting web material) can be seen to fall into this category.

Designed by the Thomas Matthews design firm for the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), the work produced uses infographics, type and illustration to discuss economic sustainability and aims to “create a neutral space where all disciplines around the circle in the diagram below can learn from each other”. [ThomasMatthews, 2011]

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The production of work such as this by firms like Thomas Matthews can be seen to function within a consumer system as they discuss and often influence how that system works. Furthermore as the client has charitable status [Royal Society of Arts, 2014] and yet procures funding through both charitable and commercial means, the work functions ethically through the merits of a consumer system.

Despite the existence of arguments stating the possibility of ethical design within a consumer world, there are clearly a variety of reasons why ethical graphic design cannot exist in such an economic system. The first reason one encounters 5

when addressing the issue is that for a designer or design firm to function normally within a consumerist system, it would need to sell its goods to the highest bidder.

Unfortunately, the highest bidder financially is often the least ethically responsible choice. Take Chevron for example; ranked as the third least ethical company in the world by Swiss research group Covalence [The Huffington Post, 2011], the firm have created a campaign featuring the work of famed photographer Steve McCurry and director James Gartner. The 2010 ‘We Agree’ campaign (below) created by design firm McGarryBowen, reportedly cost Chevron over $92 million [The Wall Street Journal, 2010] in total. While Chevron denies it, many believe the campaign was produced in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill early that year. Such attempts by a clearly unethical company trying to improve its public relations have been executed by highly paid professional photographers, directors and designers.

While the whole situation is obviously an immoral sham, by the laws of a consumerist system it functions perfectly well. A high bidder has paid a large sum for highly regarded professionals. What is to prevent other graphic designers, photographers and directors from being purchased by the highest bidder?

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A prime example of why ethical graphic design cannot truly function within a consumerist system can be seen in the end application of much of the so-called “ethical” design we see today. Unlike the mass produced “unethical design” which we see every day shaping the way we consume and live, many ethical designers “have specialised in extraordinarily beautiful things for the cultural elite”[Beirut, 2007, p55]. While such projects may support fair labour wages, be sustainably sourced, or be not-for-profit, they hardly affect the vast majority of people, and can often be described as somewhat unnecessary. Such work does not meet the criteria of functioning within a wider moral framework that affects everybody and is inclusive of all walks of life.

A key issue, which leads to the creation of fake “ethical” design, is the fact that almost all designers (in the western world at any rate) have “been conditioned by a market-oriented, profit-directed system” [Papanek, 1985, p102]. The existence of such a system throughout the modern designer’s life prevents a departure from its manipulated values. This can be seen with the ‘Fairtrade’ initiative introduced in the 1990s. While at first the ethical certification seems to benefit the farmers and prevent large companies manipulating the market for profit, one soon realises otherwise. Upon examination of their accounts and the situation of coffee farmers since the introduction of Fairtrade, it is clear to see that Fairtrade has in fact done nearly the opposite. By only marginally increasing the sum paid to the farmer for the product, and then greatly increasing the price for the consumer, Fairtrade manage to secure a large profit margin. Furthermore there are reports to suggest fairtrade limits the supply of certified coffee to keep the price up, meaning “organic-fair trade farmers have become poorer relative to conventional producers". [Financial Post, 2011] These and other tactics are synonymous with capitalist practices in any sector, and can be attributed to the consumerist conditioning that many in the west are subjected to from an early age. Fairtrade is just one of the many companies which use ethical business practice as a marketing tool and nothing more.

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Even without the existence of uncaring multinational companies and falsely charitable causes, a more fundamental issue is conceivable when considering the possibility of ethical graphic design within a consumer system. The merits of a consumer system suggest that every effort should be taken by companies to reduce costs in the production process. Whether this is to increase revenues or better the consumer experience is irrelevant, the need to reduce costs is widely considered an essential part of any business strategy. Such a mindset prevents ecological sustainability and true customer value from the outset. A prime example of the over-application of money saving techniques can be seen with the running of Ryanair. Ranked as the seventh least ethical company in the world by Swiss firm Covalence[The Huffington Post, 2011], Ryanair exhibits unethical practice in its management, for example the dismissal of a pilot for whistleblowing over safety concerns [The Guardian, 2013] and the refusal to refund a ticket to a dead customer’s family [Saffron Walden Weekly News, 2013]. Despite these awful 8

business tactics, Ryanair enjoys huge sales due to the low cost of its flights, reportedly earning profits of €503 million in 2012 [Ryanair, 2012]. Furthermore, branding and promotional direction from London advertising firm Dare allows Ryanair to increase the number of flights it runs and subsequent damage to the environment. How is it possible for graphic design to function ethically and sustainably when such unethical business practices are rewarded with financial success?

A final indication of the difficulty of ethical graphic design within a consumer system can be seen in the increased globalisation of companies. Large conglomerates rapidly consume smaller and smaller subsidiaries, making it harder and harder for graphic designers to avoid working for the ‘bad guys’. While many designers and philosophers propose “a reversal of priorities in favour of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication”[First Things First Manifesto, 2000], once one leaves the heady pages of manifestos and academic writing, the reality is far more difficult. This is seen with designer Michael Beirut’s involvement with the Brooklyn Academy of Music [Beirut M. 2007, p57]. While the organisation is non-profit and supports local talent, it is also funded by Philip Morris International, the fifth lowest-ranked ethical company in the world by Swiss firm Covalence [The Huffington Post, 2011]. Due to corporate sponsorship of this kind and others, it is incredibly difficult to avoid working as a graphic designer on potentially culturally beneficial products without also boosting what Rick Poynor describes as “the massive over-emphasis on the commercial sector of society” [First Things First Revisited, 2001, p3/5].

There are clearly a variety of arguments for and against the possibility of ethical graphic design within a consumer system. It is also important to realise how it can exist outside of the normal consumer cycle, but still achieve ethical goals through graphic design. A key feature of design of this nature is that it affects the consumer system without being produced on a commercial basis. Some would describe such work as art and not design, however it is fair to say it could fall somewhere between the two. Regardless of classification, there are a variety of people that create work with political, social, educational, charitable and ecological aims. A widely known area of this type of design is ‘Culture Jamming’.

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The term was first used in 1984 by San Franciscan band Negativland [Klein, 2005, p281], however the roots of the practice are harder to trace, due to its development from graffiti, street art, and vandalism. ‘Culture Jamming’ essentially manipulates or imitates existing advertising material to shift the message. The practitioners of ‘Culture Jamming’ vary in their views on the subject. Many believe that the best means of conveying their message is through large-scale manipulation activity and shocking imagery and type. A prime example of such work is seen with the efforts of Australian group ‘Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions’ (BUG-UP). Reaching their peak in the early 1980s, the group caused “an unprecedented $1million worth of damage to tobacco billboards in and around Sydney”. [Klein, 2005, p282] The hard-hitting (and some would say illegal) methods employed by groups such as BUG-UP, while potentially having a large impact on the target audience, often provide companies and critics of ad-busting with opportunities to discredit the practice and its goals. Other ‘Culture-Jammers’ disagree with this radical approach, as it lends itself so easily to accusations of vandalism. Artist and designer Rodriguez de Gerada is of this latter school of thought. Carrying out his work in broad daylight for all to see, Gerada prefers to call what he does “citizen art” rather than the more widely used term “guerrilla art” [Klein, 2005, p280]. Having altered billboards for many years, Gerada aims to see his work become “a normal mode of discourse in a democratic society - not as some edgy vanguard act”[Klein, 2005, p280].

The work of Culture Jammers such as Rodriguez de Gerada, BUG-UP, and many others can be seen to function both within and outside the consumerist system. The work is (largely) unpaid and not for any commercial purpose, which would suggest is has no place within the profit oriented consumer system we know.

Despite that, it does operate within the consumer sector, and can have varied effects on the cycle of consumption seen around the world. For these reasons, this essay would state ‘Culture Jamming’ and similar public works as functioning within a consumerist system.

While there are clearly a variety of arguments for and against the feasibility of ethical graphic design within a consumer system, one must realise that one’s 10

perception of what is and isn’t ethical plays a large part in delving to the root of the issue. Naturally the increased role of companies in “shaping children’s own sense of who they are and what matters to them,” [Mayo & Nairn, 2009, p8] is seen by many as a negative development, others would argue that children’s involvement with the commercial world allows them to better understand the world they will inhabit as an adult. This lack of fluency in people’s perception of ethics becomes even more evident when one looks across borders to other areas of the world. Such a large variety of differing ethical viewpoints allow practices which are considered unethical in some parts of the world to be practiced with impunity in others.

In considering the value of graphic design and its feasibility as an ethical practice, one must consider from the ramifications of the political and cultural ideals of those seeking to reverse the status quo to a more ‘ethical’ one. As Michael Beirut states [2007], if the commercially targeted manipulation currently occurring were to be swapped with ‘ethical’ work, it would constitute cultural and political manipulation. Unfortunate though it is, it would seem that the role of a graphic designer will always be to portray a message for a client. Whether or not that client is motivated by ethical values often decides the perceived ‘ ethical value’ of the work produced.

Although the idea that the client is the bottom line in terms of ethical practice is somewhat daunting and depressing, it is not necessarily true. While a client may operate unethically, this does not prevent a graphic designer from making ethical choices during the design process or from attempting to influence the client to shift their position to a more ethical one. From carbon neutral web hosting servers to recycled paper, there are multiple ways which designers can attempt to balance out the moral scale of their client.

For these reasons, and those discussed throughout the essay, ethical graphic design can be seen to exist within a consumer system. Despite the lack of current practitioners of what this essay deems fully ethical graphic design, there are a variety of designers (functioning both inside and outside the consumer system) whose work affects the consumer system we live in for the better. One need only to look to the growth of ‘green’ design and design for a purpose to see that the ideals discussed by Ken Garland and the other signatories of the 1964 First Things First manifesto have begun to manifest themselves. Despite this, the proverbial battle is 11

far from won; unethical commercially driven design still reigns supreme, however at least in this day and age there is more awareness of the issue and action to counter it is slowly but surely mounting.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DETAILED REFERENCES:

Alia, V. (2004), Media Ethics & Social Change, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Beirut, M. (2007), 79 Short Essays on Design, New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

Berger, A. (2007), Ads Fads & Consumer Culture, Plymouth: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Dictionary.com, Ethics [Online] (Updated 2014) Available at: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics (Accessed 16 April 2014).

Ess, C. (2009), Digital Media Ethics, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Eye Magazine, First Things First Manifesto 2000, [Online] (Updated 2014) Available at: http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/first-things-firstmanifesto-2000 (Accessed 20 April 2014)

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Financial Post, Lawrence Solomon: Fairtrade coffee farmers often end up poorer [Online] (Updated 2011) Available at: http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/05/14/lawrence-solomon-fair-tradecoffee-producers-often-end-up-poorer/ (Accessed 23 April 2014).

The Guardian, Ryanair sacks pilot who appeared in Channel 4 documentary on safety [Online] (Updated 2013) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/aug/15/ryanair-sacks-pilot-channel4-dispatches (Accessed 12 April).

The Huffington Post, Business [Online] (Updated 2011) Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/28/the-least-ethicalcompani_n_440073.html?slidenumber=5zFejeujyNQ%3D&slideshow (Accessed 20 April 2014).

Klein, N. (2005), No Logo, London: HarperCollins Publishers.

Mayo, E. & Nairn, A. (2009), Consumer Kids, London: Constable & Robinson Ltd. Papanek, V. (1985), Design for the Real World, London: Thames & Hudson.

Phillips, M. (1997), Ethics & Manipulation in Advertising: A Flawed Indictment, Westport: Greenwood Publishing.

Poynor, R. First Things First Manifesto [Online] (Updated 2002) Available at: http://www.strg-n.com/edu/hgkz_BuK/files/first_things.pdf (Accessed 1 May 2014).

Royal Society of Arts, About Us [Online] (Updated 2014) Available at: http://www.thersa.org/about-us/what-we-do (Accessed 15 April 2014).

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Ryanair, Annual Profits [Online] (Updated 2012) Available at: http://www.ryanair.com/doc/investor/2012/q4_2012_doc.pdf (Accessed 29 April 2014) Saffron Walden Weekly News, Ryanair Apologises, [Online] (Updated 2013) Available at: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Saffron-Walden/Ryanair-hasapologised-after-it-refused-to-refund-the-ticket-of-a-dead-passenger-fromStansted-20130813131102.htm (Accessed 24 April 2014).

Sagmeister & Walsh, Answers (2014) [Online] (Updated 2014) Available at: http://www.sagmeisterwalsh.com/answers/category/sabbaticals/ (Accessed 13 April 2014) Shaughnessy, A. (2012), How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul, London: Laurence King Publishing.

ThomasMatthews, The Great Recovery [Online] (Updated 2013) Available at: http://thomasmatthews.com/project/the-great-recovery/ (Accessed 28 April 2014).

The Wall Street Journal, Chevron Ad Campaign Answers Critics Head On [Online] (Updated 2010) Available at: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100014240527023042504045755583639 02469440 (Accessed 7 April 2014).

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