Hi Terry, Gavin and GK
In response to Terry's question about how designers can practically
influence the political process. I am a graphic designer, so my answer is
angled this way...
Communication design can be used to increase citizens' experience of
democratically elected government in so many ways. The big ones are in
improving access to government services (information and forms) and
understanding of the political process (education and information). David
Sless's latest blog post about the impact of government form design gives a
good example (http://www.communication.org.au/dsblog/). However, this needs
to be acknowledged at a policy level, with the commissions coming from
inside government departments. To have any hope of raising awareness of the
impact of design (or absence of design) on the efficacy of government
services among politicians or government staff would probably require
quantifying its effect.
To take the form example, raising awareness of the problem and the value of
design in solving it would involve collecting usability data on a sample of
forms, calculating time taken to fill in forms within government departments
alone (let alone for the public), error rates, cost of error rates and
projected error and time savings from well designed forms. The projected
time savings and other arguments would have to be developed - as Gavin has
stridently pointed out - based on previous research in the field. Finally
this information would need to be communicated in a format that politicians
and government workers would be receptive to (backed up with cold hard
academic papers, of course). SmashLab's Design Can Change website
(http://www.designcanchange.org) is a good example of such a targeted portal.
AIGA's Design for Democracy is an excellent illustration of how
communication design can be utilised in governmental communicaiton once
policy makers have a basic awareness of its potential impact
(http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/design-for-democracy).
Cheers
Katherine
---
Katherine Hepworth
Researcher
National Institute of Design Research
Swinburne University of Technology
144 High Street Prahran
Victoria 3181 Australia
Telephone +61 401 408 804
Facsimilie +61 3 9521 2665
www.swinburne.edu.au/design
>>> Terence Love <[log in to unmask]> 24/04/08 1:57 PM >>>
Dear Ranjan and Katherine,
Thank you for your sensitive responses about how design might be involved in
politics.
I was wondering how you see the practicalities of designers influencing
politics. What are the practical processes?
At the front of my mind is the last 50 years of often unhelpful activity by
the World Bank and development agencies in designing new infrastructure as
part of development agendas.
What will be different about what you propose of how designers should be
involved in deciding the path of development?
Best wishes,
Terry
>>> Katherine Hepworth <[log in to unmask]> 23/04/08 1:10 PM >>>
Hi Terry and Ranjan
I'm not so sure Ranjan's point implies designers playing god. It is a
fraught area though, graphic design and political governance. I agree with
Ranjan that design in itself is political, and most visibly so in work that
is intended to effect widespread social change (either in awareness or
behaviour). As Terry points out, this becomes fraught when design is in the
service of democratically elected politicians, as it can appear as if
designers are or are at least attempting to dictate the political message.
Politicians who commission designers to assist with communicating policy do
sacrifice some control over the message. The extent to which the designer's
influence is felt perhaps depends on the individual designer or design
firm's intent, whether they see themselves as a service provider or more of
an author. The effectiveness of the work perhaps depends on whether the
designer comprehends the fundamentally different nature of this type of
commission to all others. Acting as an intermediary for democratic process
is no small responsibility!
There is a case to be argued that design services interfere in the
democratic process by mediating messages from politicians to the public. But
politicians use graphic designers (and host of other pr, marketing and
branding professionals) precisely because they are experts in communication.
The designed message is certainly more mediated, but is also presumably more
effective. Does this make the message less democratic, or more?
A fascinating can of worms.
---
Katherine Hepworth
PhD Candidate
National Institute of Design Research
Swinburne University of Technology
144 High Street Prahran
Victoria 3181 Australia
Telephone +61 401 408 804
Facsimilie +61 3 9521 2665
www.swinburne.edu.au/design
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