‌As a graphic design intern for a non-profit organization, I paid close attention to the importance of ethics in creating visuals that effectively communicated my mission of promoting equality and understanding. AIGA’s ethical guidelines provided a framework for how I could properly communicate my task.
The first thing that caught my attention was the importance of image sourcing. The AIGA Guild of Image Use emphasizes that when representing others’ work, it must be done honestly and with integrity regarding copyright. During my first week, I was assigned the task of creating a social media post, and I faced a situation where I found an image that fit my design. Still, upon investigation, it was not intended for unrestricted commercial use, so I replaced the image with another that can be used for commercial purposes.
Another area where AIGA’s ethics played a crucial role was in the use of the organization’s logos and trademarks. I was tasked with incorporating the organization’s logo into various social media materials. AIGA also emphasizes the importance of maintaining the integrity of visual identity, which is particularly crucial for a nonprofit organization that needs to keep consistent branding across all platforms. There was a template from the organization, featuring their logo and color code, which was strictly adhered to in every design. At the same time, the team provided the organization with its brand guidelines to ensure a careful understanding of the logo’s correct placement, color palette, and size. There were moments when I was tempted to modify the logo to fit a specific design space. But knowing that altering or distorting the logo would dilute its meaning and recognition. Instead, I adjusted my design layout and ensured the logo was always presented with the proper respect and clarity.
As an intern, I gained valuable experience and demonstrated my skills in supporting those in need. These experiences I have had will be with me for a long time. Understanding ethics ensures that I use images responsibly and incorporate logos correctly, so the company’s identity is presented clearly in all my designs. Ethics reminded me how my design choices could affect the organization’s mission of delivering a message through my work. AIGA’s ethical standards helped ensure my design reflected the organization’s purpose and meaning. I want to be my best and provide my ethics as an individual designer and for the organization.
Currently, at the beginning of my internship, I haven’t been required to sign any confidentiality agreements, except for a voluntary agreement from the organization that requested I provide my personal information. Other than that, I haven’t been interacting with these agreements. It’s essential to ensure that when signing any document, everything is clear and understandable, and that no contract negatively impacts you as a designer.
COMD 4900 Summer Internship_ Ethics Assignment #1 – Baozhen Chen’s ePortfolio.en.zh-CN
Reference:
- “Resources | AIGA.” Www.aiga.org, www.aiga.org/resources.
- RocketLawyer. “Non Disclosure Agreement.” Scribd, 2025, www.scribd.com/document/91894008/Non-Disclosure-Agreement.‌
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