Reading Response 1 – RR

Reading Response #1

• According to this author, what role should design play in society?

I think that the author was talking about that as designers we should maintain ownership of our work. That we should be universal in our designs, to actively think outside the box and incorporate new ideas and that we should address social issues that are present at that time. Designers are actively engaging their societies politically and culturally, increasingly thinking globally inside a tightly networked world. Jessica Helfand asks that we think beyond technical practicalities and begin really “shaping a new and unprecedented universe.” Just as designers in the early twentieth century rose to the challenges, of their societies, so can we take on the complexities of the rising millennium. Delving into theoretical discussions that engage both our past and our present is a good start.

• What distinguishes the field, or fields, of design from other creative occupations?

As designers we should always be neutral and be more objective in our designs. Our goal as designers is find a find to convey our client’s message but at the same time add our own personal touch while staying neutral and being objective. Today some graphic designers continue to champion ideals of neutrality and objectivity that were essential to the early formation of their field. Such designers see the client’s message as the central component of their work. They strive to communicate this message clearly, although now their post-postmodern eyes are open to the impossibility of neutrality and objectivity.

• What role does technology play in shaping design?

I think that as technology grew overtime since its inception, it has made designing much easier. The more technology continues to progress in our society, we as designers can be more inventive and creative in our work. Technology is allowing designers to create the impossible. Digital technology puts creation, production, and distribution into the hands of the designer, enabling such bold assertions of artistic presence. These acts of graphic authorship fit within a broader evolving model of collective authorship that is fundamentally changing the producer-consumer relationship. As a result of technology, content generation by individuals has never been easier. As more and more designers, along with the rest of the general population, become initiators and producers of content, a leveling is occurring. A new kind of collective voice, more anonymous than individual, is beginning to emerge.