Ethics in Graphic Design 1a & 1b

For my internship, the work I will be doing will have the company’s logos on everything. Right now we are talking about redesigning a shirt they currently have already that has been used for the past 6/7 years. This shirt is given to members who accomplish taking 100 classes. It’s called the “Century Club” t-shirt. While this shirt will serve as a motivation for a member to keep going, it also represents the company and how they value their members. The logo and font are always the same with the exception of when there is a holiday or celebration of something (like this month Pride colors are incorporated into their normal logo). I also spoke with them about the confusion there could be if they put the word “mil or millennial” on a shirt for people who take 1,000 classes because they might mistake it for age or million. I understood how we have to have respect for other designers after reading through the AIGA guide, and I felt like I put my input in without really stepping on someone else’s ideas. I’ve also heard about how the company had to fight copyright cases not because of their designs, but because the use of music by A-list artists. I was already familiar about copyrights, however, I didn’t realize how important it is to register all designs, regardless of copyright protection. If someone were to use my design and I don’t have it registered, there’s no way to sue if it’s not registered.

I was not asked to sign any confidentiality form, however, they do discuss with us how important it is not to disclose any information about what is to come because the public is always watching and trying to find out what is the next thing the company is creating. They let us know how important it is because if something gets leaked out and it isn’t a final product, people will have more questions or can start rumors. But I find it to be a little too trusting that they wouldn’t make me sign anything because in the AIGA guide there is a part that says every agreement should be in writing.

• “A Client’s Guide to Design: How to Get the Most Out of the Process” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard Grefé, AIGA. 
• “Use of Illustration” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard Grefé, AIGA. 
• “Guide to Copyright” AIGA. (2001). PDF. New York City; Richard Grefé, AIGA.