A designers Responsibility

12/11/2009 12:21:02 #

All designers should have a built in sensor that keeps their moral beliefs in check. For many designers entering the creative industries and providing professional services, there are a standard set of moral codes that perhaps are instilled as part of their creative training. These include; offering creativity at competitive business rates, effective project planning and delivery, and having some level of environmental consciousness. Unfortunately though, there are many cases where, even though an individual may be personally driven by their own ethical,or moral codes, business may dictate otherwise. For instance, a young designer, excited by their first job, may be given accounts that work against his/her moral codes... i.e. an advertising company working on a cigarette account. Would a non-smoker, against the perils of passive smoking turn down the account at the risk of upsetting superiors....?

Romano | Reply

12/11/2009 12:21:56 #

If you work in branding long enough, you realise that the really successful brands are those that have an ethical base. They're the brands that attract the best people (the one's who care about what they do), and the most loyal customers. Whilst it's often accused of being unethical, the marketing industry has a conscience because without one, it loses money. The biggest challenge is to maintain honesty in the face of pressure to achieve visible communications, and as a design agency, we're not afraid to challenge our clients perception of what is and what isn’t a valid message. On a separate point I can’t say that i fully agree with Romano about designer’s having some sort of instilled moral ethics that “include; offering creativity at competitive business rates, effective project planning and delivery, and having some level of environmental consciousness.” We’ve had to work very hard to create the processes that deliver on these values because the temptation to maximise profits and cut corners when you’re under pressure is very hard to resist.

Adam | Reply