DESIGNING

FOR
SOCIAL
CHANGE.
Social responsibility and the graphic designer.

Daniel Scott
Graphic design thesis 2012
Design and visual communication
Supervisor: Anders Ljungmark
K3, Malmö högskola

Keywords
Social change, social design, responsibility, social responsibility, corporate social responsibility, graphic
design, community-based graphic design, socially conscious graphic design, propaganda.
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to study social responsibility and find out what responsibilities the graphic
designer may have and what they can do using their skill set as a designer to contribute in helping
to better their community. Social responsibility needs to be addressed more within the design field.
It needs to be introduced and taught to students at an early stage of their education, so as they fully
understand the power and influence that their creations will have over society, and the role this
plays in materialism, overconsumption and our modern day consumer-culture. Change needs to be
made within graphic design and the urgency for this grows more and more for each day that passes.
The graphic designer needs to critically reflect over the purpose of their work and answer the
question of whom it stands to serve: their audience or consumer-culture. They need to move away
from the creation of artificial needs and the promotion of unnecessary products, and move towards
the creation of more useful and lasting communication that contributes to society.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012

Foreword
Thanks to Anders Ljungmark, my supervisor, for support, encouragement and direction through the
process of working with this essay. Thanks to my Mum and Dad for being supportive and offering
encouragement for the most things I do. Thanks to the people who offered their time for the
interviews and the people who helped with reading this essay before it was turned in.

And finally, thanks to Lisa and Keegan for all their support and for putting up with me while I have
been working with this project and essay. This essay (as with everything I do) is for them.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012

Table of Contents
Abstract

Foreword

1. Introduction...................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Background...................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Purpose and question....................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Method............................................................................................................................. 2
1.4. Literature......................................................................................................................... 3
1.5. Limitations....................................................................................................................... 3
1.6. Terminology..................................................................................................................... 4
2. Research.......................................................................................................................... 5
2.1. Responsibility.................................................................................................................. 5
2.1.1. The graphic designer’s responsibility...................................................................... 5
2.1.2. The graphic designer’s social responsibility............................................................ 6
2.2. Social design.................................................................................................................. 10
2.2.1. What is social design?............................................................................................ 10
2.2.2. Working with social design.................................................................................... 10
2.3. Propaganda.................................................................................................................... 13
2.3.1. Looking at political and social poster design......................................................... 13
2.3.2. What is propaganda?.............................................................................................. 14
2.3.3. Different types of propaganda................................................................................ 14
2.3.4. What techniques are used in the creation of propaganda?..................................... 14
2.3.5. How can propaganda be applied to graphic design?.............................................. 15
3. Design process..............................................................................................................16
3.1. Using the research and literature study......................................................................... 16
3.2. Design process stages.................................................................................................... 17
3.2.1. Definition................................................................................................................ 17
3.2.2. Exploration............................................................................................................. 18
3.2.3. Conceptualization................................................................................................... 19
3.2.4. Evaluation.............................................................................................................. 22
3.3. Result............................................................................................................................. 22
4. Discussion..................................................................................................................... 24
4.1. The graphic designers responsibility............................................................................. 24
4.2. The graphic designers social responsibility................................................................... 25
4.3. Corporate social responsibility...................................................................................... 26
4.4. Responsibility towards the community......................................................................... 26
4.5. How does this affect how the designer works............................................................... 27
4.6. Evaluation of design project.......................................................................................... 27
4.7. Discussing propaganda.................................................................................................. 28
5. Conclusion..................................................................................................................... 30

6. Bibliography................................................................................................................. 32

Appendix 1........................................................................................................................... 34
Appendix 2........................................................................................................................... 37
Appendix 3........................................................................................................................... 38
Appendix 4........................................................................................................................... 39
Appendix 5........................................................................................................................... 40

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012

1. Introduction
The graphic designer has many responsibilities ranging from conducting themselves in a professional
and ethical manner in their work to employing well thought through solutions based around sustainable
design processes and practices. They also have many social responsibilities; responsibilities of what
their profession is actually doing for their community and the worlds they live in. These responsibilities
raise many questions: What is the purpose of the designers work? Is it just for the financial gain of
some large global corporation? Does the designers work stand to serve the community they live in or
does it just exist to prompt the people living there to become better consumers?

The designer’s job is so much more than just making things look nice and appealing to a group of
people and selling more products. The designer’s job is to communicate and inform people and
prompt them to make educated choices about what they do, how they act and what they consume,
not just to push them into consuming for the sake of it. The designer’s job is to communicate to their
audience with respect and dignity, avoiding solutions that patronize or prey on their weaknesses. The
designer’s job is to try and educate their audiences to understand what is “right” and what is “wrong”
in a communication, and to communicate in an accurate manner, offering clear and concise messages.

Not only this, but their job is also to communicate in a way that is true to their profession, working
with a level of professionalism that shows respect and dignity towards their fellow designer and the
graphic design field in general.

There is much written about the responsibility and social responsibility of the graphic designer but
not so much on the responsibility the designer has to their community or, more specifically, what
the designer can do in his profession to contribute to making their community a better place. The
intention of this essay is to look into the designer’s responsibility and to find out just what they are,
and what the designer can do to contribute to a positive social impact within their community.

As David Berman put it: “Don’t just do good design, do good.”

1.1. Background
The idea for this project came about from the reading of First Things First, the manifesto authored by
Ken Garland in 1964 and revised for the new millennium by Adbusters in 2000. This manifesto is a
reaction to the world of advertising and the skills of graphic designers being wasted on banal design
jobs such as toothpaste packaging or cat food packets, which contribute nothing to the prosperity and
well being of society. It is a call for graphic designers to move away from advertising and creating of
design solutions that promote consumerism and it proposes that designers use their skill set for the
benefit of society, on communications that are more lasting and useful. With this in mind, I wanted
to take the opportunity to work with a project that was not centred on the generating of profits or
financial gain for a company or business, but rather, a project that had a deeper meaning, something
that was for all people and something that society or (in this case) the communities of Malmö would
benefit from.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 1

In the past 3-4 years, Malmö as a city has seen a rise of gang crime and, in particular, crimes
committed with firearms such as shootings and homicides. Due to this rise of criminality (or the fact
of these crimes being increasingly committed in broad daylight), the city has received a great deal of
bad publicity, and has been referred to as Sweden’s “Chicago” (reuters.com).

With all this bad publicity, a need has risen for people to look to the positive aspects of living in
Malmö and to focus on them, pushing them into the limelight. By doing this, the city may possibly
bring about a positive change in the attitudes of those in the media who continually wish to portray
Malmö as a lawless gangster city. By focusing on these positives they may not only achieve this
attitude change but they may also strengthen the bonds of the residents of the city bringing back
a sense of pride for the city we live in as well as strengthening the identity of Malmö as a diverse,
tolerant and integrated city in the process.

1.2. Purpose & question

The purpose of the design assignment and essay is to study responsibility in graphic design and find
out what responsibilities the designer may have and what they can do to contribute in helping to
better the community that they live in.

The purpose of the design project is to study and research existing strategies for social design, where
possible, put these strategies into use in a campaign that covers a relevant social issue and, from
there, evaluate how effective the strategies may have been.

As such, there are a few questions that I want to answer with the design project and assignment, the
main question being:

- “What is the social responsibility of the graphic designer and what can they do to
contribute in helping to better their community?”

In order to narrow this question, I have asked:

- “What can I do as a graphic designer to improve the community I live in and how,
using my skill set as a designer, can I give back to or bring about a positive social
impact for said community?”

Follow up questions to be answered and research along the way include looking at what methods
exist for designing for social change and how they can be used in a campaign for a social issue, if a
poster campaign on social issues can strengthen the identity of a city, what impact a sender may have
on a communication and how it is perceived when the sender is not visible, and finally if its possible
to set a list of principles that I can adhere to when working as a graphic designer that may have a
positive social impact on my community?

1.3. Method
The written report of this exam will be focused on a literature study of responsibility and social
responsibility. This will cover social responsibility in graphic design, what social responsibilities
the graphic designer may have and how they can use these to better their community. There is also a
literature study concerning social design, designing for social change and a look at existing strategies

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 2

that can be used when designing for community based graphic design solutions. The literature study
also includes an analysis of propaganda, what it is and how it is created.

As a part of the research activity, I also conducted one on one interviews and surveys on how the
viewer perceives the design solutions, whether it is a visual language that is appropriate and effective
for use in raising awareness to these issues and also to how the viewer perceives the reliability of the
communication when no sender is visible or if the sender were different. This research can be found
in the design process in chapter 3, as it was a part of the evaluation of the design solution.

For the design project, I have used a design methodology for social design, which has been
adopted from Andrew Shea’s strategies for social design or community-based graphic design. More
information on this method can be found in the research section (Chapter 2, p. 10-11) and in the
design process (Chapter 3, p. 16-17).

1.4. Literature
The literature study began with research conducted using the Internet and one particular resource
that was greatly used was the AIGA or American Institute of Graphic Arts website (aiga.org). This
website was of great importance to my literature study as it was through using this site that the
majority of the literature (both physical books as well as digital articles) was found.

The literature used in the research has been chosen due to its relevance to social responsibility in
graphic design. Citizen designer, perspectives on design responsibility by Steven Heller and Veronique
Vienne (2003) was used as it covered a wide range of design responsibility and the book was split
into categories including social, professional and artistic responsibility. Do good design by David B.
Berman (2009) was used as it described the designers role in consumer culture and explained ways
in which a designer can work with societies benefit in mind. Designing for social change by Andrew
Shea (2012) was used because of its relevance to designing for a community and because it offered a
practical methodology that could be used and evaluated in my design process.

1.5. Limitations
The intention of this essay is not to create a list of the problems faced by today’s communities nor
is it to fix the world and remedy it of its problems, rather, the intention is to offer concise ideas as to
what responsibilities the designer has and how the designer’s work may better their community or
bring about a positive social impact.

In the research chapter, an effort has been made to define the term social design. The various parts
of this research surrounding this topic have not been referenced and this is due to there being a lack
of well-referenced material. What has been given instead is a definition offered from the dictionary
followed up with various unreferenced meanings from a social design network. These have been
added so as to give the reader a general understanding of what the term entails and they are, however,
by no means exact definitions.

In the research section, where Andrew Shea’s strategies for social design are described, I have only
covered the strategies used during my design process. They are not described in too much detail due

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 3

to space restrictions. Instead, I have written more in the design process (Chapter 3, p.16-17) about
how I have used each one and what they meant to my design project.

In terms of design which society benefits from, the issue of sustainability is of great significance.
Sustainability is mentioned, due to its importance, however, as it is not the focus of this essay, it is
only raised briefly.

1.6. Terminology
A better community – A community that is strong and unified that works together to sort its issues
and problems and doesn’t exclude or segregate people due to race or cultural background

Bottom line – The last line of a financial statement that shows the net profit or loss of a company or
organization, the final total of an account or balance sheet

Community – The people of a city, district or country considered collectively, especially in the
context of social values and responsibilities; society
a. A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government.
b. The district or locality in which such a group lives.

Community-based graphic design – Graphic design created by, and with the intention to serve, a
particular community (see Social design)

Consumer culture – Advocacy of a high rate of consumption and spending as a basis for a sound
economy

Consumerism – The preoccupation of society with the acquisition of consumer goods

Ethics – Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity

Responsibility – A moral obligation to behave correctly towards or in respect of something

Socially conscious graphic design – Graphic design with a sense of responsibility or concern for the
problems and injustices of society

Social design – Design or a process of design that relates to society or its organization”, “design or
a process of design that contributes to improving human well-being or society
Also known as “design for social impact”, “human-centred design”, “community-based graphic
design” or “design for social change”

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 4

2. Research
The research is split into three different literature studies covering three different topics. The first
topic is about responsibility and covers the responsibilities and social responsibilities of the graphic
designer. The second topic is about social design and designing for social change and discusses
pre-existing strategies developed for use in social design. The final topic covers political and social
poster design and is a study of propaganda and the techniques used in creating it. This final section
has been included as, although not directly related to the discussion on social responsibility, it is a
topic of interest when looking at strong forms of visual communication that can be used in graphic
design solutions for social issues or concerns.

2.1. Responsibility
2.1.1. The graphic designer’s responsibility
As a species the human being has many responsibilities that extend over the entirety of our lives.
They cover everything about our being, what we do, how we behave and how we treat our fellow
person. These responsibilities not only cover our personal and private lives but also extend to our
professional or working lives. As with many other professions, the responsibilities of the graphic
designer are many and varied and may differ in size and importance. Although the task of prioritizing
may rest with the individual designer, for the benefit of society the graphic designer needs to start
implementing them in the course of their work and professional practice.

Shel Perkins believes there to be three categories to be considered when discussing responsibility
and ethics in design: professional behaviour, professional expertise and professional values. The
first involves the designer’s behaviour in the daily business of their work. The second covers the
expertise needed in areas such as accessibility, usability and sustainability, and the third that deals
with the values, beliefs or moral principles the designer has towards society, the economy or politics
(aiga.org 1). One of the main responsibilities the graphic designer has is conducting themselves in
a professional and ethical manner in the practice of their work. A seemingly obvious responsibility
if the designer is planning on having a successful design career. This responsibility involves many
aspects including: how the designer interacts or deals with their clients, their audiences or towards
society, as well as the ethical issues related to these points.

In their series Design Business + Ethics, the AIGA have compiled a set of standards that can be used
in the design field and apply to all the various participants who may partake in the field, designers,
clients and the public. One benefit of having this series directed to all of these people is that, in
turn, it passes the responsibility to everyone and it becomes a collective effort to better the field of
design. The purpose of this series is to educate about the ethical standards and practices that govern
the design field and it has been created to “establish consistent professional standards and define the
relationship among designers, clients and content”. In the chapter directed towards the designer, a
set of standards for professional practice (which is to be expected from all AIGA members) has been
developed. These standards cover the designer’s responsibility to their clients, to other designers, to
the public and to society and the environment (aiga.org 2).

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 5

The AIGA are by no means alone in the defining and publishing of standards or ethical codes to be
adhered to in professional practice. Other design organisations that have adopted their own standards
for their members include: the Graphic Artists Guild (graphicartistsguild.org), the Society of Graphic
Designers of Canada (gdc.net) and the Australian Graphic Design Association (agda.com.au).
Although many of the issues raised in these documents are similar, they are all of equal importance
and all make for interesting reading.

Another example of responsibility that the graphic designer has is related to sustainability in their
profession and the environmental effects and consequences that may occur from their work. These
responsibilities are also covered in the series from the AIGA and the various other design organisations.
This responsibility may cover such points as selecting recycled paper or choosing ecological and
non- toxic inks etc for printed material. This can also include the designing of solutions that may be
seen as having a longer life, be non-disposable or recyclable or solutions that can lead to sustainable
development, a term that has been defined by Ann Thorpe (2007, p.6-7)) as: “development that
cultivates environmental and social conditions that will support human well-being indefinitely”
Businesses and companies are more than ever aware of the need for sustainable solutions that can
lead to this development, solutions that don’t put a strain on the environment and that promote human
well being. Indeed, if the designer is looking to have a successful career, one could argue that they
have to take sustainability into account and incorporate it into their design solutions as many deem it
to be the way forward (Thorpe, 2007, p.4-22). In terms of social change, one of the biggest ways in
which a designer can bring about change with their work is through the use of sustainable practices
in the design process and way of thinking.

2.1.2. The graphic designer’s social responsibility

As one can see from the above mentioned, the graphic designer has many responsibilities, many of
which can be seen as social due to their dealing with the public or society. However, what about the
other social responsibilities that the designer may face?

David Berman in his book Do Good Design (2009) believes designers to have an essential social
responsibility due to design being at the core of the world’s largest challenges and solutions.
Designers create so much of the world we live in, the things we consume and they are responsible
for the expectations we have of our world. The graphic designer has an immense power over their
surrounding, due to the nature of their work; work that can be very powerful and persuasive and can
influence how we engage our world. (Berman, 2009, p.1)

The power that the designer has over their surrounding is an important thing to consider when
addressing social responsibility within graphic design as it is the designer’s creativity which fuels
the most efficient (and most destructive) tools of deception in human history. Not only that, but the
same design that fuels the mass overconsumption that threatens the world and mankind also holds
the power to repair it. (Berman, 2009, p.2)

This view of the designer’s power over their surrounding and their role in materialism and
overconsumption is shared by Shel Perkins (aiga.org 1). Due to the large amount of work the designer
performs having the purpose of promoting corporate commercialism, the designer is helping to shape

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 6

consumer culture. He states that the designer needs to be aware of the influence and impact of their
work, an impact that can lead to the creation of artificial needs and the promotion of unnecessary
products. In First Things First Revisited (emigre.com), Rick Poyner also agrees with the current state
of design and the role it has in the creating of false needs and the promotion of unnecessary products.
He believes that designers are engaged in nothing less than the manufacture of contemporary reality
and that our skills and creativity should not be wasted on such things as commercial advertising but
rather be focused on producing useful or lasting artefacts that contribute to society.

One particular social responsibility that the designer has is that of what their profession is actually
doing for their community and the world they live in. This particular aspect spans further than the
obvious contribution that sustainability may have to one’s community (mentioned above), and covers
the aspect of what the designer is doing to help in their community on a direct level. This raises
questions such as: what is the purpose of the designers work, is it just for the financial gain of some
large global corporation and who actually benefits from the design solutions we create?

These questions are also raised by Perkins who feels the designer needs to step back and reflect on
what they are doing in the first place and what impact it will have on the world (aiga.org 1).

These points have been raised many times in the discussion of social responsibility and many articles
and essays have been written concerning the purpose of the designer’s work and whom it benefits.
Most noteworthy here is Ken Garland’s First Things First (kengarland.co.uk) from 1964 which acted
as a call to designers to change the way they looked at their work and was signed by a group of
his peers. Garland (along with the other signatories) proposed a reversal of priorities away from
consumer advertising in favour of a more useful and lasting communication, one that may contribute
to society. First Things First 2000 (emigre.com 1), an updated and revised version of Garland’s
manifesto, was reissued for the new millennium in 1999. This again was signed by a group of his
peers, many of the days most well respected and well-known designers.

An interesting comparison can be drawn between these manifests in terms of the urgency of the
issue. When Garland penned his manifesto he stated that the intention was not to abolish advertising
but rather, propose a reversal of priorities. In the new and revised version there is no such statement
about this, it instead just puts forth the idea of a change in priority. This can be attributed to the
further growth of consumerism and commercial culture, which has exploded since Garland’s first
text was published in 1964.

Taken one step further, one can compare these two manifests with Kalle Lasn’s Design Anarchy
(2009), which expresses disgust and loathing for consumerism and further emphasizes the urgency to
change the way that the designer works. One distinction with this manifesto is that rather than propose
change; Lasn states that change is necessary. He also states that, although the graphic designer has
created this dilemma, they also hold the power with which to solve this dilemma.

All though these texts (in varying degrees), are against consumerism and the creating of consumer
culture, not all design solutions that generate profit for multinationals may be viewed as being bad.
Many multinationals are now working with Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, a form of social
responsibility that pertains to a business, organisation or other enterprise. Many of the companies that
use this business strategy are not only producing great design solutions and generating a profit, but also

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 7

Examples of poster design for social issues or concerns. Left (Fig, 1):The body shop’s campaign to end sex
trafficking (thebodyshop.com). Right (Fig, 2): Amnesty International’s campaign to ban the use of landmines
(amnesty.org).

giving back to communities. An example of this can be seen in the English cosmetics manufacturer
The Body Shop and their work against human trafficking, prostitution and child prostitution and
animal testing amongst other causes.

Another business strategy that many companies and multinationals are now using is Cause Related
Marketing or CRM, which is a strategy that ties a company and its products to a social issue or cause
with the goal of boosting sales, while providing benefits to charities (Schwartz, 2003, p.9). Many
people, however, are against this form of marketing as they believe, it ultimately to be about the
bottom line and not trying to raise consciousness to an issue or to benefit society. No matter how
emotionally involved a company may appear to be, in the end the bottom line is profit and self-
interest. (Schwartz, 2003, p.18)

When discussing who benefits from the work of the designer, one specific field of interest is the field
of social design or the designing of material that society may benefit from. This design work can
include so-called cultural objects or artefacts such as books, magazines, exhibitions, educational
tools, television programs or films and the advertising or promotion of music or concerts. This design
work can also include printed materials, brochures or posters for campaigns to raise awareness to
health problems like cancer or diabetes or for social issues like cultural diversity, anti-racism, or
campaigns that tackle political issues, and, these particular projects are an example of what Ken
Garland and the various authors of First Things First 2000 deem worthy of the graphic designers
problem solving skills (kengarland.co.uk & emigre.com 1). A prime example of this design work can
be seen in the visual communication adopted by Amnesty International in their various campaigns
for equality and human rights amongst other issues.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 8

Another way of referring to this kind of work may be socially conscious graphic design, or design with
a sense of responsibility or concern for the problems and injustices of society. This field of graphic
design has become popular of late and many networks and organizations like Design Can Change,
The Designers Accord and Design 21 have now been formed to help designers understand their role
within this kind of work (more information on these networks can be found in the bibliography p.32).
Many design studios have also followed this trend and are now specializing in only performing
work of this nature, fully implementing the proposals put forth in both versions of First Things First
(kengarland.co.uk & emigre.com 1).

One particular way in which a designer can work for the benefit of society or their community
is through working within the public sector. This kind of work can lead to many opportunities to
better the designer’s community or that society may benefit from, due, to the public sector being
responsible for such things like environmental quality or democratic equality, things that fall outside
the boundaries of the private sector (Thorpe, 2007, p.98).

Another way for the designer to give back or better their community is through designing for a cause
or through the designer joining or working along side a non-profit or charitable organization (Thorpe,
2007, p.100). This work may be for causes such as health issues, social problems or injustices or
political concerns. This kind of design work may often be taken on pro-bono but does not always
have to be. It can still take on the form of a commercial design solution with the purpose of generating
a profit.

Having said all this, Paul Nini, in his article In search of ethics in graphic design (aiga.org 3), believes
that although all these things are worthwhile initiatives, the ultimate responsibility the designer has,
is that towards their audience. He believes that the designers single most significant contribution to
society would be to make sure the communications the designer creates are actually useful to those
for whom they’re intended.

The social responsibility of the graphic designer may not rest entirely on the designers themselves.
Due to the popularity of graphic design as a profession and the increase in schools offering graphic
design educations such as bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a certain amount of responsibility can fall
onto the educators who are teaching the designers of the future. It is after all, these designers who are
going to be communicating and selling the ideals and beliefs that our children and their children are
going to live by. In her essay Good Citizenship – Design as a Social and Political Force, Katherine
McCoy explains the need for graphic design educators to alter their curricula and bring back a level of
personal opinion to their student’s work rather than training their students to ignore their convictions
and be passive economic servants. She urges graphic design educators to give designers their voices
so they may participate and contribute more fully in the world around them (McCoy, 2003, p.2-8).

These views are also shared by Perkins (aiga.org 1) who states that designers need to bring their
personal beliefs and professional activities into alignment and believes that designers, through their
work, have an opportunity and responsibility to put their systems of basic values and beliefs into
action and thereby, model the behaviour that they wish to see in the world.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 9

2.2. Social Design
2.2.1. What is social design?
Offering a definition for social design can be problematic, as many in the design field have adopted
their own definitions. Much effort has been placed on finding a precise definition of the term to
no avail. However, to gain an understanding of the term, one way to define it is to look at the
words separately. The Oxford Dictionary (oxforddictionaries.com) has defined social as: “relating
to society or its organization”, and using this we can offer the definition as being: “design or the
process of design that relates to society or its organization” or in other words “design or a process of
design that contributes to improving human well-being or society”. This stands as a definition of the
term, but what does it actually mean?

In order to offer an understanding of the term social design, the social design network Design 21 in
cooperation with the magazine GOOD, created an online contest to see just how people defined their
ideas of social design. Many contributions were uploaded and there were many different ideas of just
what the term meant (design21sdn.com). Three good examples that cover the various aspects of what
social design means are as follows:

“Design, which promotes the betterment of society as a whole – its people, its environment, its
culture”

“Design that’s shaped by society and its collective consciousness, rather than design with the
intention of shaping society (and that collective consciousness) to its mould”.

“Social design is those things we create that consider issues beyond the bottom line. It is design with
attention paid to environmental impact, labour practices, and the common good. Social design isn’t
extravagant, it is just enough, it is witty, fun, and practical. It encourages a response through how it
looks or how it is used. It promotes community rather than further detachment from the world around
us”.

2.2.2. Working with social design

When working with design solutions of a social nature, directed at a particular community, certain
factors may need to be taken into account. By allowing for these factors and focusing on them, the
resulting design solution can become more accessible to the audience and can lead to a better and
more effective communication.

Andrew Shea, in his book Designing for social change (2012), has developed a set of strategies that
can be used for community based graphic design or design solutions directed towards a particular
community and of a social nature. These strategies can be used in combination with each other, and
can be moved around or even reconstructed, in order to best suit one’s own project or design needs.
These strategies are: 1. Immerse yourself, 2. Build trust, 3. Promise only what you can deliver, 4.
Prioritize process, 5. Confront controversy, 6. Identify the community’s strengths, 7. Utilize local
resources, 8. Design with the community’s voice, 9. Give communities ownership and 10. Sustained
engagement.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 10

Below is a list of the various strategies I used in my design process and a brief description of what
each strategy entails. For an explanation of how I used each of the strategies in my design project,
refer to the design process (Chapter 3, p.16-17). Over and above the descriptions of each strategy,
Shea’s book also follows up with two case studies relevant to each strategy and is a very beneficial
read for a more thorough understanding of each strategy at work.

5. Confront controversy
This strategy explains how one should not shy away from controversial topics that a community
may not want to talk about or are ashamed of but rather tackle them head-on. By doing this, one
can possibly bring about an open discussion on the topic at hand. However, at the same time as
confronting controversy, the designer also needs to remember the purpose of the message and any
eventual outcome and ensure that any controversial topics are designed for using both taste and tact
(Shea, 2012, p.68).

6. Identify the community’s strengths

This strategy involves the identification and addressing of the community’s challenges or problems
as well as their strengths and not just focusing on their shortcomings or challenges. This entails
avoiding the shocking details of a community’s problems and rather focussing on their strengths
(Shea, 2012, p.82).

8. Design with the community’s voice

This strategy involves the designer connecting with and incorporating the style of the community into
their solution rather than the solution reflecting their own preference of design aesthetics. This can
involve researching the community to see what colours, typefaces or other graphic styles or elements
are prevalent there and, if possible, incorporating these into the solution. This can also include local
languages or cultural norms that exist in the community, and may also entail the gathering of feedback
from members of the community (Shea, 2012, p.110).

9. Give communities ownership

This strategy involves the inclusion of community members throughout the design process which
can lead to empowering them, resulting in them taking ownership of the design process and solution.
This may be achieved by involving them throughout the design process and by implementing and
incorporating their experiences and insights into the design solution. By showing them how to work
through a process and deal with an issue may help them be more self-sufficient in the future (Shea,
2012, p.124).

As mentioned in the previous section, Paul Nini, in his article In Search of Ethics in Graphic Design
(aiga.org 3), believes that the most important responsibility the designer has is that towards their
audience and that the most significant contribution the designer can make towards society, is to make
communications that are useful to those whom they’re intended. Furthermore, in this article, he lists
the responsibilities the designer has towards their audience.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 11

These responsibilities (some of which are listed below) are very much of interest when compared
with Andrew Shea’s strategies for social design, as there are many similarities between them, such
as the importance of including the audience in the design process and treating their concerns with
respect and dignity.

- Designers must recognize the need to include audience members and users whenever
possible in the process of developing effective communications and to act as an advocate
for their concerns to the client.

- The Designer’s main concern must be to create communications that are helpful
to audiences and users and that meet their needs with dignity and respect. Any
communication created by a designer that intentionally misleads or confuses must be
viewed as a negative reflection on the profession as a whole.

- Designers must not knowingly use information obtained from audience members or users
in an unethical manner so as to produce communications that are unduly manipulative or
harmful in their effect.

- Designers must advocate and thoughtfully consider the needs of all potential audiences
and users, particularly those with limited abilities such as the elderly and physically
challenged.
(aiga.org 3)

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 12

2.3. Propaganda
2.3.1. Looking at political and social poster design
One particular aspect of graphic design that has had an immense impact on social change throughout
the last century has been the political and social poster. This form of visual communication has been
given many names and, is often referred to as Public Relations, Public Service Announcements or
simply as, Propaganda. It has been used to educate, agitate and inspire many different social change
movements and has been used in practically every revolution over the last century, being a vital force
during the Russian (Fig, 3), Chinese (Fig, 4) and Cuban revolutions (Moore, 2011, p.123-129, p.168-
173, p.174-179).

It has not only proven it’s worth concerning matters of revolution, but has also been a vital force
in the raising of awareness to the brutalities and atrocities of wars and other conflicts and has been
used extensively during practically every conflict the world has seen this century. Not only this but
it has also been used as a tool to raise awareness to and fight against (or for) many other issues faced
by societies throughout the world, such as racism, equality, and human rights issues amongst many
others. The messages being communicated in this particular form of graphic design may have many
followers, however those who don’t believe in it or who may perceive it as dishonest or untrustworthy,
may view these messages as propaganda.

Examples of political and social poster design or propaganda. Left (Fig, 3): Russian revolution poster (scoop.
it). Right (Fig, 4): Chinese revolution poster (25.media.tumblr.com).

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 13

2.3.2. What is propaganda?
The word propaganda has come from the word “propagare” which is Latin and means, “to sow or
propagate” (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2012, p.2). The term propagate is defined by the Oxford English
Dictionary (oxforddictionaries.com) as to “spread and promote (an idea, theory etc) widely. The
Oxford English Dictionary’s (oxforddictionaries.com) current definition of the word propaganda is
“information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point
of view”. This is a definition that dates back to the early 20th century. However, up until the early
20th century another definition could be found in the dictionary, “any association, systematic scheme,
or concerted movement for the propagation of a particular doctrine or practice” (Moore, 2011, p.7).

At the core, propaganda is basically just a form of communication. A message delivered to the
masses through various media forms such as television, radio or the Internet. The purpose of these
messages is to influence the behaviour, opinions and decisions of the people it is directed at (Jowett
& O’Donnell, 2012, p.1).

2.3.3. Different types of propaganda

Propaganda can be categorized in to three groups in relation to its source and the accuracy of it’s
information. Propaganda can therefore be differentiated as white, grey or black propaganda. In white
propaganda, the sender of the message or source can be correctly identified and the message generally
is quite accurate. In black propaganda, the sender of the message or source is concealed or hidden or
attributed to a false authority or organization. This form of propaganda spreads lies and fabrications
and is generally deceitful. Grey propaganda, as the name implies, lies between white- and black
propaganda. It comes from a source that may or may not be identified correctly and the accuracy of
the information it puts forth is uncertain (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2012, p.17-18).

2.3.4. What techniques are used in the creation of

propaganda?
In the 1930’s the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (IPA) devised a set of techniques that were used
in the creation of propaganda. These techniques are known as the “seven propaganda devices” and
are an analysis tool for the recognizing of propaganda. These particular propaganda techniques have
since been picked up and adopted by many advertising agencies throughout the world and have
become well known advertising techniques (McClintock, 2005, p.158-165).

The seven propaganda devices are listed below with a brief description:

Name-calling
Giving an idea a bad label, and therefore, rejecting and condemning it without examining the evidence.

Glittering generalities
Associating something with a “virtue word” and creating acceptance and approval without
examination of the evidence.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 14

Transfer
Carries the respect and authority of something respected to something else to make the latter accepted.
Also works with something that is disrespected to make the latter rejected.

Testimonial
Consists in having some respected or hated person say that a given idea or program, product or
person is good or bad.

Plain folks
The method by which a speaker attempts to convince the audience that he or she and his or her ideas
are good because they are “of the people”, the “plain folks”.

Card stacking
Involves the selection and use of facts or falsehoods, illustrations or distractions, and logical or
illogical statements to give the best or the worst possible case for an idea, program, product or person.

Bandwagon
Has as its theme “everybody (at least all of us), is doing it!” and thereby tries to convince the members
of a group that their peers are accepting the program and that we should all jump on the bandwagon
rather than be left out. (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2012, p.237)

In terms of other techniques of propaganda, Qualter mentioned the four basic criteria of successful
propaganda: it must be seen, understood, remembered, and acted on. The implications of these four
criteria span much further than propaganda and these criteria could be used to basically sum up any
good example of visual communication (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2012, p.299).

2.3.5. How can propaganda be applied to graphic

design?
Propaganda can be applied to graphic design in many different ways and it can be seen in many
examples of graphic design such as book covers, album art, gig and movie posters, magazine layouts,
websites as well as magazine and newspaper advertising and billboards. The knowledge gained
through a study of propaganda can be of great value to a graphic designer or anyone that works within
the field of visual communication. The connection between propaganda and advertising is so great
that it could almost be seen as a topic that should be focused on more within a visual communication
or graphic design education, such is the effectiveness of a well thought through and constructed piece
of visual propaganda. Many who work within the advertising branch are aware of this connection and
have adopted the techniques stated here due to the powerful and persuasive communication that can
be gained by using them (Pratkanis & Aronson, 2001, p.71-79).

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 15

3. Design process
The purpose of the design project is to study and research existing strategies for community based
graphic design, and where possible put these strategies into use in an advertising campaign that
covers a relevant social issue. From there, the intention is to evaluate how effective the strategies
may have been, and what the designer can gain from using them. It is also to gain an understanding
(through interviews of the target group) how the meaning of a design solution of this nature may
change depending on who the sender is and whether this sender is visible or not.

3.1. Using the research and literature study

The design process began with a literature study on social design, social responsibility and a study of
existing strategies developed for community based graphic design and designing for social change.
I have worked from and developed my own strategy for social design which have been taken from
the strategies described by Andrew Shea in his book Designing for social change (2012). In his book
he specifies that the strategies can be cut down and altered in order to best fulfil the design problem
or the individual designers needs. The strategies used were; “confront controversy”, “identify the
community’s strengths”, “design with the community’s voice” and “give communities ownership”.
Below is a brief description of what each strategy meant to my project and how I used them during
my design process.

Confront controversy
In terms of my project, this strategy was about confronting the issues of integration and unity and not
shying away from them. The idea of using the terms (which some may not believe exist or are worth
fighting for) “integration”, “fellowship” etc and the idea of printing the posters in various languages
that would be spread throughout the city was a way of confronting controversy in a tactful and not
too distasteful way.

Identify the community’s strengths

This strategy relied on the identification of the community’s strengths and, in this instance; was
the different languages used throughout the city. By using the different languages in corporation
with the city’s logo the result would hopefully be one of trust and respect towards the council for
understanding that the city is made up of many different cultures, they realise the importance of this
and make use of it. This was proven during the interviews where 80% of the people interviewed felt
that the posters strengthened the identity of Malmö as a diverse, tolerant and united city, and 70%
answered that it increased their confidence for the council.

Design with the community’s voice

This particular strategy was made up of two parts, firstly the use of the various languages and the
designing of the posters for certain cultural backgrounds was a way of expressing the message with
the community’s voice, appealing to the viewer in their mother tongue. Secondly, it relied on the
gathering of feedback through the conducting of interviews and a focus group to determine what the
target group felt about the message and the way in which it was being conveyed. It was the result of
this feedback that determined the final design solution.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 16

Give communities ownership
This strategy involved the inclusion of community members for the final evaluation and decision-
making concerning the final design solution. This strategy was altered for use in my project and only
involved community members for the final decision-making rather than have them be a part of the
whole process (something that had its downfalls and is discussed further in the Discussion chapter).

The project also relied on the literature study and research into propaganda. Decisions were made
during the design process that came about from this research, such as the use of the charged words
and the graphic elements such as the burst and the drop shadow, elements that give the effect of the
message jumping out of the page.

3.2. Design process stages

The design process used to carry out the work on the design project was made up of four different
stages: Definition, Exploration, Conceptualization and Evaluation.

Definition
This stage is made up of three parts: define the design problem and an eventual cause of the problem,
define the target group whom it’s directed at, and finally, define the physical context that the
communication will be set in.

Exploration
This stage is made up of researching and exploring the target and the physical context. This includes
visual research and a look at existing visual language that appeals to the target or is used in the
physical context.

Conceptualization
This is the designing stage of the process and where we interpret the research, put together sketches
and conceptualize the ideas that may be used for the design.

Evaluation
This is the final stage and where we find out if the communication successfully and effectively
puts forth our message. If the target group does not consider the communication to be a success
(determined by whether the communication effectively puts forth the message), we must then return
to the conceptualization stage and come up with another idea.

3.2.1. Definition
Define the design problem.
The design project is an outdoor advertising campaign to spread positive messages and to raise the
spirit of the people who live in Malmö. This is to be achieved by focusing on the good points of what
it means to live in Malmö, in this instance, the cultural diversity in our city, and to raise awareness to
the need of tolerance, togetherness and integration within the city.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 17

Define the target group.
The message in the posters is directed to the entire population of the city, as it affects everyone who
lives here, and therefore the entire city is in a way the target group. However, due to the population
being over 300,000 it may be seen as practically impossible to design for such a broad group that
ranges over all age groups, over the sexes and the classes as well as over 174 different nationalities
of people. I therefore picked to target, in particular, people between the age group of 13-44 both
male and female, regardless of social status or cultural background. This group has been chosen in
particular as these people make up a large portion of the city’s population, nearly 48%. The younger
generations have been chosen as they are the future of the city and if we want to influence a change
and build a more tolerant and integrated community it is here we should begin. The older generations
in the group have also been chosen for this reason but in respect that they may have small children
who the positive attitude of togetherness, tolerance and integration may be passed on to.

Define the physical context

The series of posters are intended for display outdoors in the public space, using the rolling JCDecaux
outdoor advertising systems. They will be placed throughout the city, in all suburbs, and will thereby
cover all the different “communities” that exist in the city. The choice to use this context was based
upon the widespread coverage that JCDecaux has through the city and the fact that it offers an
advertising alternative that allows for a large advertising surface that is visible in both day and night
and is also relatively safe from vandalism.

3.2.2. Exploration
Explore the target
Researching the target proved to be rather problematic due to it being such a wide group of people.
After much deliberation, the decision was made to work with the target definition and conduct a short
analysis of the group to see if anything drew them together, what similarities did they have or if they
had anything in common which could be used to best communicate to them as a group. One point
that was observed was that the city is made up of many small communities of people from different
cultural backgrounds. One similarity that these people had in their respective communities was the
use of a particular language that belonged to their cultural background. From there, the idea come
about to use these various languages in an effort to emphasize the cultural diversity of the city.

Explore the physical context

In order to gain an understanding of the context, I looked into the various types of communication
that already exist on the street and in particular, the communications on display in JCDecaux’s
advertising systems and other communications from Malmö Stad. The result of this study pointed
towards a communication that would be big and bold and would jump out at the viewer. This was so
that the message could be seen and was legible at a distance. This was also so as not to be confused
with the rest of the corporate advertising that can be seen in JCDecaux’s advertising systems. This
corporate advertising also often relies on big and bold graphic elements that jump out and attract the
viewer but they often have more information included in them. It also pointed towards bright and
clear colours that would not be associated with any brand or product and would set itself apart from
the grey city landscape.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 18

3.2.3. Conceptualization
Having completed the research of the target and context (see above) a pattern seemed to emerge
as to what path the design solution would take and how it would possibly look. The results of the
target group research led to the conclusion that the best and most effective communication would
be a typographic poster with a straightforward and direct message delivered in a neutral style,
hopefully carrying an element of urgency. The main reason for a typographic poster was that a visual
representation of the ideals being expressed might not bridge the cultural gap within the target group,
which spans over many cultures. Furthermore the design should not be referenced by any particular
style that may not be understood by the target and, therefore, a typographic design with out any
images or visual representation was to be preferred.

Another important reason for this type of design was that I felt the word, as an object, would be the
best way of communicating the idea. I felt that the actual words of the message (diversity, fellowship,
tolerance and integration) were the strongest elements to be communicated (this can be seen in
propaganda in the use of “charged” words etc) and that using the words by themselves could lead to
a communication that was more open to individual interpretation and could also lead to a more open
discussion on the issue (something that was later proven in the evaluation with the target group and
interviews).

Typography
In selecting a typeface to be used a few points were taken into account from the research. The
typography needed to be relatively neutral, accessible to all people in the target and had to be one
that would not interfere with the message. It also had to be relatively bold and clear and legible at a
distance due to it being intended for display outside in the public space (pointed out in the context
research).

Initially, the typography to be used was a bold sans serif as it worked in with all the above points.
However, using this style of typeface possibly resulted in a communication that was characterless
and maybe too neutral.

In the end, the typeface used was Lubalin Graph Bold, a slab serif designed by Herb Lubalin in 1974
(Fig, 5). This decision was reached for a number of reasons. Firstly the slab serif is, at present, a
rather popular style of typeface due to its strong and confident personality. It is currently being used
by a number of companies and organisations (Skånetrafiken and TV4 to name two) in the design of
their printed material and works well for informational purposes. It also works well with poster and
billboard advertising and has been used extensively by IBM in their typographic print campaigns
(Fig, 6).

Another reason for the use of this typeface in particular, was the need of a typeface that could be used
in different languages. In order to further emphasize the sense of diversity in the city and strengthen
the sense of community the series of posters were created in the most widely used languages of the
city. This was a factor that had to be addressed in the choice of the typeface used and greatly reduced
the number of faces to pick between due to the extra characters used in the various languages.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 19

Left (Fig, 5): Example of Lubalin Graph typeface from 1974, which was used in the posters (aisleone.net).
Right (Fig, 6): One of IBM’s recent advertising posters using Lubalin Graph typeface (bumbumbum.me).

Choice of text
The use of the text “long live” was used as it can be seen as a charged phrase, which has been used
many times in the context of protest or demonstration. The use of charged words or phrases is a
technique that has been adopted from propaganda and is used often in visual communication. It also
gives the implication that these values already exist and all we have to do is upkeep them.

The decision to split the words (diversity, fellowship etc) in two was made for two reasons. Firstly, in
an effort to hold the attention of the viewer, as it may not be directly recognised what is written, and
therefore holds the viewers attention a little longer and secondly as it offered a better use of space.

The decision to use these words in particular was based upon the fact that they are important values
for people to consider when living in Malmö. We need these values to prosper for the good of our
city and the communities we live in within this city.

Colour selection
The idea for using various colours for the designs came initially from the fact that the posters belong
in a series. Due to them being typographic and not using any visual imagery that could set them
apart, the idea was to use the same layout and typeface etc, and separate them by using different
background colours. Another reason is the fact that we are advertising cultural diversity and this is
expressed through the use of diverse colours through the spectrum.

The colours used have to be noticed when placed outdoors and set aside from the general colours
that are found in the urban landscape. Therefore, they are fairly bright and clear, and give an overall
positive feeling, as that was the attitude we wanted people to get from seeing them. Initially blue and
red were used but after further thought, were taken out due to their obvious political connections and
this was not something I wanted to bring into the conveying of the message.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 20

The colours used for the final posters were orange, green, pink, purple and a turquoise blue. The
border and text were all set in the same dirty tan brown colour with a dark grey 3D effect to give
a sense of continuity to the series. The burst was coloured in various transparent colours that stood
out from the main background in order to give a dynamic appearance that bought an association to
propaganda.

Document format
The document format has been set using the A-format, and it is the intention for the posters to
be displayed in JCDecaux’s standard rolling billboard, “Premium Euro size” which is 118,5cm X
175cm. All the posters have been created in vector graphics so any eventual resizing will not be a
problem.

Prototypes
The result of the conceptualization stage was two separate posters, one with a directed message and
the other with a slightly vague communication. Each poster had three alternate versions in order to
thoroughly evaluate the concept with the target group (Fig, 7).

The idea with having a variety of sketches was to conduct an evaluation on the posters to see
what solution (if any) best suited the message and if the message was successfully and effectively
communicated. The result of the evaluation would determine what the final solution would look like.

Fig, 7: Prototypes used for the evaluation. The variations of the posters included one without the city’s logo,
one with the city’s logo, and one with the city’s logo and a 3D effect on the main message.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 21

3.2.4. Evaluation
The final stage in the design process was the evaluation stage where the design proposal was tested
and discussed with the target group. Two tasks were carried out in this stage; firstly, individual
interviews were conducted and secondly, a focus group was put together and the design proposals
discussed and analysed.

Individual interviews
The interviews were conducted on twenty people who fell into the target group. They covered the full
range of ages (13-44), were about half and half men and women, covered all different cultures and
also different social standings in terms of class and political standing. The interviews consisted of a
set of questions that were asked in conjunction with them looking at the various design proposals that
had been created. The answers of these interviews were gathered and later summarized. Using this
summary, the final design solution was chosen. This was to fit in with the strategies “design with the
communities voice” and “giving the community ownership”.

Focus group
The focus group was made up of ten kids between the ages of 15-17, half boys and half girls, all
from different suburbs throughout the city and all from different cultural backgrounds. The group
were shown the same proposals as the individual interviews and the same questions were used in an
open and informal discussion. This discussion was recorded and later summarized along with the
individual interviews.

Summary of individual interviews and focus group

In summarizing the evaluation, 75% of the people asked thought the message was a positive
and relevant one and very fitting for the present state in the city. 79% thought the message was
communicated in an effective and relevant way due to its context and it being placed on street level
(a message for the people and placed amongst the people). It was thought evoking and gave people
a positive reaction when viewed. The communication was viewed by 70% as being reliable and
trustworthy when the sender was visible as it reassured people as to the intentions of the message,
with the sender adding meaning to it and if this sender were different it would result in a different
meaning.

The conclusion drawn from the evaluation was that the communication was considered to be a
success, in as much as it effectively put forth the message to the target group. It was relevant and
effective, resulted in a positive reaction and 95% answered that it gave them a positive reaction
towards the municipality. 70% thought it increased their confidence of the municipality and 80% said
it strengthened the identity of Malmö as a diverse, tolerant and united city. The full summary of the
individual interviews and focus group and the questions put forth can be found in Appendix 1 (p.34).

3.3. Result
With the communication being considered a success, the evaluation pointed in the direction of a
combination of the proposals and the decision was made to combine the messages to include the four
various ideals to be conveyed as well as the final “long live” message.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 22

The result of the design project was a series of 5 typographic posters using the words; “diversity”,
“tolerance”, “integration”, “fellowship”, and “long live our city” (Fig, 8). These words were then
translated into the languages most widely used in the city (with the exception of Arabic, which, due
to language difficulties and time constraints was not completed for the final solution but would have
to be translated and hand drawn if the idea was to be taken further). The result was a series of posters
in Swedish, English, Danish, Polish and Croatian with the final Arabic version being completed at a
later date. The other variations of the posters can be seen in Appendix 2 & 3 (p.37 & p.38).

The conclusions drawn from the evaluation of the design project and the work during the design
process are raised in the discussion (Chapter four p.27).

Fig, 8: The finished posters shown here in English. The posters were also created in Swedish, Danish, Polish,
Croatian and a final one to be created in Arabic at a later date. The posters in the various other languages
can be seen in the appendix.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 23

4. Discussion
This section chapter has been divided into the various research topics to make it easier to read. It
covers social responsibility, corporate social responsibility, what social responsibilities the designer
may have and how this may affect how we design. It also includes a discussion about the design
project in relation to the research and the conclusions drawn.

4.1. The graphic designers responsibility

As one can see from the research, there are many different ideas of what responsibilities the graphic
designer faces in the conducting of their work. Much has been written on these concerns and depending
on where in the world you are, an organisation can be found (that designers can align themselves
with) which have developed standards to follow concerning responsibility and ethics in graphic
design, such as the AIGA, the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada or the Australian Graphic
Design Association. These standards for responsibility and ethics range throughout the entirety of
the designers work including; how they work, what they work with, how they treat their audience,
how they treat their fellow designer and how they treat their clients. Shel Perkins categorized these
responsibilities into three groups: professional behaviour, professional expertise and professional
values. This is a good way to group them as it is short and concise but still covers all the aspects of
responsibility and ethics faced by the designer.

One particular point that becomes apparent from researching this topic is that the graphic designer
has an enormous responsibility due to the nature of what they produce and the power and persuasion
it has over so many people. More importantly, through the designers connection with the world of
advertising and branding, they are responsible for how society acts or behaves, what food they eat,
what clothes they wear or how they look, what products they buy and through all of these things,
what beliefs and values they place on the world around them and the people who reside in it. The
design student or novice designer intent on designing hip, fashionable and ultra-cool design solutions
may often not consider this immense power over society. Instead, they often place more emphasis
on the aesthetic side of graphic design rather than the purpose of it; they forget that form follows
function. This in turn, may be a reflection on the educators of graphic design and their not placing
enough emphasize on the influence and power that the designers work may ultimately have. Shel
Perkins and Katherine McCoy are both of the opinion that the designer should use this influence and
power to promote and spread their basic values and beliefs in an effort to contribute more fully in
the world around them or to instil in the audience the type of behaviour they would like to see in the
world.

This rises an interesting point; that of the designer at the beginning of their design career, or who
has recently graduated and started work as a designer. The problem is one of, what work to take
onboard and whether they should turn down work if it goes against their particular beliefs or values.
This can be a common dilemma and one that goes back to the individual designer’s view of the
purpose of design and whether it exists to serve its audience or whether it exists to generate profits.
Furthermore, many of these important writings and manifestos that urge the design community to
change, and stand up to clients, have been published by designers, who have established themselves

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 24

and have created well-known names for themselves within the design field. They therefore, may be
in a better position to stand up to a client or to state their beliefs and opinions, as a demand for their
work already exists.

It may be argued that the prioritizing of the responsibilities covered in the research depends on the
individual designer and, as with most things in life, you will have people who value certain ideals
or beliefs higher than others, and therefore, will prioritize these ideals more than others. As such,
what is worthwhile for one may not be so important to another. However, through the reading of the
First Things First manifestos and a quick glance around at the state of the modern world in terms of
consumption and materialism, one cannot deny the need for change in the designer’s work and the
urgency in which this change must come. One cannot help but agree with the authors, and in turn,
see exactly where the blame lies for the current state of our consumer culture. Many may believe
this blame to be double-sided; that the advertisers along with the designers are responsible for this
increased consumption, but at the end of the day, it is the designer or the design agencies who have
accepted the work and built these corporations into what they are through elaborate branding and
marketing strategies and, therefore, are in fact more to blame.

4.2. The graphic designers social responsibility

Something problematic when discussing the responsibility of the graphic designer is what is classed
as a responsibility and what is classed as a social responsibility. The term social pertains to society
and, design, and the mere nature of it, or its function, is to serve the people who are intended to use
it; the audience. If one looks at it this way, then, by its nature, design is always something that relates
to society or which belongs in the social field. Therefore, any responsibility that relates to design can
be seen as a social responsibility, and many people are of the opinion that due to the nature of what
we produce, all the responsibilities of the graphic designer are in fact social responsibilities.

This belief of the basic function of design being to serve its audience, is also an interesting point for
discussion, as many people are now of the opinion that graphic design has lost its direction and that
in many senses it does not stand to serve its audience any more. Rather, they feel it exists only to fuel
the overconsumption of our modern day consumer culture and to generate profits for corporations
who think of nothing more than lining their pockets.

This view of graphic design having lost its direction is based upon the explosion of advertising and
the fact that many of today’s designers have set themselves up to work within this field; the field
of advertising (and indeed, many in general public often confuse graphic design and advertising
because of this cross-pollination). It is this very explosion in advertising and the constant need of
corporations to sell and promote unnecessary products that has sparked the changing ideas that have
led to the writings of Ken Garland, Kalle Lasn, Rick Poyner as well as the various authors of First
Things First 2000.

In the research section the power the graphic designer holds over their surrounding and the role in
which they play in materialism and consumer culture was discussed in relation to social responsibility.
Although the research didn’t delve to far into consumer culture or the state of modern day advertising
at present, one has a reasonably good idea of how it looks as we all live amongst this constant daily

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 25

barrage of advertising. From this, and from looking into the various manifestos (both versions of
First Things First, Design Anarchy, etc) this need to change the way in which the designer works, or
mores the point, what they work on, becomes even more apparent.

4.3. Corporate social responsibility

One of the main arguments against CSR is that the main intention of any business is to make money
and generate a profit for the owners or stakeholders. Indeed, if a company or business fails to
run at a profit it will eventually collapse and go into bankruptcy. Therefore, business by nature is
predominantly about money and anything else will always come in second place. An example may
be a company who advertise the fact that they practice fair trade etc, however they actually have their
products manufactured in Asia where they can get away with paying their workers considerably less
than in the western countries. This particular argument can lead to a heated discussion, as everyone
seems to have a different opinion on how a business should be run, what their key intention is or just
how “into” a particular social issue they may be. Furthermore, due to the explosion of companies
using CSR and CRM, many opponents or critics have become more sceptical over these companies
intentions with using these strategies and many, like Schwartz, believe it only to be about the bottom-
line or the increase of sales or profit that a CSR or CRM strategy can bring about.

Having said this however, there are many textbook examples of CSR. One of these in particular (as
mentioned in the research) is the English cosmetic company The Body Shop. The main reason that
they are such a good example is that the company’s whole business plan and their vision and mission
have been based around CSR and the helping of those in the world who are in need.

4.4. Responsibility towards the community

From the research a pattern emerges as to the designer’s responsibility towards their community
and what they can do in their line of work to bring about a positive social impact. In many ways, it
is grounded in the basic respect of one’s fellow man and treating others as you wish to be treated
yourself. It’s about treating them as equals and showing them dignity and respect, not only to them as
people, but also towards the issues that they face, and to design for them accordingly in an informative
and tasteful manner. It is about communicating and informing people, prompting them to make
educated choices about what they do, how they act and what they consume, not just pushing them
into consuming just for the sake of it. It’s about avoiding solutions that patronize or assume the target
group is of a lower intelligence than we are, or solutions that prey on or take advantage of certain
groups in the audience. It is about educating the audience so as they understand what is “right” and
what is “wrong” in a communication, and to communicate in an accurate manner, offering clear
and concise messages. It is about getting in tune with the audience and getting to know them on a
personal level, forming relationships with them and building trust along the way.

Not only this, but it is also about communicating in a way that is true to our profession, working with
a level of professionalism that shows respect and dignity towards our fellow designer and the graphic
design field in general.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 26

4.5. How does this affect how the designer works?
All of these responsibilities are going to affect the way the designer works on a design process or
how they approach a certain solution. One particular way that it will affect the working process of
a designer is if they are conducting work for a business or organisation that has core values or a
mission statement that is grounded and based in the practises of corporate social responsibility. If
this were the case, then the designer’s work will normally be governed by the rules and guidelines
that the company has set.

These responsibilities not only affect the working process, but they can also affect what the designer
works with and the type of work they choose to take on or prioritize. As a graphic designer, we are
often employed to create solutions that we are not so passionate about, jobs we have to work through
in order to feed our families and ourselves. We are enlisted to create designs and solutions with the
sole intention of generating more profit for a company. This may not entirely be a bad thing, but at
the same time these solutions may not be something that represent us as individuals. This is where
designing for social change or designing with the interests of your community plays a major role as
it is here where we can get behind relevant social issues or ideals or beliefs that we strongly stand
by, something that represents who we are as a person, and where we get to create something that our
society can benefit from. These are the jobs that can lead to a proper sense of job satisfaction and a
sense of helping our fellow citizen.

4.6. Evaluation of design project

The use of Andrew Shea’s strategies was an interesting part of the design process and much was
learnt from using them. One thing that was learnt was that, at first, it might not be apparent what
strategies to use in a project as certain things can arise and a certain amount of research may have
to be conducted first. The designer may need an understanding of the design project and what the
client wants first before making this decision. The fact that these strategies can be altered to fit a
certain design project is also of interest as it can result in a set of strategies that can be tailor made
for a design project. Having said that, it also may mean that the strategies have to be completed a few
times in order to have a comparison to see what works and how it works. By using these strategies
as guidelines it can make it easier for graphic designers to design for a certain community or for a
particular social issue.

The evaluation of the design project led to the final finished solution that was used for the campaign.
As such, the people who made up the community in which the communication was to be placed in
decided on the final solution. In hindsight, if the project were to be done over, there would be changes
made and one main conclusion from the design project was the importance of giving the community
ownership or having them take part in the forming of the design solution. For the intent and purposes
of this project, certain decisions were made during the design process, which the community had no
say in and were rather called in for the final decision making that would result in the final solution. If
the project was to be done over and more time was available one could give the community more of
a voice and have them a part of the process during its whole course. This may result in an even better
communication as it may appeal even more to the people it is directed towards and at the same time,

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 27

give them a sense of ownership and pride that they had helped create the solution.

During the conceptualization stage many sketches were created, some of which had no sender on
them (Appendix 4 & 5). The idea here was to try to create a communication that would build hype,
be free to individual interpretation and lead to an open discussion. The idea was that the posters
might be thought evoking due to them not being influenced by any association that a sender might
bring. When evaluating the prototypes with the target, certain posters didn’t have a sender in order
to gather feedback as to how the viewer perceived these communications and if they viewed them
as being reliable. This feedback was interesting as 70% of the people asked felt the communication
was reliable with a visible sender. This did not mean that they felt it was unreliable without a sender,
but rather, they felt reassured when they knew where and who it had come from. This feedback was
also interesting in terms of the actually sender, Malmö Stad, and 70% of the people answered that the
meaning of the message was defined by having this particular sender on the posters. This was due to
many people already associating the ideals expressed on the posters with the city’s logo.

Another aspect of the design project that was interesting was the gathering of the statistics for the
evaluation. The information gathered was of great use to the project (determined what solution
would be used) but was also interesting as it gave a real indication as to the effectiveness of the
communication. Having said this, however, if the project were to be carried out again, more time
would be allocated to the gathering of information and more people would be interviewed to get a
more substantial feedback. If the extra interviews here gave the same result then this feedback would
be even more reliable and accurate and in turn usable.

From looking at the statistics, the communication was a success in the fact that the communication
gave 95% of the people who viewed it a positive reaction towards the municipality. 70% said it
increased their confidence in the municipality and 80% said it strengthened the identity of the city as
a diverse, tolerant and united city. All of these are very important starting points when discussing the
bettering of our community and important points for this campaign because (as mentioned above)
many already associate the ideals on the posters with the city.

Although the communication was deemed a success, the communication and the issues it tackles are
not something that can be resolved through a single poster campaign and I want to highlight that I
am under no illusion that this particular design solution would completely solve the problem. Rather,
I propose that the campaign be a start in a new initiative by the municipality towards the issues
of diversity, integration and tolerance. These issues and the mere nature of our ever changing and
growing city require that they be continually in focus, so as to improve the social conditions of all
who reside in Malmö.

4.7. Discussing propaganda

Through the study of propaganda one can establish an understanding as to how it works and how a
communicator can effectively put forth their message. Although the knowledge here can be used for
creating deception and spreading deceitful messages, it can also be used to gain an understanding of
how the viewer perceives a certain message and it can be used to successfully communicate for the
good of a society.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 28

A thorough study of propaganda and an analysis of the visual language used can help the graphic
designer to create strong and powerful communications, the type of communication that may be
required when raising awareness to a particular social or political issue. This is something that many
charitable organizations, Amnesty International as an example, have employed in many of their
printed communications and advertising campaigns.

The knowledge gained from a study of propaganda can be used to express messages that instil in the
viewer a feeling of reliability and trustworthiness, which ultimately leads to a more effective visual
communication. It can also lead to a better understanding for the communicator on what they do and
how they do it. It may bring about new knowledge concerning techniques that can be used to bring
about a more effective visual communication. Not only this, but also what techniques should be
avoided in order to lead to a more reliable and trustworthy message.

These last points have been included as they led to an interesting conclusion that new knowledge
can be gained from the most unlikely of places, such as a form of communication that many in the
design world (and the world in general) have ruled out as being deceitful, deceptive and dangerous
to society as a whole.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 29

5. Conclusion
The purpose of this essay was to research social responsibility and social design and to answer
the question: “What is the social responsibility of the graphic designer and what can they do to
contribute in helping to better their community?”

Due to this question comprising two questions, the conclusion is made up of two parts, firstly: what
the social responsibility of the graphic designer is, and secondly: what they can do to contribute in
helping to better their community.

What is the social responsibility?

The graphic designer has a vast amount of responsibility, responsibilities that relate to how they
conduct themselves in the daily business of their work, the knowledge or proficiency needed to
deal with areas like accessibility, usability and sustainability, and responsibilities that relate to their
values, beliefs or moral principles towards society, the economy or politics.

The graphic designer has an enormous responsibility. They have a responsibility over what their
profession is doing for their community and for society. They have a responsibility over how they
tell their audience to behave, what they should consume or what principles they should have. They
have a responsibility towards how our culture is created. They have a responsibility towards graphic
design in general and towards how the field of design will develop and progress; how it will look in
the future.

Social responsibility needs to be addressed more within the design field. It needs to be introduced
and taught to students at an early stage of their education, so as they fully understand the power
and influence that their creations will have over society, and the role this plays in materialism,
overconsumption and our modern day consumer-culture. Change needs to be made within graphic
design and the urgency for this grows more and more for each day that passes. The graphic designer
needs to critically reflect over the purpose of their work and answer the question of whom it stands
to serve: their audience or consumer-culture. They need to move away from the creation of artificial
needs and the promotion of unnecessary products, and move towards the creation of more useful and
lasting communication, communication with meaning, communication that contributes to society.

What can the designer do to contribute in helping to better their community?

In answering the question “what can the designer do to contribute in helping to better their
community?” one can first look at the responsibilities the designer has towards their community.
In many ways, if the designer aligns themselves with the responsibilities they have towards society
or their community, they will in turn, be contributing to the betterment of their community. As an
example, if the designer places more emphasis on the creating of useful and lasting communications,
then they contribute to a society that may be more informed. This in turn, may lead to a community
not so caught up on materialism, a community that consumes less and, therefore, a community that is
more sustainable and environmentally friendly. As one can see from this example, these two points:
responsibility and contributing to one’s community go hand in hand, and by working with one, one
effectively works with the other.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 30

Other contributions can be made towards one’s community by focusing on the audience and by
becoming more involved within the community and adopting design processes and practices like
those developed by Andrew Shea, which place the community or the audience in the centre and
include them through the whole design process.

In terms of what responsibility and contributing to one’s community has meant to me personally, I
decided to write my own manifesto that can also be used as a conclusion.

It’s about…
It’s about many things

It’s about design and it’s purpose to serve its audience

It’s about the treating of others as you wish to be treated yourself

It’s about equality, dignity and respect, towards the audience’s issues
It’s about designing for them accordingly in an informative and tasteful manner

It’s about communicating and informing people, prompting them to make

educated choices about what they do, how they act and what they consume, not
just pushing them into consuming just for the sake of it

It’s about communicating in a way that is true to our profession, working with
a level of professionalism that shows respect and dignity towards our fellow
designer and the graphic design field in general

It’s about avoiding solutions that patronize or assume our audiences are of a
lower intelligence than we are, or solutions that prey on the vulnerable or take
advantage of the audience or their weaknesses

It’s about educating the audience so as they understand what is “right” and what
is “wrong” in a communication, and to communicate in an accurate manner,
offering clear and concise messages

It’s about getting in tune with the audience, getting to know them on a personal
level, forming relationships with them and building trust along the way

It’s about people working together for each other’s benefit

It’s about community

It’s about change

It’s about time.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 31

6. Bibliography
Literature
BERMAN, David B., Do Good Design (California, USA: New Riders, 2009).

HELLER, Steven and VIENNE, Veronique, Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility (New
York, USA: Allworth Press, 2003).

JOWETT, Garth S. and O’DONNELL, Victoria, Propaganda and Persuasion (California, USA: Sage
Publications, 2012).

LASN, Kalle, Design Anarchy. In H. Armstrong, Graphic Design Theory. (Princeton Architectural Press, New
York, 2009).

MCCLINTOCK, Ann, Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising. In P. Gardner, New Directions: Reading,
Writing, and Critical Thinking. (Cambridge University Press, 2005)

MCCOY, Katherine, Good Citizenship – Design as a Social and Political Force. In S. Heller & V. Vienne,
Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility (New York, USA: Allworth Press, 2003).

MOORE, Colin, Propaganda Prints (London, UK: A&C Black Publishers Limited, 2011).

SCHWARTZ, Judith, Socially Responsible Advertising – Altruism or Exploitation? In S. Heller & V. Vienne,
Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility (New York, USA: Allworth Press, 2003).

SHEA, Andrew, Designing for Social Change: Strategies for Community-Based Graphic Design (New York,
USA: Princeton Architectural Press, 2012).

THORPE, Ann, The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability (Washington, USA: Island Press, 2007).

PRATKANIS, Anthony R., and ARONSON, Elliot, Age of Propaganda (New York, USA: W.H. Freeman and
Company, 2001).

Internet references
Adbusters - http://www.adbusters.org/magazine

aiga.org - http://www.aiga.org/

aiga.org 1 - http://www.aiga.org/ethics-and-social-responsibility/

aiga.org 2 - http://www.aiga.org/design-business-and-ethics/

aiga.org 3 - http://www.aiga.org/in-search-of-ethics-in-graphic-design/

Amnesty International - http://www.amnesty.org/

Design 21 - http://www.design21sdn.com/

design21sdn.com - http://www.design21sdn.com/design21/news/304

Design Can Change - http://www.designcanchange.org/ Good Magazine - http://www.good.is/

emigre.com - http://www.emigre.com/Editorial.php?sect=1&id=13

emigre.com 1 - http://www.emigre.com/Editorial.php?sect=1&id=14

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 32

kengarland.co.uk - http://www.kengarland.co.uk/KG%20published%20writing/first%20things%20first/ index.
html

oxforddictionaries.com - http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/social?q=social

reuters.com - http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/22/uk-sweden-killings-idUSLNE81L02X20120222

The Body Shop - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/

The Designers Accord - http://www.designersaccord.org/

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 33

Appendix 1:
Summary of individual interviews and focus group
1. “What does this message say to you”?
The general consensus to this question was that the message was a positive and relevant one that was
good and one of great importance for our city at present. Everyone asked understood the meaning and
idea behind the posters and understood the intention behind them: working together, getting along
and being a part of the community.
2. “How would you react to it having seen it on the street”?
The general feeling here was a positive one, with about 75% of people answering that they would
have a positive reaction to seeing it on the street. Some people answered that they would need to
know more about it but their initial reaction was a positive one. In general the feeling was that it was
a good initiative for the city to take and a relevant topic for them to be addressing. Due to it being a
form of communication they would not expect from the council, this added to the positive reaction
they had when seeing it. Many were glad to see a campaign dealing with an issue that is a current
topic in the city and not just another advertisement trying to sell them something, as they generally
felt suspicious of billboard advertising.
3. “What attitude would it give you towards the municipality”?
The majority of people answered here that it would give them a positive attitude towards the council
with around 95% of people responding this way. Many responded that seeing a communication like
this from the council would pleasantly surprise them as it was not the usual visual language the
council would use and this led to a positive reaction.
4. “Would it give you the impression they were trying to help”?
90% responded here that seeing a message like this gave them the impression the council were trying
to help. The other 10% answered maybe and that it depended on the context in which they saw it.
5. “Does it increase or decrease your confidence in the municipality”?
The majority of people (about 70%) answered that it would increase their confidence in the council.
The others answered that although it may not increase their confidence it definitely didn’t decrease
it. Their reasoning was that more would have to be known about the results of the campaign before
they could commit.
6. “Do you feel it strengthens the identity of Malmö as a diverse, tolerant and united
city”?
About 80% answered here that the posters strengthened the identity of Malmö as a diverse, tolerant
and united city. About 10% answered that it may strengthen the identity but either way it was a step
in the right direction and the remaining 10% answered no.
7. “What poster gives you a stronger reaction”?
The respondent’s answers were quite divided here. About 50% answered that the single word
gave a stronger reaction and about 50% answered the phrase gave a stronger reaction. The general
reasoning was that the single word poster required one to think about the meaning and it was open
to individual association, where as the others thought the phrase was more direct and obvious, with
more explanation.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 34

8. “What poster do you perceive as more thought evoking (if any)”?
69% thought the single word poster was more provoking and 26% thought the phrase was more
thought evoking. 5% answered neither poster was thought evoking. The reasoning was that the single
word offered a strong direct communication, was more profound, more powerful, and more open to
association and more leading toward an open discussion.
9. “What poster do you prefer in terms of visual language”?
63% preferred the poster with the single word and 37% preferred the poster with the phrase.
10. “Do you think this is a relevant way to communicate this message”?
79% of the people asked thought that this was a relevant way to communicate and they felt it was
good as it were on street level and it concerned the people who were at street level (amongst the
people who it concerned. this message. However, some also answered that there maybe needed to be
a follow up campaign or have it leading to something else (some other form of activity or led to more
info on what they could do themselves to help with the issue. The remaining 20% answered that it
may be or they didn’t know.
11. “Do you view the message as reliable or unreliable, trustworthy or untrustworthy”?
About 70% stated that they felt the communication was more reliable and trustworthy with the logo
on it. However most of these people answered that it was better with the logo only as it clearly stated
who was behind it and this gave them a kind of reassurance. The clarity they received from knowing
who the sender was, they perceived as a trustworthiness and reliability. The remaining 30% believed
that it was reliable and trustworthy with or without the logo as they judged it by the content and not
the sender but would still wonder whom it was from.
12. “Do you think the meaning of this message would change if the sender was not
visible”?
70% of the respondents answered that the meaning would change as without the logo they felt uneasy
and suspicions were aroused as to who the sender was and what their intentions were (could be used
for a negative). The general reasoning was that the sender defined the meaning, and this was due to
many people already associating the ideals being communicated on the posters (diversity, integration
etc) with Malmö’s logo. The remaining 30% were either unsure or answered no but still stated a
slight uneasiness and questioning of the message, however, it could be seen as coming from the city’s
people and not the council.
13. “Do you think the meaning of this message would change if the sender was different
(a cultural organization from a different cultural background etc)”?
Around 80% of the respondents answered here that the message could take on a new meaning if
the communication had come from some other sender. The main reasons given were that the sender
could be an unethical or political group with negative associations and when the sender was the
council it basically defined the meaning of the message. 10% of the remaining respondents answered
maybe, and the other 10% answered no.
14. 3D versus No 3D and Single versus Multi word + reason why
The question here was whether the viewer preferred the message in the single or phrase layout and
also with or without a 3D effect on the text. The message without the 3D was perceived as being
simpler and more serious, and the message with the 3D was perceived as being more playful, more

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 35

dynamic and also more accessible to more people. They also felt the 3D effect possibly lightened the
load of a heavy topic. 15% preferred the phrase in 3D and 35% preferred the phrase without. 35%
preferred the single word in 3D and 15% preferred the single word without.

The conclusion here was that the single word was more liked (70%) however 50% liked the 3D. it
was decided to therefore work with a mixture of the two, using both the single word and phrase.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 36

Appendix 2:
Finished design solutions
Final design solutions used for the campaign, completed after the evaluation and interviews with the
target group. Shown here in Swedish (top) and Danish (bottom).

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 37

Appendix 3:
Finished design solutions
Final design solutions used for the campaign, completed after the evaluation and interviews with the
target group. Shown here in Polish (top) and Croatian (bottom).

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 38

Appendix 4:
Early design sketches
Design solution sketches created early on during the conceptualization stage.

GE CAUTION
YOU ARE NOW ENTERING A
CULTURALLY
ME DIVERSE
ENS NEIGHBOURHOOD

KAP IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE

WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

MALMÖ
300,000 INVÅNARE 300,000 INVÅNARE
92,000 INVANDRARE 92,000 INVANDRARE
174 NATIONALITETER 174 NATIONALITETER
76,8 KILOMETER2 76,8 KILOMETER2
10 STADSDELAR 10 STADSDELAR
1 STAD. 1 STAD.

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 39

Appendix 5:
Early design sketches
Design solution sketches created early on during the conceptualization stage.

TILLSAMMANS FÖR ETT GEMENSAMT TILLSAMMANS FÖR ETT GEMENSAMT

OCH INTERKULTURELL MALMÖ OCH INTERKULTURELL MALMÖ

TILLSAMMANS FÖR ETT GEMENSAMT TILLSAMMANS FÖR ETT GEMENSAMT

OCH INTERKULTURELL MALMÖ OCH INTERKULTURELL MALMÖ

Daniel Scott - Designing for social change - 2012 40