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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Saving the World One Design at a Time

Ottawa native David Berman is a pretty interesting guy. He is a Fellow and the Ethics Chair of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, a vice-president of Icograda, the world body for graphic design, a Canadian communication designer and author, President of the first elected board of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, and an international keynote speaker. He is also the author of the recently published book "Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change the World." The book builds upon the graphic design code of ethics that Berman introduced, which embraces social responsibility for graphic designers in Canada and is used as the benchmark internationally. Berman explains that "designers create so much of the world we live in, the things we consume, and the expectations we seek to fulfil. They shape what we see, what we use and what we waste." He argues that "the same design that fuels mass overconsumption also holds the power to repair the world." Berman definitely offers some food for thought. What do you think? Do graphic designers have the power to make the world a better place?