Week 6

 Research Week:

Why visual design has never been more important for educating the masses

https://www.fastcompany.com/90526283/why-visual-design-has-never-been-more-important-for-educating-the-masses

About Denishia Macon

- What inspired you to go down that entrepreneurial path and start Macon Designs? Wanted to make more of an impact with my own work. Networked to see if anyone needed design work done. Vision for Macon designs was to take someone's ideas and make them reality. Goal to take creative identities inside people's minds and create them to work in the outside world

- Important lessons

Branding is about full scope of things (not one and done). Constant evolution that builds around an identity. Branding can grow into something big as long as it has a solid foundation that has a clear vision and mission.

-Visual communications role in social issues

Visual communication is the art of educating others. Design can become an easily sharable piece in order to educate others on topics on social media (why things are happening and why its important). Consistency shows that a brand cares

-Branding yourself 

Learn how to use social media to reach audience and impact others. Brands should come out and speak on current social issues so customers don't form their own opinion of what the brand stands for. 

-Strategies to take in order to avoid a negative impact on a brand

Foundation, it starts with having a mission statement and vision for your brand. When you communicate a strong creative identity it helps the audience to trust you. Also it is good to set expectations and have open communication with customers (using email list and social media pages)

-How to give back

Develop a community in order to give support to others. Meet others through social media and share work in order to receive feedback and a new perspective.

-Future of design industry

Design is foundation for every business and brand. With technology today more brands are communicating with the market in a digital space. We have to think about workflow, process and collaboration among other designers. We should also push for more inclusivity in the design community.

-Up and coming designers

Keep observing the world and using it as inspiration. Continue to challenge myself with new techniques and visuals. Learn to network.

Designers for Social Injustice

https://www.aiga.org/designers-and-social-justice

Where we draw the line as designers with clients. There is discrimination and racism that happens with companies who sell products that offend a wide range of people. Abercrombie and Fitch had t-shirts made with a racial stereotype of Asians. They believed the design was humorous and everyone would love them. Demonstrate an organizational structure of exclusion. We have a powerful voice as designers to visual speak against the injustice and discrimination.

Can a Design Museum Change the World?

https://designobserver.com/feature/can-a-design-museum-change-the-world/39633/

Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) champions the power of design to inspire change, transform lives and make the world a better place. Known as a forward-facing museum, faces the future rather than learning about the past. "Design is a future-facing act and it is an optimistic act because everything we create is going to live in the future" Debbie Millman. 

Luba Lukova, had an exhibition which spotlighted critical social justice issues that dominate our socially and politically polarized news cycle, including health care, women's rights, LGBT rights, immigration, gentrification and corporate corruption. Her gallery allows others voices to be heard on certain topics which is really interesting to me. 

Replacing Aunt Jemima is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

https://marker.medium.com/replacing-aunt-jemima-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-9616ba83b87b

Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben were removed from packaging due to their roots in racist stereotypes. Aunt Jemima brand is now known as Pearl Milling Company. Highlights business lacking a certain humanity. Corporate America seems unsure of how to try to symbolically imbue itself with humanity. A lot of companies want to avoid depicting people in a manner that reflects diversity. Minority trade characters were often chosen to reflect some stereotype that the white consumer would find disdainfully amusing. Coding system reflected sociocultural reality of the trade character logos it was designed to enumerate. Code captures personal characteristics, including race and gender, as perceived in American culture. 

Editorial Illustrations by Jim Cooke

https://theinspirationgrid.com/editorial-illustrations-by-jim-cooke/

Design for Good Webcast Series: Episode 5 (Racial Justice)

https://www.aiga.org/design-for-good-webcast-series-episode-five

Two designers and activists question the role designers play in this video. Think about Health+Safety+Welfare for architecture. Biggest issue of racism, is because someone used system of power to hold someone down. Spoke about African Americans being murdered in what people felt as their safe spaces.

What social justice issue are you most passionate about?

The social justice issue that I am passionate about is equality whether it be racial, gender or sexuality.  Everyone deserves the same rights, opportunities, healthcare, education and much more. Gender inequality is my focus currently, since Covid has really impacted women hard. With the shutdowns across the nation and children not being able to go to school a lot of women (mothers) have been forced to stay home to care and educate their children, which has set back our progress as a country to gender equality as they have to leave the workforce to care for family.  We were making progress closing the gender pay gap, but no where near where it is equal. Not only is it the issue of the gender pay gap but the opportunities are less for women versus men. Women are promoted less often than men and many women struggle to ask for a higher pay as it is viewed as being greedy or desperate. This separation of ideals between men and women must end.