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Cover Letter

Kenna Cupp

For this paper I was asked to connect my discipline with the environment; therefore, I

choose to write about how graphic design can effect the environment and promote change. In this

letter, I will evaluate the process and development of my paper. What I enjoyed most about this

research was finding specific examples of images created my graphic designers that were

successful in promoting positive environmental change. Surprisingly enough, I used very few of

the journal entries, for I used the articles and links I had found to find even better information.

As I worked on the revision, I really focused on proofreading and developing my argument;

specifically I looked to expand my sources to books, academic databases, and journals as

apposed to websites and short articles. I also moved to speak in third person as apposed to first. I

choose to insert images that corresponded with the information I inserted in my paper,

specifically when I gave examples of successful designs, as explained above. I also worked to

create a stronger concluding paragraph, as well as editing the organization and flow of the paper.

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Graphic Design and the Environment

Introduction

For years graphic designers have been involved in the creative process between client and

designer in order to create a final product that will convey certain messages to target audiences.

Successful designs have had the power to influence viewers in numerous different ways; one

issue graphic design can be influential in is the environment, which is important considering the

depletion of resources, extinction of animals, and other similar tragedies that risk the future of

the natural world. However, can graphic design promote positive reform for environmental

issues like wind power, global warming, or animal extinction? In the following essay, this

question will be evaluated by examining on how graphic images have worked to make change in

historical and political settings, evaluating how design has affected todays culture, as well as

looking at organizations and designers who work specifically to improve environmental issues.

Graphic Design’s Historical and Political Effects

To start, lets look at how graphic design has

been used to elicit change in our world over the

decades. According to a journal by Victor Margolin,

since American colonies were founded “visual images

have played a role in the nations political process,

particularity by their “representation of impulses for change.” Margolin’s journal goes on to

describe how graphic design has had effects on politics and history. One example of this was

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when Benjamin Franklin used a political cartoon of a fragmented snake to convey the need for

the colonies to unite and resist British control. By simplifying his point using a single image,

Franklin made a lasing point to many readers. Many other images were used to portray political

events to the masses, boosting magazine and newspaper sales, as well as increasing the political

knowledge of the masses. Not surprisingly they also fueled many of todays political stereotypes,

like politicians being corrupt and power hungry. Propaganda designs during the Second World

War help enforce the association between militant symbols of fists and aggressive gestures with

power, in this case to secure rights or end discrimination. According to Margolin, as time went

on, these designs moved away from the realm of stereotypes and became more conceptual, which

corresponds with an increased independent political attitude.

According to Margolin, in the 1950’s images became more visually stimulating to gain

the publics attention by increasing emotional responses. This aspect was proof of how

overloaded people had become to stimuli, for they needed more and more shock value as time

proceeded. Shock and controversy became the new norm. Typography and symbols were used to

help increase awareness and acknowledgement. During the 60’s, minority groups were given a

voice via political posters, leading political issues to no longer be “represented in overarching

ideological terms” (Margolin). Overall, graphic design helped multiple groups develop their

identity, while gain support for their causes and movements.

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Another example of graphic design being used in historical and political context to

promote change was during WWI and WWII! According to an article by Lloyd Alter, during the

First World War Americans were prompted to create

“Victory Gardens” in order to grow surplus food and then

preserve it via canning food at home. Posters were seen

everywhere in order to persuade people to join the cause to

help feed the soldiers.

According to an article by Lloyd Alter for

Treehugger.com, after WWII activists tried to bring attention

to the issue of food waste. “Well over 40% of food in North

America is wasted. Worldwide, almost a third of all food is

lost to poor harvesting, lousy distribution, poor storage and ridiculous portion sizes. And it isn't

just the food wasted, it's also the water, fertilizer and fuel” (Alter). Even though the campaign

wasn’t very successful in the U.S., according to the same article “Love Food Hate Waste”, a

major public-awareness campaign launched in the United Kingdom, has been extremely

successful. Household food waste has dropped 18 percent in the five years that the campaign has

run.” They also set in guidelines on the meaning of dates on food products in order to better

indicate when the food is or is not safe to eat, thus lowering food waste even more. Still, in the

U.S only 10% of food surplus is recovered, leaving more work for the graphic design community

yet!

Design and Today’s Culture

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How can design affect the world we live in today, and what is it that makes those designs

successful? Well, many elements need to be considered. For example, typeface can make a huge

difference. According to an article by GBD-Business Tips for Designers, in 2004 the Federal

Highway administrations changed the typeface from Highway Gothic to Clearview due to

evidence that it increased legibility and reaction time. The distance at which a person could read

a sign increases 18%, an extra 80 feet when driving at 45mph! The use of upper and lower case

lettering as opposed to all capital lettering increased recognition by 14% for elderly drivers at

night. Graphic designers solve many problems like these including keeping designs up to date in

order to appeal to more viewers, reducing clutter to make it easier to read or understand,

updating maps to make them

easier to facilitate travel,

facilitating brand equity and

boost sales, provide meaningful

and interesting images, and

much more. But how can

designers use these elements to make a green change? Well, they could reduce packaging

options, use recycled papers, use inks with the least metal content, and avoid plastics and

coatings. Websites like ecospotting.com are available for designers to submit green ideas and

gain recognition for themselves and their green clients. Ideas like Cho Hye-Seung’s yogurt lid

that doubles as a spoon significantly reduced packaging waste. Glass Tap Water Bottles that are

printed with reasons why drinking tap water is better than using a single plastic bottle helped to

lower plastic bottle waste.

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The Consumer and The Company

Many companies have taken a stance on environmental issues as well as other issues of

corporate, social, and ethical responsibility; however, when it comes to green attributes, some

brands fail to be multi-dimensional enough to satisfy most consumers. According to a journal by

Richard Clayton, “Marketing on the basis of telling shoppers what they ought to buy, rather than

giving them what they want, is also a turn-off. But this is the strategy Green products have

classically pursued.” Whether they mean to or not, companies that choose to go green tend to

communicate a sense of superiority due to their environmental and ethical attributes; however,

these qualities don’t supersede others when consumers make purchasing decisions, though they

can be apart of that decision. Consumers need to connect a brand to their everyday lives in a way

that appeals best to their wants, needs, and desires. Just because a product is charitable or ethical

does not mean it possesses the highest quality. Companies need to be aware of this when making

brands so the product properly conveys its use to the consumer first and to the environment

second. According to Clayton, “Green is a difficult communication to get right because to most

consumers it's a component part of the message they want to hear, and not the message itself.” A

product being green does not mean it will fulfill the promises to the consumer to work

effectively. People don’t need ethical issues like the environment to be overly apparent, if they

believe a company is ethical, clean, and decent, they will choose that brand. While green

awareness is important, sometimes a little goes a long way.

Graphic Design and Today’s Environment

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Now, what about organizations working towards environmental modification? Well, to

start, a Korean group called Slowalk is using their graphic design skills for good use. In recent

years, according to an article by Jennifer Hattam, “dam construction in Korea has already helped

drive the spoon-billed sandpiper toward extinction by destroying key habitat in the Saemangeum

wetlands,” and a recent government project to dam four more rivers is expected to do the same

damage. The group has created posters detailing “stylized images” of risk animals in accordance

with the Korea Federation for Environmental Movement in order to fight the ongoing

government projects to dam these major rivers.

In Japan, two groups, Designboom and Design Association, have teamed up to create

“Love your Earth,” a worldwide competition used to raise awareness about global environmental

issues. According to an article by Collin Dunn, “Throughout

history graphic design has proved itself as one of the best

means to instigate a change in society and communicate the

urgency of action. We are looking for graphic artworks that

will raise awareness of the environmental issues affecting our

delicate planet. Your graphic design should provoke a

positive change in the many things that are compromising our biosphere.” Also, a group called

Design Can Change works to seek change on the issue of global warming. The group is aware

that the public is starting to recognize the power of good design and demanding it in their

products, entertainment experiences, and other facets of their lives. DCC believes they can

encourage sustainable change by effectively communicating and building interest to end global

warming. Designers connect companies with customers and can influence them by steering them

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towards green suppliers, printers, and much more. They even

connect designers with groups like AIGA, which has a chapter here

at ASU!

While graphic design has made improvements in many

different fields, including the environment, green design has still not

reached its full potential, for it is still a work in progress. According

to Brian Dougherty’s book Green Graphic Design, graphic designers

are faced with challenges everyday; in fact “finding ways to improve

the past” is a major part of their job. Still, green design is harder than non-green design due to

the variety of new and unexplored options it presents, as well as the possibility for failure.

Sustainability will transform our future and every field in it by increasing the value of brands,

corporate responsibility, and more. We are living beyond our means, and our “ecological

footprint” grows larger everyday. Most people are aware of this, but to make a change is

difficult. In terms of graphic design, designers will have to work hard and do their research to

find environmentally friendly materials that meet the budget and the requirements of their

customers.

According to Dougherty, the cost and value of green solutions matters, and designers will

have to be innovative to make an effect on the public whether it is by “changing user experience,

increasing response rates, reducing waste, or saving the client money.” Dougherty also points out

that designers must look to be effective, not efficient, because efficiency is not socially of\r

ecologically sustainable. Overall, designers need to look past the roadblocks and find a way to

relate business strategy and marketing plans to materials, manufacturing, and distribution in a

way that will please their customers and the environment. There are many ways to do that;

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Dougherty says designers have to consider a designs waste and reusability, its value to the

consumer, the most effective ways to distribute and package, the demand on how much needs to

be printed or made, the elimination of waste when trimming or creating the piece, and the

materials like recycled paper, inks with less hazardous chemicals, using biopolymer plastics, and

more. If designers can find ways to meet the needs of the business world and the environmental

word throughout all these steps, real change will follow. If the target audience can be studied and

impacted by a designers work, then they too will support the fight to a greener world.

Conclusion

What is it about design that is so powerful? According to the book Green Graphic Design

by Brian Dougherty, that question can be answered by comparing design to an avocado, and then

using that comparison to make green choices. First comes the materials, or the skin, which

according to Dougherty “designers may research things such as recycled and tree-free papers, or

try to find nontoxic inks, or devise folds and structures that result in less waste”. Next, the

message, or the fruit, is important because, as designers, the causes we promote can have major

impacts. Designers can help companies build strong brands that are also environmentally

friendly. Lastly, the change, or the core, is most important because it is about actually effecting

change. It’s about being a force for positive change and seeing it through.

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Works Cited

Alter, Lloyd. “11 Great Posters from When We Used to Care About Wasting Food.”

Treehugger. N.p., 11 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/green-food/its-time-do-something-about-food-

waste/page/6/.>.

This website is more of a popular source rather than a scholarly one; however, it is

backed by widely supported sources like The Discovery Channel, therefore it is

considered reliable. The information presented by this source was very useful in

developing this papers argument.

---. “13 Great Posters on Preserving Food, When It Was Life or Death.” Treehugger. N.p., 26

Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/green-food/can-all-you-can-13-

great-posters-when-preserving-was-matter-life-and-death/.>.

This website is more of a popular source rather than a scholarly one; however, it is

backed by widely supported sources like The Discovery Channel, therefore it is

considered reliable. The information presented by this source was very useful in

developing this papers argument.

Clayton, Richard. “Friend to the Environment.” Design Week 17.35 (2002): Design

and Applied Arts Index (DAAI). Web. 29 Oct. 2012.

This journal is considered scholarly and academic; it was very effective in developing

this argument.

Creative Shake. “Green Design – How Graphic Designers Can Lead the Change.”

Creative Shake. N.p., 3 Nov. 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

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<http://www.creativeshake.com/pages/resources/artist_resources/green_d

esign_how_graphic_designers_can_lead_the_change.html.>.

This is a popular source used to advise designers on how to create effective portfolios.

While the information was valid and useful, it was not as effective as other sources at

developing an argument.

DCC. “Design Can Change :: Graphic Designers Unite to Address Climate Change.”

Design Can Change :: Graphic Designers Unite to Address Climate Change. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.designcanchange.org/>.

DDC is a well known popular source with is associated with highly accredited

organizations like AIGA; therefore, the information was highly useful and valid.

Dougherty, Brian. Green Graphic Design. New York, NY: Allworth, 2008. Print.

This scholarly source is a well-respected book meant to guide designers in on how to stay

relevant on one of the most significant issues in design today. It was immensely helpful.

Dunn, Collin. “Love Your Earth: Sustainable Design Competition from Designboom.”

Treehugger. N.p., 25 June 2007. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.treehugger.com/culture/love-your-earth-sustainable-design-

competition-from-designboom.html.>.

This website is more of a popular source rather than a scholarly one; however, it is

backed by widely supported sources like The Discovery Channel, therefore it is

considered reliable. The information presented by this source was very useful in

developing this paper’s argument.

Hattam, Jennifer. “Designing Their Way Out of a Dam Mess.” Treehugger. N.p., 11 July

2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-

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responsibility/designing-their-way-out-of-a-dam-mess.html.>.

This website is more of a popular source rather than a scholarly one; however, it is

backed by widely supported sources like The Discovery Channel, therefore it is

considered reliable. The information presented by this source was very useful in

developing this papers argument.

Lee, Preston D. “How Graphic Design Can Solve Problems and save Lives.” Freelance

Design Blog-Graphic Design Blender. N.p., 14 Oct. 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.graphicdesignblender.com/graphic-design-solves-problems-

saves-lives.>.

This source is a popular blog source; while the information was useful, it lacks the same

level of reliability as other sources, although it is valid.

Margolin, Victor. “Rebellion, Reform and Revolution: American Graphic Design for

Social Change.” Design Issues 5.1 (1988): 59-70. Design and Applied Arts Index

(DAAI). Web. 31 Oct. 2012.

This source is considered a scholarly and academic journal. I was most helpful

in developing an argument for historical and political context.

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