Design Politics: Should Design Be Regulated?
What is design politics?
The term was first coined in 1968 by Victor Papanek, an Austrian-born designer and educator. Amid a time of design activism, he later elaborated in his 1971 book Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change.
“You are responsible for what you put into the world. And you are responsible for the effect those things have upon the world.”
— Victor Papanek
Papanek emphasized that industrial design has the capability to cause hazardous environments, harm and fatality to the earth and its inhabitants. He argued that designing unsafe vehicles have the ability to kill- and poorly designed processes can pollute the air we breathe. Social justice, sustainability and inclusion were the main themes of Papanek’s influence that fueled an era of activism against consumer capitalism.
At its core, design politics refers to the social and ecological responsibility our designs have on the physical world.
Now how is this relevant today?
Similar themes have surfaced in recent times- Dieter Rams’ 2014 Less but Better, Ruben Pater’s book The Politics of Design in 2018 and Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro in 2019. Although these books explore different directions, the themes ring true to Papanek’s movement that designers are ultimately responsible for what we bring to the world.
As long as we are still designing, design politics are as relevant as ever today.
The way we design systems, products, softwares (and virtually anything we put out into the world) all have the ability to horribly affect matters like climate change, social unrest, racial divides and discrimination against LGBTQ communities. Yes, that’s a stretch, but in reality it’s true and we should be aware of the capabilities our designs have and the instances of edge cases where things can go wrong.
Responsibility of being a designer
It seems that every other industry that is capable of causing harm is regulated- there is a set of guidelines, regulations, laws or a code of ethics to ensure safety and to eliminate the possibility of abuse. Airlines follow the Federal Aviation Administration, doctors must swear to the Hippocratic oath and architects stick to the American Institute of Architects.
When it comes to web design, systems exist such as: the Human Interface Guidelines, Material Design, Accessible design, Universal design and more, but none of these are actually regulated. There are no consequences for a website that has unreadable text so that it’s impossible to navigate, nor is it illegal, and you won’t be fined for it. You’re still allowed to have a website even if it’s a terrible user experience. (Please use design systems and follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
Do adopting design politics limit creativity?
The argument against regulating design is often supported by the view that creativity can be capped if it is. People often confuse design for art, that it should live in a space that explores the depths of creativity.
The truth is that design and art are not equal to each other.
“Design is something that you are creating with a specific intention in mind, whereas art is a free-form thought.”
— Tim Nolan
Utilizing design thinking requires a lot of creativity in the sense of discovering underlying problems and being able to provide solutions that are feasible. Design should always be created with a specific intention in mind, aestheticism should not be the main goal.
Ok, so how can we design in a “politically” correct way?
Although official design rules have yet to exist, great minds in the industry have created their own versions of a design code throughout the years. They exist because design systems simply aren’t enough- design systems don’t address political design.
German industrial designer Dieter Rams’ produced “The 10 Principles of Design” which is his manifesto or philosophy for design.
The 10 Principles of Design:
Good design is innovative.
Good design makes a product useful.
Good design is aesthetic.
Good design makes a product understandable.
Good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is honest.
Good design is long-lasting.
Good design is thorough down to the last detail.
Good design is environmentally friendly.
Good design is as little design as possible.
On the other hand, Mike Monteiro author of Ruined by Design has written a code of ethics for designers. He encourages all types of designers to follow this code, and to treat it as a living document since all codes evolve over time.
A Designer’s Code of Ethics:
A designer is first and foremost a human being.
A designer is responsible for the work they put into the world
A designer values impact over form
A designer owes the people who hire them not just their labor, but their counsel.
A designer welcomes criticism.
A designer strives to know their audience.
A designer does not believe in edge cases.
A designer is part of a professional community.
A designer welcomes a diverse and competitive field.
A designer takes time for self-reflection.
Conclusion
Although there isn’t a definitive solution to controlling the way we design in such a way that is regulated, we should focus on designing as ethically as possible. As designers, our work has the ability to directly affect people. We must realize that our good intentions don’t matter if our designs prove otherwise.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead