Wiktoria Miszczuk, 20023942 BA Graphic and Media Design Question: As a designer/creative artist, is your practice political? As a designer and creative artist, I believe that my practice is inherently political. The design choices I make have the potential to shape and influence people's perceptions, whether it's through a visual identity, a website, or social media content. This power and responsibility is something I take seriously, and I strive to use my skills to create positive change and challenge harmful norms and stereotypes. During my time as an intern, I gained first-hand experience in political design. While the company I worked for was not explicitly political, I quickly realized that my work as a designer had political implications. The content we created and shared on social media had the potential to influence how people perceived the company, and by extension, the industry as a whole. This made me acutely aware of the importance of being mindful and intentional in my design choices. One of the most significant ways in which my internship allowed me to experience political design was through the use of language. As a financial services company, it was important for the content we shared on social media to be accurate and professional. However, I also realized that the language we used had the potential to reinforce harmful stereotypes or to promote diversity and inclusion. For example, when creating posts about our services, I made sure to use gender-neutral language and avoid using language that could be perceived as exclusionary or discriminatory. This may seem like a small detail, but I believe that it can have a significant impact on how people perceive the company and its values. As a digital creator, I believe that designers should not be impartial and objective. In fact, I believe that designers should be critical and opinionated. The design has the power to shape culture and society, and designers have a responsibility to use their skills to create positive change. This means being willing to challenge the status quo and advocate for marginalized communities. Designers should not be afraid to take a stand and use their work as a means of expressing their values and beliefs. In terms of cultural and professional references, I would like to point to the work of Barbara Kruger and Ai Weiwei. Barbara Kruger is a conceptual artist who uses text and imagery to challenge stereotypes and societal norms. Her work often features bold statements and questions that challenge the viewer's assumptions and beliefs. Similarly, Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist and activist who uses his work to highlight social and political issues in China. His work often includes installations, sculptures, and photographs that address issues such as government censorship and human rights violations. Both Kruger and Ai Weiwei are examples of designers who use their work as a means of expressing their political beliefs and challenging harmful norms. In conclusion, I believe that design is inherently political and that designers have a responsibility to use their work to effect positive change. My internship allowed me to experience political design first-hand, and I believe that designers should be critical and opinionated in their work. While there are certainly examples of designers who take a more impartial and objective approach, I believe that designers have a responsibility to use their work as a means of expressing their values and beliefs and creating positive change in society. Bibliography
Petit, Z. (2022) How Magazine Covers Became the Political Posters of Our Times -Four Leading Art Directors Discuss. Eye on Design. Available at: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/how-magazine-covers-became-political-posters-four-leading-art-directors-discuss/ (Accessed: 27 April 2023) Piejko, J. (2022) Your body is a battleground: The work of Barbara Kruger is more poignant than ever. Art Basel. Available at: https://www.artbasel.com/stories/barbara-kruger-your-body-is-a-battleground?lang=en (Accessed: 27 April 2023) Beam, Ch. (2015) Beyond Ai Weiwei: How China’s Artists Handle Politics (or avoid them). The New Yorker. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/ai-weiwei-problem-political-art-china (Accessed: 27 April 2023) The Different Level (2021) How art and Politics Influence and Shape Each Other. The Different Level. Available at: https://different-level.com/how-art-and-politics-influence-and-shape-each-other/ (Accessed: 27 April 2023)
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