"To see graphic design as a form of social production rather than as individual acts of creativity means recognizing that it is subject to the same economic and ideological forces that shape other forms of human social activity. It means that in order to understand the nature of our activity and to think about its possibilities, we must be able to locate it within a historical context that relates it to economic and political forces. This is (strangely) problematic, as Anne Burdick rightly states (Eye, Vol. 3, No. 9), because "it is considered outside our role to analyze the content of our work in relation to politics, theory, economics, morals, and so on." But if the present debate is about creating a body of work that is meaningful to people in general, that plays a part in the development of a stimulating visual culture, then it must involve understanding how our culture functions, how it is shaped, and how it shapes our perceptions of ourselves. It means addressing people's need for a culture in which they can participate actively, for which they can help shape the agenda. It will inevitably involve an analysis of what prevents us from building such a culture."
"The manifesto's concern with purpose and social function should not be confused with a moralizing preoccupation with "politically correct" subject matter. It should not be interpreted as a determinist concern with "the message," though it does not exclude a commitment to direct (or indirect) political expression. Devotees of the new wave may well demonstrate little interest in the "message as content" approach, perhaps justifiably, when one considers the unbelievably inane work of "cultural ground-breakers" such as Oliviero Toscani and his sponsors, Benetton."
"The major artistic movements of this century--the futurists, constructivists, dadaists, surrealists--all had a theory of society that guided their explorations. The exploration of the formal structure of language--its signs, symbols, and how these construct and carry meaning--should be the staple diet of designers. Language is a means through which we express our consciousness of ourselves and our relationship to the world; it is our attempts to describe our situation and to think about the future that lead us to search for appropriate vocabularies. Language changes when it is no longer able to express what its users require of it, so unless it is to be of academic interest only, an exploration of language must also take into account the changing consciousness of human beings. It is difficult to comprehend the point of exploring form if it is not related to contemporary problems of vocabulary and the search for meaning. The study of visual form and language is limited if it does not consider the forces of cultural production, which involve a set of social relations between producer and audience."
"Graphic design has a part to play in creating a visual culture that empowers and enlightens, that makes ideas and information accessible and memorable. Many designers may argue that their job is not politics, and they would be right. But this does not prevent us from developing ideas about cultural democracy. We cannot separate our work from the social context in which it is received and from the purpose it serves. If we care about the integrity of our design decisions, we should be concerned that the relations implicit in our communications extend active participation in our culture. If what we are looking for is meaning and significance, then the first step is to ask who controls the work and whose ends does it serve."
source: http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature.php?id=42&fid=53
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