From the cover of the book is illustrated the provocative content. The author of the book, David B. Berman is a Canadian designer who is now actively working on efforts to spread the ethics of design with Icograda and the Society of Graphic Design of Canada, as well as several other professional organizations. 'Creative Brief' from this book are: disarming weapons of mass deception. The executive and director of marketing and advertising from major corporations may have been 'swelter' by reading this book. Starting from the soda industry such as Coca Cola, or industries that have been used to exploit the female body as a pull factor of attention in advertisements, and especially of course, the tobacco industry, all received sharp criticism from Berman.
The Book
Berman clearly compare how different the behavior of advertising in his country (and other countries of the 'civilized') compared with behavior advertising on third world countries. In Canada, the tobacco industry must not advertise in places that may be viewed by the children:
"... all tobacco advertising likely, to be viewed by children is illegal in Canada" (p. 15).While in Africa, tobacco ads are spread everywhere (as in Indonesia). Similarly, advertising ethics in developed countries, including Brazil, which prohibits public space 'hijacked' by the installation of billboards that denied freedom views held by citizens of the city. Some important things that have been summarized by Berman at the beginning of his book are (p. 2):
- Designers have far more power than they realize..
- The largest threat to humanity’s future just may the consumption of more than necessary
- The same design that fuels mass overconsumption also holds the power to repair the world.
- We can each leave a larger legacy by propagating our best ideas than by propagating our chromosomes
- So dont just do good design, do good.
A thing that is emphasized by Berman that the Designer is a set of professionals who have a tremendous ability to influence people to the right path, to a better life. Therefore Berman invites readers to pledge:
- 1. The time to commit is now
- 2. "I'll be honest in my profession"
- 3. "I will be honest to myself"
- 4. "I will set aside 10 percent of my professional time to help improve the world"
Promises to do good for the designer is actually a middle way in a fair and realistic. Berman, as well as First Things First Manifesto never asked designers to leave jobs that bring money. The problem is how the designers to be honest and critical in carrying out his creative work.
Foreword by Erik Spiekermann
Erik Spiekermann (a designer and a typographer famous) in his Foreword states that '.. we should be fully aware of what we do for whom we work, and how the job affects other people ... Design is a business and must live according to business rules ... "Further that there is still a glimmer of hope for the growth of awareness and responsibility, although it is in business or industrial world - a world where we don't feel like a part of it but also can't get out of it
Overall
This book is evocative, and will continue to disturb the mind to the things that seem small: replace disposable pen-waste that will only add to the high mountain of plastic waste - replace it with a permanent pen. Simple invitations that remind us that if we as designers want to create change through the works of design, then we need to turn into good at first, Do Good, before making good design work. "Be the change you Want to see in the world" (Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948)..
