OUGD501 Lecture Ethics-What is Good?

Ethics- What is good ? First things first By Ken Garland 1964 A manifesto signed by quite famous designers, advertisers etc of the time produced in a boom time, the boom of consumerism, post time affluence All the designers felt frustrated that creative talents were wasting there talents on marketing pointless trivial commodities, like cat food, detergent, hair restorer, aftershave etc. Call for designers to do something more with there talent rather then flog dog biscuits. A celebration of the designer, but also a sigh at the waste of talent Unethical to waste talent in pointless endeavours to make money for other people. 80's was forgotten First things first manifesto 2000, by Adbusters 2000 redraft the tone changes, gone from crying about wasting talent to becoming more aggressive criticising the advertising system

' We the undersigned. are graphic designers, art directors and vis com who have been raised in a world in which the techniques and apparatus of advertising have persistently been presented to us as the most lucrative effective and desirable use of our talents. Many design teachers and mentors promote belief; the market rewards it; a tide of books and publications reinforces it.'

'encourages in this direction, designers then apply their skill and imagination to sell dog biscuits designer coffee, diamonds,etc. Commercial work has always paid the bills, but many graphic designers have now let it become in large measure what graphic designers have no let become in large measure what graphic designers do. This in then is how the wold perceives design. The professions time and energy is used up manufacturing demand for thins that are inessential at best.' Making people buy things and want things that they can't afford. Roping you all in in being in a system of global exploitation

'Many of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this view of design. Designers who devote their efforts primarily to advertising, marketing and brand development are supporting and implicit.'

There are pursuits more worthy of out problem solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention. Many cultural interventions social marketing campaigns books mags exhibitions educational tools TV programmes film charitable causes and other info design projects urgently require our expertise and help'

We propose a reversal of priorities in favour of more useful lasting and democratic forms of communication- a mind shift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning. The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested it must be challenge by other prospectives expressed in part through visual language and resources of design. Adbusters and culture jamming

In 1964 22 vis com signed the original call for our skills to be put to worthwhile use. With the explosive growth of global commercial culture, their message has only grown more urgent. Today we renew their manifesto in expectation that no more decades will pass before it is taken to heart.

Ken Garland, Kalle Lasn, Rick Poyner

Very easy to look down your nose at everyone and have ethics when you don't need to worry about getting work and earning money to live. So it was very easy for these designers to sign the manifesto as they are very wealthy designers.

Putting all the problems on new designers by saying they are unethical is unfair. Primark being exposed to employing sweat shop labourers, symbolic minor protests by saying you won't shop there. What is unethical is the system. Exploiting advertising with capitalism

To be an ethical designer is to do more with your talents then to just do your job. Do more.

"a meme (rhymes with dream) is a unit of info (a catchphrase, a concept, a tune a belief) that leaps from brain to brain to brain. Memes compete with one another for replication and are passed down through a population much the say way genes pass through a species. Potent memes ca change minds lather behaviours catalyse collective mind shifts, and transform cultures. Which is why meme warfare has become the geopolitical battle of our info age. Whoever has the memes has the power" Adbusters and Kalle Lasn

Victor Papanek 'Most things are designed not for the needs of the people but for the needs of manufacturers to sell to people' (Papanek, 1983:46) 'Why the things you buy are expensive badly designer unsafe and usually don't work. With some startling practical alternatives like a radio that costs 9c a s7 refrigerator a TV set for 8 dollars and much more! design for the real world Human ecology and social change with an intro whats people to use there skills more usefully Papanek Beer Can Automobile Can Bumper, 1971 talents are being waster, people are ignoring design solutions because of cost

How do we determine what is good ? there is a way of working in a capitalist society that is ethical and un ethical

Ethical Theories

Subjective relativism -There are no universal moral norms of right and wrong -All persons decide right and wrong for themselves Results in social anarchy fabric of society breaks down, a variant of what everyone thinks at some point or other

Cultural Relativism -The ethical theory that whats right or wrong depends on place and or time

Divine Command Theory -Good actions are aligned with the will of God -Bad actions are contrary to the will of God -The holy book helps make the decisions

Kantiansims -Imanuel Kant 1724-1804 a german philosopher -Peoples wills should be based on moral rules -Therefore is important that our actions are based on appropriate morel rules -To determine when a moral rule is appropriate Kant proposed two Categorical imperatives

Two formulations of the categorical imperative -Act only from moral rules that you can at the same time universalise. -If you act on a moral rule that would cause problems if everyone followed it then your action are not moral

-Act so that you always treat both yourself and other people as ends in themselves and never only as a means to an end. -If you use people for your one benefit that is not moral

Utilitarianism's (John Stuart Mill) Principle of Utility Also known as greatest happiness principle An action is right to the extent that is increases the goal happiness of the affected parties An action is wrong to the extent that it decreases the total happiness of the affected parties Happiness may have many definitions such as advantage benefit good or pleasure

Rules are based on the principle of utility a rule is right to the extent that it increases the total happiness of the effected parties the greets happiness principle is applied to moral rules Similar to Kantianism- both pertain rules but Kantianism uses the categorical imperative to decide which rules to follow.

Social cultural theory Thomas Hobbes 1603-1679 and Jean Jacques Rousseau 1712-1778 An agreement between individuals held together by common interest Avoids society degenerating into the state of nature or the war of all against all (hobbes)

"Morality consistes in the set of rules, governing how people are to treat one anthers, that rational people will agree to accept for their mutual benefit on the condition that others follow those rules as well" We trade some of out liberty for a stable society.

Toolbox of moral/ Ethical Theories Whether presented with problems that are easy or difficult to solve, the four workable ethical theories,

Criteria for a workable ethical theory Moral decisions and rules Based on logical reasoning Come from facts and commonly held or shared values Culturally neutral Social and Ecologically Responsible design

Radio receiver designed for the third world. It is made of used juice can and uses paraffin wax and a wick as a power source. The rising heat is converted into enough energy to power this non-selective receiver. Once the wax is gone, it can be replaced by more wax paper dried cow dung, or anything else that will burn. Manufacturing costs on a cartage industry basis 9 cents designed by victor Papinek and George Seeger at North Carolina

Social Tithe Model for an ethical practise designers should do whatever jobs they want to make money etc but then devote ten percent a day to design for worthwhile and ethical courses.

74% OF OUR POPULATION OWN 84% OF OUR WEALTH The assets of the worlds top three billionaire are greater than those of poorest 600 million on the planet More then a third of the worlds population 2.8 billion live on less than one dollar a day in 2002 34.5 million americans lived below the official poverty line 8.5 million of those had jobs Black american poverty double what of whites Per capita income in sub saharan africa =$490 Per capita subsidy for european cows =$913