OUGD601: Evaluation- Theory & Practice

Through this research project into ethical practice within graphic design I have been able to focus my time on a particular area of interest that I haven't been able to engage with fully before. This has meant that I have learnt a lot about ethical theory but also about designing for a charity, especially through the practical element in the form of a live brief. I have been able to expand my knowledge of contemporary graphic design through primary research into studios but also interviewing them too which has been a wonderful experience. However it has also been an incredibly challenging experience as engaging with a life brief brings its own pressures of time restraints, the influence of what someone else wants to achieve from the project but also to try and combine these with the values of COP. 

Through completing the live brief I have been able to see how the research into ethical theory is relevant within my own contemporary design practice. This was shown through the live brief I completed with Lorna for Hogs Rest branding. Through this project I found that I involved my own interests outside of design for wildlife, and this therefore meant that the brief became for me a way of expressing my duty to protecting UK wildlife. 

I found that when discussing the project with other studios and with Lorna I gained a further understanding of what her charity set out to achieve and as such it became to represent the categorical imperative. This is because the project includes what I believe and this therefore links to the design as it encompasses my social views as a designer. 

From researching for the dissertation I analysed the First Things First Manifesto and this became interesting in comparison to the social contract as they both aim to create a better community. From a design perspective, this project includes this the design has a positive effect on the wildlife but also on the design community as I uploaded the work onto behance and it has become an addition to other samples of work for wildlife. 

As mentioned previously the project has a positive effect on others, this also shows to create utility throughout the project. As Lorna stated at the beginning of the project; ‘You’re helping me and this is helping you with your university studies’. This is incredibly important to remember that the project is helping Lorna raise money for the charity which in turn helps save the hedgehog population in the UK. It also creates utility for the audience and supporters of the charity as they can buy items with the branding on them and become part of the progress to a positive effect on the environment. But lastly it also has helped me in my research project to further understand what ethical practice is within contemporary graphic design. 

I have come to the conclusion that after completing this live brief and my dissertation, any graphic design brief can be ethical- it doesn't necessarily have to be for a charitable cause. The main aim of a brief to be ethical is that it creates utility and a positive effect on the designer and the people within the design community and beyond that, the target audience and the general public. Ethics is an incredibly complex topic of study and one in which cannot be fully resolved, however this research project has allowed it to become part of my practice and something which I may continue to explore in future projects. However what I have found is that it is entirely up to the individual designer to decide what is worthwhile for themselves or as a studio to create a manifesto of their own beliefs.