the clip: design standpoint

I have an immense fascination on how society is impacted by the world around us. A large part of what we are effected by is from what we see - essentially, by design. As a designer, I want to gain an in-depth understanding of how design can influence a person physically and mentally, and how it has shaped and will shape our world. This idea cohesively joins with my keen interest in marketing and advertising which I hope to utilise my design skills in. 

I see advertising and design as a way of mind control - a certain object projects different emotions and ideas. This concept was thoroughly explored in Russian Constructivism where designers took a strong political standpoint which was communicated through their design (Reid, 2007). 

Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge,  El Lissitzky, 1919

The image to the right, by El Lissitzsky in 1919, strongly portrays political and military ideas, key components of the national identity of Russia. This is conveyed through the use of color and geographic shapes - the red wedge is literally penetrating the white giving a sense of power to the piece. In this, design is used to boost viewers national pride and omit strength in the nation. (Hartley, 2003)

I believe advertising today intellectually uses design to connect certain images with their products. Through advertising, we are fed ideas that a certain product will change our image or increase our happiness, sometimes not even knowing it. I think that this use of design has serious implications on our society leading to higher consumerism, materialism and lower self esteem. However, this is essentially why I want to study design - I want to be able to know exactly how I can market something to promote a specific image to a specific audience - manipulating and image to excrete certain thoughts and emotions. It is in this that I believe is the true essence of great design.

Reference List:

Hartley, J. (2003) A Short History of Cultural Studies. SAGE Publications Ltd, London.

Reid, S. E. (2007). Imagine no possessions: The Socialist Objects of Russian Constrictivism. Journal of design history, 20, 75. doi: 10.1093/jdh/epl043.