Obama’s Address and State of the Nation - What can design do to help fulfill governments promise of change

Tomorrow night at 9pm EST, President Obama will address Congress on the State of the Nation.  In light of this event I thought it might be timely to consider the power of graphic design and it's potential role in helping redesign the face of America.

The policies of the last 8 years have been harsh on the American persona indeed.  This is not to state that the people of the US suddenly developed a conscience in the last few election months, as I believe the good people of America have always been some of the most generous, thoughtful and intelligent people in the world.  However, who would know?  The politics of the Bush Administration have certainly blackened our eyes in the portrait we've shown to the world. 

Design has always held amazing power to influence and empower organizations, people, products and services.  "Going Green" didn't get it's far reaching influence only due to Al Gore.  It was the designers, the advertisers and the marketing people who made "Green" a household word and a new standard for living responsibly on this earth.  It was these people who made the logos, the icons, the taglines and the initiatives that made "green" popular.

For Good or Evil:

So what can design do to reinvent the face of America?  On February 9, 2009, Richard Grefé, the executive director of AIGA, wrote and posted What can Design Do to Help Fulfill Government's Promise of Change. While Mr. Grefé's article is compelling and inspiring, as well as The AIGA recommendations for government support of design, the recommendations seem to be mainly focused upon domestic policy and demonstrating the clarity and accountability of an effective democracy.  While our domestic situation certainly needs attention, I believe there also needs to be steps made to improve and repair America's image in the world.   For me, the repair of our foreign policy and image was a big factor in this election. It is a factor as I move through my life as an American and as a designer... as an ambassador of my country via the visual document. America needs to do something to demonstrate its better intentions and it also needs to promote those intentions.  While I certainly support the AIGA in these first steps, I believe greater attention needs to be focused on healing those black eyes with which other nations see us.  Design can make this happen.  Design can reach across boarders and provide visual clues and solutions  to our most heartfelt ideals...and many of these ideals are good ones.  Responsible design is not just about saving paper and replacing light bulbs, and it's not about policy making.

I would like to address the idea of government support for design.  I do not necessarily feel the design world needs the support of the government in undertaking these tasks.  It is my opinion that government needs the support of the design world.  Actually... let me re-evaluate that.  Government and the design industry must partner for change to be made, promoted and demonstrated.  Each team member has a specific job.

Indeed the underpinnings of change, true change, are deep and profound as we begin this journey. We need all the help we can get and all the great minds available to us.  It is these amazing and talented designers who are able to provide fresh thinking and problem solving on a variety of issues free from politics. Change encompasses not only what we see here in America and how we see each other, but what needs to be demonstrated to our neighbors as well. 

Yes Mr. Grefé, please let's make change more than a campaign slogan!

The List of Ten Proposals (From Redesigning Americas Future):

1. Formalize an American Design Council to partner with the U.S. Government. 
2. Set guidelines for legibility, literacy, and accessibility for all government communications. 
3. Target  2030 for carbon neutral buildings. 
4. Create an Assistant Secretary for Design and Innovation position within the Department of Commerce to promote design.
5. Expand national grants to support interdisciplinary community design assistance programs based on human-centered design principles. 
6. Commission a report to measure and document design’s contribution to the U.S. economy.
7. Revive the Presidential Design Awards to be held every year and use triple bottom-line criteria (economic, social, and environmental benefit) for evaluation. 
8. Establish national grants for basic design research.
9. Modify the patent process to refl ect the types of intellectual property created by designers.
10. Encourage direct government investment in design innovation.

Download Redesigning Americas Future
U.S. National Design Policy Initiative
First things First Manifesto - Emigre Essays