I don’t want to be a superman, like how the American dreams to be. I’m only a graphic designer, a small backup character in a show, and nothing else. But I do think that my small roles can make a small slow different. The process in designing poster, brochure, annual reports, website and many other things that I’m good at doing is significant to be considered as part of the team to save the planet. First, I don’t think this is a question to be answered, instead it is a question to be question, to think about, and to reflect on each of our roles as a human being living and sharing this weak and exhausted planet earth.
Yesterday, I had an opportunity to listen to Rick Poynor presentation in a day graphic design conference organised by AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Associations) in Sydney. Although, I had a chance to chat with him and enjoyed our chat, I don’t agree with some of what Rick discussed in his books (No More Rule, Obey, etc), but his presentation for me is food for thoughts, feeding my head space with lots of useful questions to think about. My experiences with his presentation is like when I was reading his book. The part that I like most is the way Rick address the question. This issues of questioning the graphic designer’s roles in saving the world is not a new fashion, or new thoughts, it’s been asked and discussed since the 70’s. A paper written by Victor Papanek in 1975 (Looking closer III) showed similar concerns from designers and have presented ways of practices for graphic designer to be able to help the process of saving the world.