Does graphic design really make a difference?
by Dyske Suematsu • February 9, 2006 [This article first appeared in Design in Flight Magazine, July 2005] It’s nice to think our work can change the world, but is that really the case? In my view, there is a fundamental misunderstanding in our society about what graphic design is. Here is an interesting observation by Ludwig Wittgenstein to illustrate this point: “Often, when I have had a picture well framed or have hung it in the right surroundings, I have caught myself feeling as proud as if I had painted it myself.” This is the most common pitfall of graphic designers. Since our work is often viewed by thousands or even millions of people, we become proud of our work as if the message was our own. Fooling ourselves to believe that we are greater than what we actually are, cheapens the value of graphic design. We would have a better chance of making a real contribution to the world if we did not have a delusion of grandeur about it. The real value of graphic design cannot be realize
