So What Exactly Is Social Design!?

What is it? Who does it? What resources are out there? What is interesting?

What I know (or think) it is right now: design regarding social issues such as consumption, sustainability, affluenza, poverty, racism, government, religion, (the list goes on and on) that serves more of a purpose than just looking pretty -- design that reflects important global issues that can make a difference and/or make people view things differently. As it says in Do Good Design, designers have more power than they realize.

Here's some of what I've found on Social Design (so far)...

Socialdesignblog.org says Social Designers are committed to promoting design as a tool for social change, and who see in the design discipline a far broader role to play than that of a silent accomplice to market strategies, brand enhancement, consumption and the normalization of social and cultural values.

NY Times: Lenders Back Off of Environmental Risks (Published August 30, 2010)

The article from the New York Times (online) by Tom Zeller Jr. discusses the actions of lenders of projects that are NOT environmentally friendly; in this case: mountaintop removal mining. Several large commercial lenders, such as Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, and HSBC (based in London) , have limited or put a halt to financing projects and lending to companies engaged in mountaintop removal mining. This type of mining, which as become very common in the United States, as companies try to provide inexpensive electricity. Below the surface of appealing low electric prices, this type of mining involves blowing off mountaintops and disposing of the debris into streams and valleys below. Environmentally friendly? Take a lucky guess. Financing these projects puts lenders at risk for bad reputations -- many have environmental risk management divisions. U.S. banks and environmental advocates are now developing practices and voluntary standards toward the assessment of “carbon risks in the financing of electric power projects." However, although many banks no longer finance companies for these types of projects, there are still many banks who will take their business. I think this is definitely an important issue, as it has to do with the abuse of our environment. There are other ways to obtain electricity, and although mountaintop removal mining is cheaper for the consumer, in the long run, it definitely is not worth the environmental effects we could suffer from it later.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/business/energy-environment/31coal.html?ref=us

Social Design: Design Like You Give a Damn!

I'm really excited about taking Social Design this semester -- I definitely think that I will get a lot out of the class and be able to walk away from it with a lot of new found knowledge, creativity, and perspective on my surroundings and the world as a whole! I'm definitely (embarrassingly) not as aware of what is going on in the world around me, and am excited to gain a new understanding, awareness, and appreciation of different aspects that will be beneficial to my work in not only this class, but all of my classes! Here's to a great semester! :)