How to design without deception
BY CHUCK GREEN Do we have any responsibility for the messages we help to communicate? Everyone has run into a prospective client that wants to sell fantasy to people who are living in fact. The truth be told, many of us use the fantasy approach ourselves—I am the first to admit it. But is it possible to design without deception? You bet it is—here’s how:
1. Work exclusively with the truth.
More than ever, it seems, we live in two distinct worlds—fantasy and fact. In fantasy world smoking is cool. In fact world smoking is a first class addiction. In fantasy world, skinny people eat triple cheeseburgers. In fact world huge numbers of folks struggle with obesity. In fantasy world, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” while in fact world, last time I checked, there are consequences for our every action.
The truth is, in fact world, deception is never a valid marketing strategy—it is at minimum unethical and at the extreme, criminal. The problem isn’t with the presentation, it’s with the delivery. You can attract a customer with fantasy but you can only deliver fact. If there isn’t a match, you are guaranteed to disappoint the customer. And that, in the long run, does a disservice to both the customer and the client.
2. Don’t help to advance ideas and products you don’t believe in.
The question I ask myself at the outset of every job is this: “Should I use my talents to promote this idea, product, or service?” If the answer is no, I’ve got to decline the project. I don’t mean that we must actively endorse every product or service we help to promote. I mean that we need to make a conscious decision to draw the line between the stuff that makes the world a better place and the stuff that clearly doesn’t.
In an earlier post (here) I advanced the proposition that commercial graphic design is not self-expression. Now I pose that even though we shouldn’t leave our fingerprints on the communications we create for our clients, we must accept some level of responsibility for them. Yes, even though a good and ethical designer is often tempted by a plum project or an easy paycheck, they must apply their own moral code and persevere.
3. Don’t be like me.
“Get real,” you say, “People don’t really believe everything we show and say.” “Consumers are smart; they understand that advertising and marketing is cloaked in fantasy.” “This is a free country; grownups are free to make their own decisions and mistakes.” See how easily I list rattle off those excuses? It comes from experience. I find it excruciatingly difficult to avoid fantasy. But it is possible. It can even become one of a designer’s unique selling propositions.
“Isn’t this obvious?” Evidently not.
Daily, I see and hear people make claims about products, services, and ideas that are unadulterated fantasy. They exploit ignorance, play on confusion, create unnecessary complexity, and use misdirection to deceive people long enough to get them to part with their money or to manipulate their thinking. If we want to improve the perception of our craft, if we want to be thought of as something other than “hired guns,” we’ve got to improve our practices and demonstrate that doing so is the key to the only profits worth having.
I welcome your thoughts. To comment, click “Contact Chuck” button.
Conversation about this article
“This was a very welcome read, as I've lately been struggling with setting stricter boundaries to what I do and don't agree to produce. My main area of work is web design and programming and recently we've been asked to do a number of different projects which I've turned down. And invariably this makes people frustrated, both potential clients and co-workers, because it impacts on their work too and it naturally means that my value judgment objects to the work they do or products they sell.”
“In my case, this has most recently had to do with e-commerce. Being a long-time strict vegetarian (vegan), I always found it saddening when I start working on a shopping system and I start to consider that the client is selling products which I strongly object to (be they leather, fur, or other animal-based products). I've come to realize though, that of course no one is forcing me to do these sites and if I can't judge what projects I can morally accept to work on, how can I expect others to act differently?”
“There are many grey areas in terms of ethics when it comes to work one does on a day-to-day level. At the end of the day, our daily lives are filled with ethical decision making (large and small)—life is political and there is always an ethical dimension to everything we do. It's likely that we'll always slip here or there, so the more reason to be considerate and thoughtful when it comes to those moments when we do have the option to influence the situation.” Karl
Absolutely Karl, we can have a profound impact by simply turning down a job. Chuck
“...Srini Kumar is a very intelligent cat. He once said "Don't sell your soul to feed your belly" and I try to keep that with me in everything I do.” Mollie C.
“I applaud your stance on this theory. Unfortunately, reality has historically made that decision very difficult for both experienced and novice job seekers. It is a tough job market out there and there is a lot of competition for graphic design jobs. In the case of eating or standing by ones' beliefs, eating is probably going to win out.” Deborah R.
I hear you Deborah, but at the edge of this issue, we need more folks who are unwilling to compromise. If we lend our talents and expertise to flagrant deception and manipulation we are equally responsible for the outcome. Chuck
“...I believe what you are referring to in your article falls in line with my own thoughts about 'cognitive dissonance'—the sense of guilt you have when continuing to do something that you know is inherently wrong or generally at odds with your own beliefs. I think people often self-rationalize the reasons why they do something they know isn’t right or they simply block out the potential consequences.”
“When it comes to marketing and advertising, I believe 'the ends justifies the means' mentality is very dangerous because you are not involved in a private endeavor—you’re creating something to be distributed in mass quantities with the explicit purpose of reaching as many people as possible with your message. For myself, working in the realm of non-profit health care services often lends the sense of false security that the promotion of our services is always 'for the greater good', but I think you’re exactly right that no one can afford to wear blinders as an artist, designer or marketer.”
“The question I would like to pose is how do the media companies who continue to promote cigarettes and smoking advertising justify those ends to their employees? To their other clients? To their families? To their kids? Is it the safety in numbers that a large firm provides? Is it the money?” Luke M.
You've hit that nail on the head Luke. It is that “force with no source” that reeks so much havoc.
“Thank you bringing this up. Years ago, my boss gave me real estate photos to edit for a website; my instructions were to replace the tilled dirt in the front yard with green grass. Unfortunately, I did it and have always felt like the buyers of those homes were going to be sorely disappointed. I will say no to Photoshop tricks of that nature from now on.” Michelle
I'm not willing to take it that far. Part of my job is to put the best face on a project—to demonstrate the ideal. For me, the line is drawn when the intended outcome is to deceive the customer. In the case you sight I assume the grass was eventually planned and planted. That potential buyers would see the house and make their own assessment before buying it. Chuck
“I find myself less challenged with these ideas as a 'designer' than as a 'copywriter.' As you say, 'You can attract a customer with fantasy but you can only deliver fact.' In my mind, the visuals are the fantasy part, the attraction part, the perception part. The words should fill in with 'the meat' and the meat SHOULD be the truth. Creatively wordsmithed, of course!”
“I have often found myself working with clients or organizations that have different world philosophies than I do. That too can be a challenge, because if I choose to work with them, I also feel I should keep my own beliefs to myself. In some cases, it has worked out well because I bring an 'outsider' perspective to the table which helps the client, and their diverse viewpoints also help stretch me. On the other hand, I have also chosen to leave two jobs during my career in part because the beliefs and attitudes espoused by my 'employer' ran contrary to what is important to me. It is not worth the paycheck.”
“A lot of people want to believe that marketing IS manipulation. And maybe the advertising/image side of marketing is a bit manipulative to varying degrees depending on the company and the ethics of those making the image decisions. But marketing isn't just about making a promise, it's about DELIVERING on the promise. That's why every political campaign is a marketing failure at the end of the day, and why our country is so disillusioned when it comes to political marketing...no candidate has ever been or ever will be able to deliver.” Christy J.
Thanks Christy. It has been a few short hours since I posted this article and I have already received many responses. I find that very encouraging. It points to the possibility that many struggle with this aspect of our profession, just that we rarely discuss it. Chuck
“It's refreshing and encouraging to know that you and other designers out there try to work ethically and have a moral compass.Yes! We need to be much more than just 'hired guns' and not cave to just any pressure or request. If you think about it, any profession can can be corrupted if the members comprise their values and ethics. Or the opposite; a group can raise it's standards, value and respectability within a society.” Jerry S.
This article originally appeared on Notes on Design, a curated blog published by the Sessions Online School of Design.