Source: fastcodesign.com
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
That’s what my Uncle Ben once told me, just before he got shot by a burglar. If only I’d known how right he was before I got bitten by that radioactive spider, then–
Wait, sorry. I’m confusing my own biography with Spiderman’s again. Classic mistake. What I meant to talk about was that, even without “great power,” you can do some good. Check out this fantastic article for proof that even something as simple as graphic design can change the world.
The least visible franchises can be given a new voice through the power of good branding and great graphic design. Will it do the same for the voiceless, the invisible, the institutionally disenfranchised? Can well-executed design change the lives of the homeless?
A new project in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, is trying to find out. A collaboration between artist Kenji Nakayama and Christopher Hope, the Signs for the Homeless project exchanges handwritten panhandling signs for colorfully illustrated, eye-catching recreations that aim to give the homeless a power that most of us take for granted: The power to be noticed.
Source: homelesssigns.tumblr.com
The project is an interesting one, to be sure. Mitt Romney will tell you that corporations are people, so can marketing work the same way for a disenfranchised individual as it might for the Globex Corporation? Would you be more likely to give money to a panhandler with snazzy graphic design?
It’s hard to say whether the individual homeless have profited from their new signs, but Signs for the Homeless actually has a larger goal. They’ve already raised awareness about homelessness in New England, and every bit of publicity is another step towards humanizing a problem that most of us are content to ignore.
Source: homelesssigns.tumblr.com
Using your creativity to help others has two pretty obvious benefits: 1. You get to be creative (duh). 2. You help others (double duh). What could be better? Art has always been used to shine a light on dark parts of society; doing it in a way that actually might foster some change is pretty inspiring. So think like Hope and Nakayama… what can you design that might help someone else?
“Good design helps you see the world in a different way,” says Hope. “Design is a powerful force that can help overpower people’s preconceptions and attract us to the very things we were once repelled by. Good design can’t in itself help the lives of the homeless, but it can help give the homeless back their voice and humanity. If it can do that, design doesn’t need to solve the homeless problem. We can do it ourselves.”
With design power comes design responsibility.
Are you trying to land your dream job as a visual effects artist? The Gnomon School blog will provide you with some of the best current tips about the visual effects industry. We can give you a competitive edge in the job market, whether by showing you how to attract more viewers to your online portfolio, teaching you how to ace interviews with art studios, or by pointing out new job opportunities in the field. You’ve got nothing to lose… and a great job to gain! Contact us to get started!