Critical Daily    Critical practice in graphic design

The pandemic has highlighted a series of social contradictions, with inequality being on the rise in all kinds of areas: social, economic, political, cultural, cognitive. This increasing tendency now characterises our society.

Inequality comes in many shapes and sizes; it is a layered, complex phenomenon, and should therefore be approached as such. The fact that it’s beginning to take-on unacceptable forms leads to several questions. What can we do about it? How much inequality do we want to accept? Are all perspectives within our society sufficiently represented in our media?

The media plays an important role in exposing society’s polarisation. Both traditional and new media relay a limited picture. As a result, specific, established ideas about gender, ethnicity, class, and orientation are maintained.

A healthy society that facilitates equal opportunities benefits from optimal interaction between the media and the citizens. To fully represent society, a broad and varied supply of journalism is necessary. An inclusive media landscape not only provides a more realistic reflection, but also more justice

Contemporary media lags behind reality, and the current interpretation leaves little room for alternative views, creating a distance between the media and the public. That is why journalism, as a system, deserves an update, and we must redesign it together.

Designalism

Design and journalism were once strictly separate disciplines, but these days we see them converging. For instance, some designers are making work that responds to current events or that is based on journalistic principles. Conversely, there are journalists who produce work that can be experienced as design or art.

Developments in the field of critical design, design research, social design, and speculative design demonstrate that designers look far beyond the traditional boundaries of their discipline. That designers have started to have social ambitions corresponds with creative practice today.

The convergence of these two arenas yields interesting perspectives. Referencing a few insightful projects, we discover how to help communicate messages (news) with the help of inclusive design.

In times of inequality, society needs new scenarios to counter tunnel vision and create space for different viewpoints. New expressions that arise through a combination of design and journalism offer significant insights, creating surprising new forms of information. We call this mixture of info-transfer Designalism, in which makers worldwide experiment and reap success.

Renewal

Post-pandemic, we have the opportunity to ensure that all humans are accepted in the media and in society. How can Designalism contribute?

Inclusive representation of our society, in all its diversity, means that more people will feel heard and recognised. This, in turn, has a direct, positive effect on the quality and credibility of the media, increasing people’s trust in society.