Authentic Design: Ethics and Morality in Communication Design

This book is an exploration of communication design driven by a need for authenticity. It illustrates how communication design has dealt with social, ethical and political issues and looks at how it has adapted to changes in our social and political values - and continues to do so.

Each chapter explores a distinct socio-political issue through established and new case studies and explains the context and the semiotics of these stories. Through these examples, readers will appreciate the effect that global interconnections, the threat of international terrorism, worldwide inequality and the growing concern about the climate has had on the discipline.

- Ethical considerations, and why authenticity matters
- How political and social issues influence direct action and commercial decisions
- Dilemmas of balancing opposing views and social values
- Celebrating true individual expression and encouraging dialogue rather than conflict

Videos, exercises and discussion questions provide engaging ways for readers to explore the topic further, both within their own practice and in other designers’ work.

David Crow is Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of College at Wimbledon, Camberwell and Chelsea College of Arts at University of the Arts London. He has extensive teaching experience and has lectured in the USA, Asia and Mainland Europe. He was external examiner for Graphic Design in a number of institutions, most recently at the British School of Art & Design in Moscow. His first book Visible Signs is now a standard text in many Art & Design Schools and has been published in English, Korean, German and Japanese.