Design for Good
A Manifesto

As designers we play a critical role in making sure our designs have a positive impact both socially and environmentally. Everything starts with design so we need to vow to uphold a series of values to make sure we are solely leaving behind a positive influence.
In our ever changing and complex growing society it is our responsibility to solely aim to design in ways that result in positive impact. So how do we Design for Good?

Design needs to be Empathic
To design for good we need to have empathy, as designers our influence on others has a great impact. We need to be empathetic and be aware of how our design may affect people and approach this from a place of compassion. We need to understand and share the experiences of others and design in a way to assist and uplift those who need it. It is our responsibility to connect and understand others so that we can produce something that empowers and enriches their lives. We must be aware of how our designs affect how others see things, how they interact, their safety and privacy. To make a good design we need to be aware of this and do all we can prioritize safety and empathy.

Design needs to be Inclusive
To design for good we need to be inclusive and remember that design affects everyone. This means as designers, we need to avoid excluding as many people as possible. With every design we make we need to make sure that we aren’t excluding anyone accidentally. We need to make sure we think of how people are affected when it comes to things such as their physical capabilities, sexuality, gender identity, nationality, age, religion, appearance, mental capabilities,  the list goes on. We need to be human focused, not of only ourselves but of others. We need to design with the goal of enriching the human experience. Thankfully as a society this is slowly becoming a normal thing and hopefully will continue to flourish with all future designs. 

Design needs to be Sustainable
To design for good we need to make sustainable choices. If all future designs have a large focus on sustainability and caring for the planet the effects on the environment would be astronomical. While focusing on making good design choices for everyone involved we can’t forget about how those choices also affect our planet. In the past some designs have impacted our planet negatively consequently resulting in pollution and climate change. It is time we made up our past errors and do all that we can to reverse our mistakes and help the planet heal. Thankfully more people are becoming environmentally aware and calling for such designs, so we need to do our part in making such designs a reality.

A good design and equally as importantly a good designer is someone who designs for good. We must uphold our values and vow to design with empathy, inclusivity and sustainability. It’s our responsibility to only leave a positive impact and to inspire others to uphold our values. Everything starts with design, so let’s make it a good one.  

N 10318275
Celeste De Ramirez

Icon References
Compassion Icon by Niciconist http://thenounproject.com/term/compassion/2051438/

Inclusive Icon by Florent Lenormand http://thenounproject.com/term/people-together/3393699/

Sustainable Icon by Alice Design http://thenounproject.com/term/sustainable/2021504/