An ostensibly minor statement in the global economy and society, the work of a designer, nevertheless, adds to the overall perception of a specific problem, and my own works are not an exception. The process of creation involves the use of symbols that are related to particular themes and, therefore, allow for specific opinions to take the center stage in the social and ethical development of the humankind.
Because of an active search for the non-trivial solutions of standard tasks and the avoidance of any stereotypes traditionally used in design, my work can be viewed as contributing to the subversion of traditional gender and ethnic clichés; however, mere avoidance of stereotypes may be not enough to subvert these clichés, whereas their use in a non-stereotypical context may.
The first and the most characteristic feature of the specimens of my design deserving to be mentioned concerns the use of gender stereotypes.
Seeing that the current representation of gender in marketing and design is rather narrow and aimed at exploiting the image of shallow people with little to no personality outside of their sexually appealing look, the incorporation of well thought out characters seems a reasonable step forward in making the design less banal.
As the gender issues reflected in design shape the lives of teenagers and young people to a considerable extent, it can be assumed that my design is a minor improvement in the “globalized inventiveness” (Berman 16).
Another essential effect of my design concerns the enhancement of environmental issues significance. While the issues concerning saving the earth and recycling have become teeth-grindingly boring, I have come up with the ways of making the moral-less obnoxious and the negative consequences more explicit. It can be assumed that the people that will see my works will eventually adopt the sustainability views, thus, making the Earth safer and preventing the extinction of species.
Eventually, the creation of thought-provoking ideas can be viewed as the most significant characteristics of my design. Even the works that cannot be considered impeccable on all levels make the viewer think, and the specified effect alone can be credited for its originality.
It would be wrong, however, to claim that my creations incriminate the very fabric of the contemporary society or endeavor to alter the realm of design as people see it nowadays. After all, I use the same symbols as everyone else does in the 21st-century, relying on the same concept of persuasion.
More to the point, some of my works exploit the same connotations of well-trodden metaphors and used clichés. For instance, some of my creations exploit the concept of sexuality, just like a million other works do.
I still try to shake the thick layer of credibility off these images, thus, getting the public ready for a new interpretation of traditional imagery. For example, the re-interpretation of a standard glamorous image of a woman becomes possible once adding a colorful shock element to it, thus, devaluing the shallow idea of femininity in contemporary society.
Since my work displays a very obvious unwillingness to follow the standard clichés that most designers use in their work to attract a general audience, it may contribute to making a difference in not only the realm of design but also the social sphere by undermining some of the most popular and erroneous gender and ethnic stereotypes. However, a closer look at my work will reveal that it promotes.
Works Cited
Berman, David. “Start Now.” Do Good Design: How Design Can Change the World. Berkeley, CA: AIGA, 2009. 6–19. Print.