There is such a thing as society: read Andrew Howard's essay for Eye online

“There is such a thing as society” aka Andrew Howard’s design manifesto was first published in Eye no. 13 vol. 4, during the summer of 1994.

Eye Magazine has made the essay available online as “it is time to think again about design’s social function and the way it is determined by our culture.”

“Graphic design has a part to play in creating a visual culture that empowers and enlightens, that makes ideas and information accessible and memorable” writes Howard. 

“Many designers may argue that their job is not politics, and they would be right. But this does not prevent us from developing ideas about cultural democracy. We cannot separate our work from the social context in which it is received and from the purpose it serves.”

“If we care about the integrity of our design decisions, we should be concerned that the relations implicit in our communications extend active participation in our culture. If what we are looking for is meaning and significance, then the first step is to ask, who controls the work and whose ends does it serve?”

From the #EyeArchive, Andrew Howard’s #Eye13 #essay, ‘There is such a thing as society’ (1994), text in full, https://t.co/lOPqFc5Ytc
It is time to think again about design’s social function and the way it is determined by our #culture. #FTF1964 #FTF2000 #ethics #designcriticism pic.twitter.com/qePSoS1VTe

— Eye magazine (@eyemagazine) March 30, 2020

Read Andrew Howard’s essay here.