Writing and ethical manifesto is part of the Personal Development Planning module I am completing this semester.
For me the issues of ethics were always interesting, so I was collecting bits and pieces for a long time, creating my opinion. But the chance to sit and write it all down helped me to realize what I will and won’t do and how I will treat my customers and their clients.
I believe having integrity and value moral and ethical principles is one of the most important qualities of a good designer. It is far more important than knowing how to use Photoshop, than the principles of user-centered design or how to treat type.
In relation to society
Our civilisation is deeply rooted in strong moral and ethical principles determined millennia ago. For centuries those principles shaped the way we lived, behaved, treated each other and ruled our kingdoms.
Unfortunately, human beings are not as perfect as their thoughts and laws may be. A lot of them get around the laws, abuse others for their selfish profit and take advantage of their neighbours, thus bringing lots of pain and struggle into our world.
The ultimate goal for me is to make an effort to reduce that pain and struggle in the world to a minimum, or at least not to make it worse.
I will be careful not to harm anyone, try to solve ethical and moral issues of our period, and foremost, treat others in the way I would like them to treat myself.
Being a designer gives me a fantastic opportunity how to influence the world around us through work which I do. With advertising, branding and interface design, I can shape the way people treat products, companies and ultimately, each other.
Good software interface design can make our lives easier, charity website which is easy and fun to use can help to raise money, effective visual communication can raise awareness about dangerous diseases and finally, according Donald Norman in The Design of Everyday Things, good design can save lives.
In relation to our customers
On the website of the Czech branch of the leading Young & Rubicam advertising agency, on the “About us” page, there is an image of a human spine and a following quote: “This is a spine. You can’t create good advertising campaign without it. It often forces you to say an honest “no” to your client, instead of an easy “yes”. It means providing good service instead of servility. It can result in truly exceptional advertisement.”
This does not apply only to advertising.
The customers pay designers to bring them the best possible design solution, to meet their business goals and to satisfy their target audience. I am hired for my knowledge and skills, not for pushing the pixels on screen.
I am prepared to tell customers an honest opinion when they are wrong, to advise when they ask for a design solution which will harm their business and to say “No” to something which will never work. Although customers pay our bills, it does matter what we think – even if we are told the contrary.
In his “Confessions of An Advertising Man”, David Ogilvy describes how a campaign full of compromises, dictated solely by a client, can result not only in loosing an account but ultimately in loosing a reputation.
But the clients’ requests contradicting their goals and needs of their target audience are not the only cases I need to consider.
I will refuse to work for a customer who abuses or tries to abuse others, who represents a political party suppressing the principles of a democratic society, freedom of speech or religion or who discriminates any ethnical group, race or gender.
I will always protect my customers’ interests, be confidental and loyal and never share their business secrets. I will never lie to my customer and will refuse to lie to the public.
In relation to our planet
Our planet’s resources are not unlimited and everyone is responsible for preserving nature for the future generations.
My goal is to make as little footprint in my life as possible – to limit the CO2 exhausts, not to waste water or energy and to use renewable sources of energy if possible.
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