The Development of Design Principles in Relationship to Government - Dissertation Example

? Design and Government: Creating good relationships with the public through well designed communication Contents 3 Chapter Introduction 4 Introduction 4 Discussing Design 4 Summary 5 Chapter 2: Designing for the Vote 7 Politics and Fate 7 Butterfly Ballots 10 Design for Democracy 13 Chapter three: Design and Politics 18 The Aggression of Design 18 The Political Message 21 Designing the Obama Campaign 26 Chapter Four: Conclusion 28 List of Figures 30 Bibliography 31 Abstract The following paper has been written from the perspective of examining the design principles involved in objects between government and the people. The example of the butterfly ballots in Florida during the 2000 Presidential campaign in the United States shows how bad design can change the course of the history. The well designed campaign of Barrack Obama led him to the presidency, changing the way in which campaign aesthetics are approached for presentation to the public. Good design is always an important element of any creation, but in politics the impact can be a defining element for the future. Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction Design is a part of the way that life is translated through the creation of objects and ideas that support modern life. When a design is flawed, the purpose of an object can become a hindrance to an effective result. An example of this can be seen in the butterfly ballots in Florida during the 2000 election in the United States where the Presidency was affected by the inadequacy of the design. The future of the world was impacted by the decision that was cast through a voting system that was inadequate to the purpose of its design. Discussing Design Design is the kind of word that has a great many meanings and can be applied to a great number of applications in the human experience. Designing something means creating an arrangement that will meet a specific goal. Design can mean creating a visual impact through the editorial point of view as it is adapted for fashion or for interiors, or through the impact of design aesthetics on a message that is intended to persuade or inform. Design, in all of its forms, is an action and the consequence of the action is to communicate something from the designer to the public with the designed product being the conduit of the information. To design is to intend a communication. There are a great number of ways in which design impacts our daily life without considering that it has been designed to specifically create intent for the framework of the way we perceive the world. Culture is created through the application of designed perceptions on the way in which life is lived. This does not mean that the communication of the design has the impact that is intended, but it does mean that it will have a form of impact that can influence the direction of cultural development. Design is the activity of the creator, but the meanings that are interpreted from what has been designed belongs to the public. The conduit, the object that has been designed does not always have to be a tangible item. The design intent can be intangible, a method of creating communication that impacts the receiver in such a way as to enact an impression towards information that the designer wishes to convey. The design of this impact can be through a variety of related symbols of what is intended, everything from the clothing that an individual who represents that information wears to the way in which text that is related to the information is chosen to convey some form of meaning upon the words that are used. Summary The following paper is intended to explore the way in which design has impacted the political landscape, using the United States as a central example. Modern life is the result of design as objects can be seen as a part of the development of culture for the utilitarianism of the objects. When the utility of an object fails, the consequences can be understood as long reaching and fateful in terms of how the world evolves. Design, therefore, is an act that is aggressive and transformative as it reaches into the purpose of its intent and participates in controlling outcomes through the effectiveness with which it has been executed. Chapter 2: Designing for the Vote Politics and Fate One of the most significant political occurrences of the new millennia happened at its dawn as the failure of ballot design created a question about who was actually elected to the Presidency of the United States in the year 2000. When George W. Bush and Al Gore ran against one another for president, two things defined the course of the next decade in significant and detrimental ways. The ballots in Florida, ballots designed in such a way that they were called ‘butterfly ballots’ failed to provide clear proof of who was elected to the position of President. The consequences of this failure resulted in George W. Bush being named President, a situation that some believe was in error, and setting a course through some important events that have had consequences on a global level.1 Before discussing the event, it is important to discuss a couple of the events that were set into motion because of the election of Bush to the Presidency. The first consequence was that Al Gore did not become president. Al Gore is a very different man compared to George W. Bush. Where Gore is educated and considered to be an academic, Bush is known for his failures where his own education is concerned. Where Gore is thoughtful and takes into consideration environmental concerns and looks at matters of science through an educated perspective, Bush uses religious considerations to discuss the issues of nature and the world. George W. Bush and Al Gore in the Presidential Debates2 One of the first events where this became relevant was in the Kyoto Protocol signing which failed to be signed under George W. Bush. This agreement intends for the reduction of greenhouse gases in order to help prevent the damaging effects of climate change.3 While this agreement would seem to be good for the environment and a proper step in promoting good relations for a global presence, the Bush administration instead began a campaign against the idea of global warming. The primary concern that the Bush administration found with the agreement was that there were no considerations given where economic costs of prevention was concerned. There was not differentiation of responsibilities between developing nations and developed nations.4 Where this argument, based on corporate biased politics, prevented the accord from being signed, it is less likely that Gore would have taken this stance and he definitely would have taken global warming and climate change seriously as it is one of his more important issues for which he has created a private campaign.5 The second event that occurred specifically because of the Bush administration was entry into a war with Iraq. The United States suffered from a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in which two towers of a building known as the World Trade Center were destroyed and thousands of people died.6 This event was used as a launching point to enter into a war with Iraq, which served some of the needs of the Bush administration that were not related to the event of the attack. Had Al Gore been elected president it is likely that he would not have entered into a war with Iraq, the focus put on the events of the terrorism as were done when President Obama and his administration tracked down Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaida leader was killed during pursuit. The focus of the nation of the United States was diverted during the first century of the millennia towards a nation that, while not innocent, was not a core participant to the events of what is now known as 9/11. As fate would have it, the diversity between Gore and Bush dictated for the winner of the election in 2000 the opportunity to reveal their individual agendas and act on belief systems that would steer the course of a global economy and disrupt peace. The Bush administration won the vote through means that are in question and have yet to be fully settled for the truth of that vote. The fate of the world lay in the design of voting ballots that were inadequate to the job and stole the ability of a great number of people to have their voice heard. Butterfly Ballots The fate of the world lay in the design of ballots that were difficult to read and had elements that could be misunderstood so that people were voting for the wrong candidate. Because of the way that the ballots were designed, it is clear by the end results that votes were given to Pat Buchanon that had been intended for Al Gore. As seen in figure 2, the ballots were designed in such a way that although he seemed to be second on the list, Al Gore was in fact the third candidate listed on the ballot. In figure 3 it is clear that the vote in Palm Beach County was out of balance with the surrounding counties and the exit polls did not reflect the same results as the vote had shown.7 Butterfly Ballot as Used in 2000 Election (fig. 2)8 In looking at the ballot, the confusion is clearly visible. The ballot is designed with non-traditional reading methods that create focused thought in order to be used. Where the Western mind reads from left to right and from top to bottom of each page before moving on to the next, the butterfly ballot requires the reader to read from top to bottom on each page, but to intermingle the results of what is read in the center where the mark is made for the vote. It is easy to see how a vote could have been made for Buchanan rather than for Gore when observed from this perspective. Florida 2000 Election Buchanan Vote (fig. 3).9 Ballots in the United States are not subject to conformity through the nation. There is no legislation that makes the different counties conform to regulations concerning ballot design or the counting of ballots. This stems from the idea of state’s rights and the belief that the individual regions of the United States are mini governmental communities in which most decisions regarding the operations of the area are the responsibility of local authority.10 However, to combat this issue the United States Election Assistance Commission released ballot design guidelines from which a hope was placed that some reasonable conformity could begin to emerge Design for Democracy One of the results of the 2000 election was the emergence of a need to design the way in which elections take place. Although no significant changes have been made in legislation, a significant social change has begun to move through the nation in order to support the need for a better ballot design and conformity throughout the voting public. AIGA, which stands for the American Institute of Graphic Artists, has supported the growth of design influences in government. Through a program called Design for Democracy, the needs for design as a tool for promoting easier applications of democracy has grown. Established in 1998, the association was ready when in 2000 the ballot design issue came to light. The goals of the association were to make “interactions between the U.S. government and its citizens more understandable, efficient and trustworthy”.11 In approaching the problem of ballots, the association has come with some viable options that have been used in as many as 6,000 election officials before the 2007 vote, with many changing their systems towards the proposed design solutions.12 The design challenge for a ballot is to make it clear what method must be used to mark the candidate that is being selected for the vote. The ballots must be such that the elimination of wasted votes is made possible and that there is little problem in executing the vote. AIGA has created a series of ballots that they feel fit this criteria in order to provide examples to the election officials as they follow the guidelines released by the federal government. The design that AIGA through their Design for Democracy program have recommended is based on the types of tests that students have been taking for decades. Optical scan technologies are designed to recognize ovals that have been fully filled in by a number 2 pencil in order to create an appropriate selection. This technology, as shown in figure 4, provides a reasonably secure methodology for creating effective voting operations.13 Designing a ballet that equalizes the voting opportunity for all voters has been an issue for many nations. Approaching the problem in such a way to suit the needs of the people so that democratic principles have been carried through is a goal that requires good design principles and a high degree of concern for creating Optical Scan Ballot (fig. 4)14 a piece of work that is utilitarian and aesthetically appropriate. One example of how Egypt has approached the problem of the ballot is shown as design has met the issue of illiteracy. The use of symbols to represent different candidates and their parties has created a challenge, but has become a solution that allows for an equalized opportunity for voters who can recognize the symbol of the candidate and make their vote.15 This methodology was used in South Africa as early as 1994 as shown in figure 5. The use of images and symbols creates a powerful influential factor as well, however, and the danger is that the vote can be influenced by the reception of the image over the reception of what a candidate represents.16 An example of this can be seen through the Egyptian ballot in which one of the symbols has created issues. Jack Shenkar writes that some of the images mean something in local slang that affects the way in which they represent the candidate. As an example, former actress Hind Akef uses the symbol of the rocket which is also a word used in local slang that means the equivalent of ‘hottie’. This has led to inappropriate jokes and graffiti that were against her interests in the election.17 1994 Ballot for South Africa (fig. 5)18 Chapter three: Design and Politics The Aggression of Design The idea of design is crucial in the act of creation so that aesthetics are expressed and meaning is conveyed that is relevant to the use of the object of the design. In the example that has been presented, the voting ballot, while a seemingly simple object, is vital in the creation of government. Without good design the simple object becomes an obstacle that will affect the outcome in ways that can reach far into the future. The difference between the governance of the Bush administration in comparison to the potential of the Gore administration is an example of how design is crucial to the effects of the result of its use. Noted text designer Erik Spiekerman has said that “Bad government forms serve to separate us from the government. They make us stupid… we don’t understand, so we do what we’re told. If things were more designed in the sense of more open, more accessible, then we would be able to communicate more with each other. […] the system doesn’t really want to communicate, because then it becomes messy and dirty. We’re supposed to shut up and make our little crosses and fill out forms and be quiet. [on the Florida ballots] because the forms were so bad, they didn’t know where to put the bloody crosses… so they voted for an asshole. And we started a war.”19 Spiekermann further discusses the idea of the communication of the modern world and the example of governmental types of communication in balance with the interaction between citizenry and governmental forms. Spiekermann encourages the redesign of government forms as they are currently created in such a way as to be confusing and without effective design for their uses. He suggests that this is perhaps a more comfortable position for governments as it keeps a distance between government and the people. Opening up the communication between the public and government could begin through the redesign of the communication between the entities, but Spiekermann suggests that perhaps this is not desired by a government because the distance helps to assert a type of control through a lack of effective communication. This suggests that in keeping forms that do not effectively communicate; the government is controlling the dissemination of information, clouding that which could create a problem so that the people choose not to engage what is being given with critical consideration. When information is difficult to attain, it is less likely to be challenged.20 Design can be an aggressive act towards change, the way in which information is given inciting the receiver towards action or inaction. Just as Spiekermann states, the open nature of good design and the closed nature of poor design is central to the relationship that a government will have with her people. Berman suggests that it is the responsibility of the government to use information design experts in creating something as important as a ballot. Berman states “anything other than a professional and consistent ballot would be an affront”.21 Creating consistency is still an ongoing battle and the idea of a nationalized form for voting has yet to be realized. The way in which something is designed has a number of elements, but the emotions of design are central to how it is received. Design can be described through visceral, behavioral, and reflective causing an emotional package to be built around the object. These represent the appearance, the effectiveness and the intellectualization of the object in regard to its use.22 Using the example of the ballots, the appearance lacked clarity, the effectiveness of their use of the butterfly ballots was minimal, and the intellectual construction of the ballots had no organization. The design was over thought and complicated without a purpose for that sense of utility. The Political Message The most common message that is constructed and designed for politics is in the design of an aggressive message intended to change or persuade the viewer’s perspective on a topic. The intent of the work is not usually to pacify or mollify an opinion, but to inflame it so that it can be affected by what is seen. Political Palestinian Protest Poster against Israeli Law Enforcement (fig 6) messages do not create change very often unless they create an impact on the emotions of the viewer. An example can be seen in fig. 6 where the horror of the message is brought about through using the situation as it impacts a child to create a strong emotional response in the viewer.23 Although graphic and shocking, the poster brings the point aggressively into the sight of the viewer. The image represents the large number of young Palestinian men who have been killed under the auspices of law in the refugee camps.24 While not all design for politics is this aggressive, the point of the political message is to confront beliefs and help to reform them. Without this type of shocking impact, a message may be lost in the constant hum of information as there are so many messages in a modern world; the impact needs to be dynamic and aggressive to get through. Some of the work that helped to create an impact on the Barrack Obama campaign is that of Shepard Fairey who created posters with graphic delineation and high impact. As shown in figure 7, the” Fairey helped catalyze a movement from his unique vantage at the intersection of art, popular culture and politics”. 25 According to Aronczyk and Powers marked a ‘dramatic shift’ in the aesthetics of the United States in regard to how they envisioned their leaders, their sense of their governance, and the way in which a campaign should be presented and viewed. The poster “signals in all its aspects a reference to a previous style and plays with the conventional codes of political postering at all levels”.26 The emergence of this poster signaled a revival of sophistication in political messaging as the art of the message was configured through finer art aesthetics. One must remember that, as Aronczyk and Powers suggested, the Bush administration was symbolized through ‘cowboy kitsch’.27 Shepard Fairey Obama Campaign Poster (fig. 7) Designing the Obama Campaign Scott Thomas discusses the job of designing the Obama campaign and one of the ways in which he was influenced was through elements of past political concepts. Designing the campaign was a new idea, a concept that had never been done before in any campaign. The integration of all of the pieces of information created a cohesion through which the message could come through. One of the elements that the design team wanted to emphasis was a sense of historicism. However, rather than stating that the campaign was historic, they looked to visual imagery that suggested a sense of history through using texts from older speeches and political elements combined with a modern feel. The idea of designing the whole campaign was innovative and new as it created a sense of continuity that had never before been achieved, while creating a set of well formed messages that were in combat with those elements of that diminished President Obama, and supported the idea of hope that was the core of the information that was being disseminated.28 According to the website that promotes the idea of the designed campaign, “The Obama presidential campaign was an innovation in American politics and American design. For the first time, a candidate used art and design to bring together the American people—capturing their voices in a visual way”.29 The design of the campaign was not just cohesion of ideas; it was aesthetically created to be formed under the auspices of art, while working towards diminishing any impact that might create the illusion of being aloof.30 Sophistication which was in touch with the needs and ideologies of the average American was a new and innovative approach to a campaign. The design of the Obama campaign can be described as a “participatory revolution” and a “boon for American democracy” in relationship to the way in which the message was defined for the American public.31 In creating a new type of campaign, the message that this candidate intended to be a different politician was immediately relevant. Therefore, not only were their clear messages about the ideas within the campaign, but there were clearly expressed ideas of the meaning behind how this campaign was designed – in that it was designed. Chapter Four: Conclusion This paper has looked at the way in which design and politics come into a relationship. The design of the object of a ballot failed in the 2000 election, but the design of a political campaign created a new and exciting standard for addressing the public. The messages that are created through properly designing the forms for the public are considered open and accessible, something that is an extension how the designed campaign of Obama captured the accessibility of a cleanly created campaign design. As discussed by Scott Thomas, in creating cohesion between all of the graphic elements, the public was able to clearly see the intention of the message and the information. The issues in 2000 with the butterfly ballots were a problem of design in which the information of the ballot was not clearly communicated to the public creating an upset to the final count. The world was changed through the neglect of poor design. The concept of a poorly designed form changed the outcome of the election, leaving the leadership of the United States filled by a man who denied the existence of global climate change, leading to a denial of the Kyoto Accord, as well as the instigation of a war whose purpose was not clearly established. Poor design, just as much as well designed elements can change the world. The development of design principles in relationship to government has been shown to be an important element of communication between the government and her people. Through refining forms through elements of good design, the dialogue becomes an interchange rather than a dictation of government to the people. In creating messages that are coherent and easily accessible, the elements of design enhance what is intended rather than confusing the recipient. In the end, it is how the message is interpreted that will determine the success of a communication. Through good design, the message will be heard. List of Figures Figure 1 George W. Bush and Al Gore in the Presidential Debates Figure 2 Butterfly Ballot as Used in 2000 Election Figure 3 Florida 2000 Election Buchanan Vote Figure 4 Optical Scan Ballot Figure 5 1994 Ballot for South Africa Figure 6 Palestinian Protest Poster against Israeli Law Enforcement Figure 7 Shepard Fairey Obama Campaign Poster Bibliography AIGA. Ballot and Election Design. (2011) < http://www.aiga.org/election-project/ > Alan R. Gitelson, Robert L. Dudley, and Melvin J. Dubnick, American Government ( Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012). Behance Team, Scott Thomas: Designing the Obama campaign. < http://the99percent.com/videos/5821/scott-thomas-designing-the-obama- campaign> David Berman, Do Good Design: How Designers Can Save the World. Berkeley, (New Riders, 2008) Designing Obama, (2011)< http://www.designing-obama.com/> Dianne Rahm, Climate Change Policy in the United States: The Science, the Politics, and the Prospects for Change (McFarland & Co 2010). Donald A. Norman, Donald, Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. ( BasicBooks, 2005). Erik Spiekermann, Putting back the face in typeface. Gestalten (2011) GDAEmon. Privatized profits, socialized losses (31 October 2008) Jack Shenkar. Egypt’s voters plan to pick their party by pictures. The Guardian (27 November 2011) < http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/27/egy pt-elections-party-symbols > Kenneth Janda, Jeffrey M. Barry, and Jerry Goldman. The challenge of democracy: Governing in America. (Houghton Miflin Company 2007). L.David Roeper, Florida 2000 Presidential Vote (2011) Melissa Aronczyk, and Devon Powers Blowing Up the Brand: Critical Perspectives on Promotional Culture (P. Lang, 2010). Milton Glaser, and Mirko Ilic?. The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics. Gloucester (Rockport publ, 2005). O’Malley, Election Ballot. (2011) Rory McVeigh, Josh Dinsman, Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, and Pryamvada Trivedi, ‘Obama vs Clinton: Categorical boundaries and intra-party electoral outcomes’. (February 2011) Social Problems 58,1 Shepard Fairey, Obey: Supply & Demand : the Art of Shepard Fairey (Gingko Press, 2009). Sidney Jacobson, and Ernie Colo?n, After 9/11: America's War on Terror [2001] (Hill and Wang, 2008) Switched on Set. Obey US collection prints by Shepard Fairey. (2011). Read More