Jody Boehnert penned an article for Varoom on how illustration has been, and is being used to deliver the message about global warming. Her argument is that visual languages can easily convey complex ideas whereas technical explanations of carbon emissions, or the greenhouse effect confuse listeners. These languages are emotive, and thus pack a harder (and different) punch. In her own words, “illustration works where words fail.”
Perhaps the most poignant and cogent portion of her argument is found in her discussion of corporate greenwashing, and our duty as designers to beware such scams:
“The greatest danger now is not ignorance but half measures – and as image-makers we can become implicated in the deceit. When we refuse to take responsibility for our actions, we become part of the problem. We must learn now to guard against having our skills hi-jacked and used as camouflage.”
“As creative communicators we are in a position to help to change attitudes,” she writes, “working towards ultimately changing behavior patterns, policies and systems.”
She calls upon designers to begin envisioning and portraying an alternative future; if Gandhi said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” Boehnert says “You must be and depict the change you wish to see in the world.”
As I was writing this, it struck me that her article is an excellent companion our earlier post, The Importance of Design in Activism.
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