Ethics
Design ethics and sustainability aren’t a policy we wrote to hang on a wall — they’re the criteria we use before we say yes to a project. We’ve been running this studio since 2004, and the framework hasn’t changed: if the work can’t be defended on ethical grounds, it doesn’t leave the desk. Design ethics and sustainability, in practice, means turning things down as often as taking them on.
Did you ever consider that design ethics and brand sustainability are the same things?
Ask yourself how our work affects the future.
We must always act responsibly towards the client and the end users. It’s not hard to do something that gets immediate attention. But it is necessary to think about the long-term effects of it. I constantly ask myself whether what I am doing is ethical and how it will affect the economy (local production if possible), the environment (nature-friendly products), and society (the users).
Economy, environment, society – this is sustainability; this is the ethics of those who design brands, strategies, advertising, etc. Our professional or personal beliefs must be the same; it does not matter who you work for (for example, if you avoid plastic, you should not propose it to the client).
Currently, everything is designed (good and bad), which means we have the power to change and act, which has the potential to have a great impact on the world we live in. We can use our skills to create products that are socially responsible and ethical. Whether you work in fashion, industrial, graphic, or any other type of design, you have a responsibility to do something.
Rethink a few times how your design and/or production will impact those three pillars. And do look outside from time to time; these extreme weather changes are our fault.
How Design Ethics and Sustainability Shape Every Project We Take On
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