OUGD601 [Practical] - The Problem

The problem that I identified in my essay is the effects of neo-capitalism where companies hold ultimate power over even the government. This in turn creates a society where commodification runs ripe and consumerism runs awry, and requires consumers to be more wary than ever with purchases. Information obtained through website browsing is used as marketing information and sold on to advertising agencies, creating an Orwellian scenario where users are only worth as much as their purchases and market research information. For designers, it is becoming harder to avoid the grasp of consumerism and easier to lull themselves into designing without applying ethics, morals or any self-beliefs. The aim of the project was as follows:

Create a guide for designers both new and seasoned on adaptation and creating for time to come. Educate the masses on the techniques that top-level design studios use and how they think. Encourage design that remains in line with the designers' beliefs and morals, and remind them of movements in the past such as Modernism that were about seeking progress as a society, and not simply monetary gain. A large portion of design in the world is poorly thought out in aspect(s), how can this be changed to create a design manifesto?