Customer Reviews

Good: An Introduction to Ethics in Graphic Design (Required Reading Range)

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The title about says it all. This book talks about ethics. Something designers need to talk about more. This book is a collection of interviews, essays and case studies from designers, lawyers, theologians, marketers, etc. It is well written (but at times it's typography is hard to read) and tackles the topics of "Who do you work for?" "What is good design?" etc. It is easy to say (if you have an income) that you won't take a contract job with a company you disagree with, however it isn't possibly as easy to do the same if you don't have a steady income. The basic principle is that ethics are not easy. However maybe they can become more important if we talk about them more.

I am the first to admit that my background is not in intellectual theory. When I had to complete a project heavily based around ethical design for my degree this caused me some apprehension at first. This book cured all of my worries.

It looks at ethics from the view of respected political, sociological, philosophical, theological and legal leaders in each field while also including the key concepts of thinkers throughout history such as Plato. I found this really useful because it meant I had to do little background research and when I did this book had given me the starting point to go from. I couldn't have asked for more.

I am so glad I have read this book. By using many different forms of design it provides `food for thought' which I prefer to preaching. I think this will really help me when I begin to look for work and do work as a graphic designer. Thanks to this book I have now begun to form my own opinions about the accountability of a graphic designer in the knowledge of other viewpoints within and outside of the profession. This is unmissable for design practices, students and professionals.