The Politics of Design
Controversial
Insightful
Refreshing

The Politics of Design A (Not So) Global Design Manual for Visual Communication

Ruben Pater2016
Many designs that appear in today's society will circulate and encounter audiences of many different cultures and languages. With communication comes responsibility; are designers aware of the meaning and impact of their work? An image or symbol that is acceptable in one culture can be offensive or even harmful in the next. A typeface or colour in a design might appear to be neutral, but its meaning is always culturally dependent. If designers learn to be aware of global cultural contexts, we can avoid stereotyping and help improve mutual understanding between people. Politics of Design is a collection of visual examples from around the world. Using ideas from anthropology and sociology, it creates surprising and educational insight in contemporary visual communication. The examples relate to the daily practice of both online and offline visual communication: typography, images, colour, symbols, and information. Politics of Design shows the importance of visual literacy when communicating beyond borders and cultures. It explores the cultural meaning behind the symbols, maps, photography, typography, and colours that are used every day. It is a practical guide for design and communication professionals and students to create more effective and responsible visual communication.
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Reviews

Photo of Lewis Ngugi
Lewis Ngugi@ngeshlew
5 stars
Feb 29, 2024

If there is one book everyone, even those who are not in the design profession, should read is this one. The basis of this book is for us to unlearn and learn new ways of perceiving everything we know and have consumed. I have frowned, laughed, been disgusted and been quite intrigued by what I’ve read and seen in this book. 100% worth your time.

Photo of Laura Hilliger
Laura Hilliger@laurahilliger
3 stars
Nov 1, 2023

Didn't learn much that I didn't already know, but it's a good ref book for people who make things. Could have been more robust.

Photo of Zach Grosser
Zach Grosser@zachgrosser
5 stars
Aug 15, 2023

Must read book for designers (and everyone).

Photo of Eva Decker
Eva Decker@evadecker
3 stars
Jan 4, 2023

There's not enough writing about the intersection of design and politics, so I had high hopes for this "(Not So) Global Manual". The Politics of Design is full of single-page anecdotes, and feels more like a collection of lightly-researched blog posts than a serious printed reference. Most of the book is dedicated to pointing out cultural and political missteps that have been made by designers in the past, but there are no guiding principles to link these stories together into something actionable that designers today can use to improve their own work. The book ends abruptly after one anecdote, without a conclusion. There are several typos, printed references to pages on Wikipedia, and pages where text color contrast almost certainly does not meet minimum accessibility requirements—a spectacular oversight for a book that dedicates an entire section to color and contrast. Overall, formatting feels sloppy: text is misaligned, margins are painfully tiny, fonts and colors seem chosen at random... I can't tell if this is brutalism or just poor design. All that said, I did learn a few new things, and the entire book can be read in one sitting. I'd like to see a second version of The Politics of Design that approaches these topics more seriously, backed by more research, and with more consideration toward the design of the book itself.

Photo of Udit Desai
Udit Desai@uydesai
4 stars
Mar 2, 2022

Eye-opening read on some parts of design that have some biases, politics, and ideas behind them.

Photo of Linus Rogge
Linus Rogge@linusrogge
4.5 stars
May 6, 2024
+3
Photo of eileen lee
eileen lee@eileenlee
4 stars
Apr 27, 2024
+3
Photo of Mireia
Mireia@mireiaallende
5 stars
Nov 17, 2023
+1
Photo of Morgen Ruff
Morgen Ruff@morgen__ruff
3.5 stars
Aug 15, 2023
+1
Photo of Ines Perez
Ines Perez@inesvhperez
5 stars
Mar 17, 2022
Photo of Irem topcuoglu
Irem topcuoglu@irem
4 stars
Sep 14, 2021
+2
Photo of Cynthia Trncq
Cynthia Trncq@ctrinocque
4 stars
Jun 7, 2024
Photo of Paula Alonso Ishihara
Paula Alonso Ishihara@midorichan
5 stars
Feb 7, 2024
Photo of Lizelle G
Lizelle G@lizelle
4 stars
Dec 28, 2023
Photo of Richard Horvath
Richard Horvath@ricvath
5 stars
Jan 17, 2023
Photo of Sinuo Guo
Sinuo Guo@sinulienka
5 stars
Jan 9, 2023
Photo of tonja
tonja@tonj
4 stars
Sep 9, 2022
Photo of Jocelyn Chuang
Jocelyn Chuang@jocelync
5 stars
May 28, 2022
Photo of Katie Day
Katie Day@librarianedge
4 stars
Feb 17, 2022
Photo of Ricardo Santos
Ricardo Santos@ricardosantos
4 stars
Jan 7, 2022
Photo of Raquel Alves
Raquel Alves @ccarlota
5 stars
Nov 10, 2021
Photo of Winny de Jong
Winny de Jong@winnydejong
5 stars
Sep 19, 2021
Photo of Louis Currie
Louis Currie@louis
3 stars
Aug 12, 2021
Photo of Marielle de Geest
Marielle de Geest@Marielle
5 stars
Aug 1, 2021

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