Design Observer Review 10/5

Can Graphic Design Make You Cry?
by Jessica Helfand

I think the author of this article is right on the mark when she challenges the prevailing idea that graphic design should be neutral, universal, devoid of what she calls "the human element". She speaks of a syphillis propaganda poster that she viewed as a youth that moved her and made an impact on her in her adult career. The image of two people kissing passionately with a skull looming omionously in the background is clear and readable, while also emotionally charged, embracing its "humanity" in order to make a great impact. It doesn't necessarily evoke an emotional response with me, but Helfand makes the point that all design exists within the generation that it was designed for, and I can see how this image could have transfixed the author at such a young, impressionable age, when this issue may have been more relevant. I definitely agree that a design should not be indoctrinated with the idea that they should be completely absent from their own design, or that the design itself should be sterile and unemotional. This reminds me of the Stefan Sagmeister article we read at the beginning of the semester.

That being said, I don't think that Helfand's criticism is totally true. I see a lot of design work out in the real world that relies on the human element, and seeks to evoke emotion. I think the problem is, many of the companies that use this technique seem to banks, businesses, and cell phone companies, in a heavy-handed, disingenuous effort to make the viewer feel like they can "trust them". Credit card commercials like Mastercard use their "priceless" advertising campaign to highlight the tiny special moments in their customers' lives. Verizon and others phone providers show families using their cell phone to send pictures to their great-grandmother in Tibet. Microsoft features an utterly adorable 5-year old Asian child touching up pictures and proudly proclaiming "I'm a PC!" While this commercial does make my heart melt a little bit, I'm not sure that selling me a computer really warrants this emotional angle. It feels insincere. But there are ads, like the anti-smoking TRUTH commercials, that find creative ways to inform and touch the hearts of their audience in a way that does not seem self-serving. As a designer, and a consumer, I would love to see more of a sincere human spark in design work.