Photo: Gary Walters

Propaganda, for instance, is typically thought of in negative terms. It’s associated with corrupt politicians and overreaching ad campaigns to influence the masses to do something—something that usually isn’t good for you, such as eating fast food or buying “miracle” weight-loss drugs (to help you burn off the fat from the fast food). In “Alleviating Crises Through Propaganda,” writer Ismiaji Cahyono notes the positive social effects resulting from a poster campaign propagating hope to Indonesian citizens after the 2004 tsunami (page 54). Designers from all over the world were invited to participate and each provided their own spin on the recovery efforts.

Terry Lee Stone made some stunning discoveries while doing research for her article, “White Space,” which addresses diversity—or lack of it—in the design profession (page 44). Designers pride themselves on being open-minded and seeing beyond the obvious, and this extends to working with people of all ethnicities and colors—design should appeal to and be relevant to everyone. But when you look at the statistics of who’s actually practicing design, you may be surprised to learn that it’s 86 percent white. By talking about this issue and raising awareness, positive change can happen.

We may never again see the likes of another Paul Rand, Saul Bass, or Milton Glaser … but that’s OK. I asked noted author and designer Marty Neumeier if the design “Star System” is dead and what that means in “The Rise and Fall of the Design Star” (page 78). Among his many revelations, he notes that the industry has become so fragmented, it’s unlikely that one person emerges from a given project as the hero. Instead, collaboration between multiple specialists is integral to today’s multimedia endeavors.

This is good for everyone—designers and end users. Designing for the public sector is low-paying and often not rewarding—i.e. you won’t win any awards for designing a hospital wayfinding system or a federal census form. However, for Sylvia Harris the payoff is making information easy to understand and readily available to the public—simplicity through design. In “Public Designer,” Harris talks about the rewards of breaking down information into its simplest forms for the good of society (page 70).

Most of us would never consider working with our life partners—I’m one of those people. I like that I have my own identity apart from my husband and that I can leave the office at the office (for the most part). However, in “Dynamic Duos,” writer Romy Ashby interviewed six couples who live and work together and wouldn’t have it any other way (page 92). It’s a good measure of conflict, chaos, love, and harmony sprinkled with hobbies, children, and pets. So next time you’re encountered with a bad idea or unlikely situation, look at the flip side to see how you can make a positive impact.