Among the Impact Projects for Design for Social Change is Design::Effect, which was started by London-based graphic and web designer Claire Manibog in 2010. The aim of the project is to help designers measure the environmental and social impact of their work.
The Design::Effect project offers learning tools so designers can better understand their impact, it lets them measure the good they do through data visualization like mapping, and it provides the impact designers with resources, events and advisory.
In addition to design, Manibog’s background includes international development and philanthropy. She is currently studying design and technology for global development at the London School of Economics. Prior to that she spent time studying design for social change in New York’s School of Visual Arts. The inspiration for Design::Effect is a clear intersection of her talents and dedication for social good.
"A lot of the inspiration comes from my work in philanthropy where I’ve been exposed to the donor perspective," Manibog describes in her blog. "But it’s a bigger issue than catering to donors’ needs: it’s about helping socially-minded designers understand what they’re doing – what works and what doesn’t. As my instructors in the Impact! program have expressed, impact measurement is a huge gap in this field. Design for social change is still trying to understand what change it is actually making."
Contact Information for Design::Effect
The Maniblog website
Manibog's presentation (PDF)
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Trend Themes
1. Impact Measurement for Creatives - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop measurement tools and metrics to help designers understand and quantify the environmental and social impact of their work.
2. Design for Social Change - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create platforms and resources that enable designers to effectively contribute to social change and measure the impact of their design.
3. Data Visualization for Impact Measurement - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative data visualization techniques that allow designers to visually represent the positive impact of their work.
Industry Implications
1. Graphic Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporate impact measurement tools into graphic design software and platforms.
2. Environmental Conservation - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop technologies and solutions that allow designers to reduce the environmental impact of their work.
3. Social Entrepreneurship - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create educational programs and resources that empower socially-minded designers to create positive change through their work.