Design Activism Research

From propagandistic 20th century Soviet graphics to harnessing power in grassroots level activities, design artefacts or processes have long mani- fest in communication strategies to disseminate ideologies. The idea that design has the power to compel change in the society invokes a greater responsibility of design practitioners in this day and age. Design activism is using design to create a positive impact in the world. The aim of this dissertation is to understand the contributions of design in activism and the exploration of communication elements used in disseminating awareness of issues, shaping a political landscape, as well as methods of rallying support from the community. The research methods consist of a case study and participant observation as part of the ethnographic research of a grassroots organisation coupled with existing theoretical knowledge on the discourse. The main conclusion drawn from this research show that design, both as a process and artefact, are not the main influencer of change, however the impacts provided by these processes and visual communication artefacts strengthen and bolster the existing issues and messages disseminated, and therefore reflect a significant impact on activism and social change.