Clare's Post2: 10 Commandments of Design

Coming down the mountain with my ten personal ethics in design..

Stacy, hi! I know you said 10, but I remember you saying keep going if we thought of more. I thought of more.


1 I work within my bible-trained conscience and spiritual beliefs. I would not work on any project that denigrated my God, Jehovah.
http://www.watchtower.org/
This website is the website for the spiritual faith of which I am a part. It is a not-for-profit organisation. For legal reasons it is a registered corporation.



2 I will develop and present original ideas and design outcomes. I will present ideas that have integrity.


3 I would collaborate with individuals or companies or corporations that use labour that is a) legal and/or b) using individuals of a working age and intellectual capacity for understanding and authorisation that are morally acceptable. I will not personally employ, or work for an agency of individual who uses slave labour, or enforces unfair employee practices.


http://www.ilo.org/public/english/comp/child/standards/index.htm
This site looks at International Labour. This link is specifically in regard to Child Labour.


http://www.actu.asn.au/public/papers/laborrights.html
ACTU is the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=10377&cn=208
This site discusses how the intellectually challenged and those with emotional disorders can and are an intergral and productive members of society, like everyone else.



4 I will not rip off other people's work, no matter how tempting, or time-saving! I will acknowledge and credit all collaborations (and references, where possible.)
http://www.aiga.org/
http://www.agda.com.au/



5 I will protect my own work with appropriate copyrights, patents, trademarks and registrations.
http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/
http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/
http://www.copyright.com.au/
http://www.copyright.org.au/



6 I will be honest with my client and communicate with them, and come to an agreed brief and arrangement. I will work in a timely manner and charge them at the agreed rate.



7 In collaborating with other designers and clients, I may be prepared to compromise on exact matters of personal style, but I will fight for my vision, not as a matter of personal vanity, but only if it edifies the brief; and I will try not to forgo my moral values for the sake of a buck.



8 I will be as informed as I possibly can regarding the origins, manufacturing, destination, use, testing and any economic or political agendas involved in the product I am designing before accepting the brief.



9 I will not work on any design in support of any political party. I will also not be involved in any issues presented in a politicised manner or be the puppet of a shadow-master, whatever mask he wears.



10 I will, where possible, work on designs that truthfully inform the public on current issues facing us all globally.



11 I would not knowingly work for any armaments or weaponry company or that section of government. In the case where funds from one company are siphoned off under an umbrella corp to fund guerilla warfare, for example, I will be as informed as much as possible, and boycott those companies.



12 I will not work for any part of any army, navy, "peace-keeping force", Red-Cross (or other politicised aid organisations) etc



13 I will not work for cigarette advertisers/companies.



14 I will enjoy my work and offer quality design ideas and outcomes; and I will work at being a better, more creative, more motivated, more responsible, more informed, more conscientious, more educated designer than I was yesterday.



15 I will design with cultural appropriateness and respect, and communicate beforehand with members of the communities for their guidance and collaboration.



16 I will encourage feedback and constructive criticism from my colleagues, clients, (and friends and family if confidentiality was not an issue.)



17 I will not work for a company that denudes communities, razes protected wildlife habitats, landscapes and ways of life.



18 I will try to arrange for opportunities for those disadvantaged in my working community. I will recognise not-for-profit organisations, like Co-operatives, volunteer orgnisations and small businesses and give them my support and seek their collaboration.



19 I will not test my products on animals or create products that involve the killing of animals for the finished product. (Reference : Emma's blog. Thanks Emma (; )



20 I will not use old growth timber. I'll go for plantation timber and encourage the use of sustainable and/or recylable materials where feasible.



21 I will not work on any pornographic, sexually explicit and gratuitously violent content.



22 I will pick my battles. For example, I would not work for an oil company, however I am aware that practically everything in my house and life is a by-product of oil. Where do I draw the line? That would need to be answered on a case by case basis I believe.



For instance, household items from Air conditioners&anti-histamines to volleyballs&waterpipes are made from oil by-products.

A more complete list of items made from oil by-products can be found at the link below.
http://wolf.readinglitho.co.uk/mainpages/oilproducts.html




In making this list I am reminded of the awesome personal and designer-related responsibilities I have to others, this planet and myself. It's staggering actually!