Abstract

Graphic designers give form to the media stream we consume every day. The rhetorical strategies in visual communication strongly influence how we think, vote, spend and live, thus, designers occupy positions of power in a global information culture. Along with this power comes the responsibility not only to serve client interests but also to be pro-active in support of community and society. <p> Presenters will report on Sticks + Stones, an ongoing multi-university collaboration that expands the traditional objectives of undergraduate design education by exploring inter-cultural issues among groups of students diverse in their ethnicity, religious practice, heritage, gender, and sexual orientation. Messages that miscommunicate or create unintended reactions are often born out of ignorance. The principle axiom driving Sticks + Stones is that the more we know about each other, the better we can shape expression for increasingly diverse populations. </p><p> The project curricula are challenging and unorthodox, sometimes encouraging students to confront, insult and label one another on the road to self-awareness and more informed perspectives. Museum tours and interschool conferences with guest facilitators help students gain a deeper understanding of the role design has played in both communicating propaganda and encouraging tolerance. </p><p> Project effects will be discussed including public events, exhibitions, interschool collaboration and an emphasis on “making” as a vital component in pedagogy. Sticks + Stones activity planned for 2010 will include participation by design students in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.</p>