Abstract

As the young graphic and industrial designers we teach graduate into an uncertain future, they must be prepared to address and help solve emerging resource and societal issues. In this course, the design student explored current and future issues facing their profession. EDGE (Ethics of the Designer in a Global Economy) is a class taught by the research-based faculty team (Eric Benson and John Jennings) that aims to help shape students into “citizens for the 21st century” through proactive, instead of reactive projects. All projects assigned in this class lived outside of the classroom to help inspire and create awareness of the issues in the local and design communities. The students work for the semester is documented online and will soon be in a printed literary journal designed by the students. Whether by an architect, industrial/fashion or graphic designer, the objects and systems that play a key role in shaping our everyday lives have been intentionally created to support a cause or to be sold in the marketplace. With that in mind the designers’ power to enact a sustainable and equitable change is profound.