Managing Design: Responsibilities, Conduct and Rights

Abstract

The Design practice has influence not only on society, but also on the environment, economy and culture as well, being it formulates innovative solutions for specific problems. Even so, this science is not fully recognized by its true value and potential – neither in the public sector, nor in the private sector. Furthermore, Design Management is also a component that has an essential role in the proper performance of the projects and teams. Nevertheless, Portugal has no Order for the protection and organization of the professionals; the Responsibility, Conduct and Law as a rule are not present in the course teaching plans; and, sometimes, the legislation does not acknowledge the designers’ needs. Design was considered a discipline and began to have courses around 1975, making approximately 45 years of existence in Portugal (Gomes 2003). The area is an interdisciplinary practice and is present in several projects and companies. It is a comprehensive discipline, from Graphics with the perception of a brand, to Product Design with the conception of consumer pieces. The various branches of study within the Design hat have a great influence not only on society, but also on the planet, as it is present in everything (Papanek 1984). Furthermore, the number of trained designers and companies is growing in the country, according to data from the General Directorate of Education and Science Statistics (DGEEC). Even so, to date, there are no regulations or guidelines for the conduct of the area and, consequently, its professionals do not have protection or guidelines when exercising.

As for the general objectives of the study, this article seeks to deepen and contribute to the investigation in the area of the responsibility of Design and the analysis of the laws, rights and conduct of the designer in the activity of the profession. In terms of specific objectives, in addition to a literature review, three data collecting moments were executed in order to understand the perception and experience of the students, professors and professionals about the topic in question. In regard to the Methodology, first an Online Questionnaire was conducted (129 participants) to collect general quantitative data, then a qualitative research with Individual Interviews (12 people interviewed) and lastly, another quantitative research with a Survey (19 answers) so that participants could validate all the data collected and potential solutions generated throughout the study. With this data, it will be possible to interpret existing problems, find out what changes need to be implemented and how to move forward with raising awareness of the issues. Therefore, it is intended to investigate the role of the Design manager during the responsible creative process, contribute to the recognition and importance of the responsibilities and rights of Design in Portugal and, finally, understand that the area is an important strategic tool and should plan means of support and organization for its professionals.

While Design is a problem-solving activity, Design Management not only participates in the activity but also coordinates the Design process (Borja de Mozota 2003). As can be seen, Design has a great impact both on the economy, the public sector, and on business; Added to this, Best (2006) states that Design Management is another extremely important element to incorporate. Within an organization, Design Management is present in brand communication, products and services. Outside the organization, Design Management has the ability to respond to incremental pressure on organizations from the government and attitudes towards local management and global resources. With this, the essential question arises, if Design manages to have this influence on the lives of citizens and impact on society, it will be necessary to create changes in the dissemination and awareness of the area, updating the legislation, new plans or teaching methodologies and it will be necessary to investigate the organization of professionals? The world is constantly changing, social, historical and technological. Design has to keep up with these changes, it cannot ignore the sociocultural environment that surrounds it. (Monteiro 2004, p.27). Jet Gispen (2017), a researcher who developed toolkits on Ethics in Design for designers, says that Design has a great influence on the way people behave and live their lives. There is rarely a reflection on what a good solution entails, hence Gispen (2017) believes it is necessary for designers to understand the impact of their work and how they will incorporate it.

In essence, the investigation has the objective to comprehend how designers should act in terms of social, professional, ethical and environmental responsibility, which legislations do they have at their disposal to protect themselves, which conducts exist to regulate the field and what changes are necessary to make in these settings. It is expected that with this study it’s possible to aid the advancement of the conceptualization of the necessary structures to support the Design’ professionals, so that their contribution has a greater reach and has more recognition by the society.