Design Philosophy

​What is design? Why does it matter? These are questions I return to constantly — not because I lack answers, but because the answers keep changing as the world around me changes. The question I come back to most is simpler and harder than either of those: how can design help people?

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Art history has shown me that design isn’t merely a collection of styles but a reflection of human responses. Käthe Kollwitz made grief tangible to ensure it couldn’t be ignored; her images of war and loss served as protests against apathy. Hannah Höch and Kurt Schwitters deconstructed their surroundings and reconfigured them to reveal what’s broken. Toulouse-Lautrec brought his art into the streets. In the 1990s, punk zines replicated themselves on photocopiers because immediate communication took precedence over budgets. Wolfgang Weingart and David Carson challenged traditional typography because it failed to communicate truth. The link between these artists isn’t just their aesthetics but their attitude—they examined their era and responded deliberately.

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Design has always been persuasive. Ancient Mesopotamian relief carvings conveyed stories of power to influence viewers. Before widespread literacy, early posters influenced public opinion, with text dominating communication. The Marlboro Man didn’t just promote cigarettes; he sold an identity—a myth of freedom and masculinity so compelling it had deadly consequences. Nazi propaganda showed how visual communication could be weaponized to dehumanize and destroy. My research into memes continues this tradition: memes are not merely jokes or cultural references, but precise tools of persuasion. They influence feelings, distort perceptions of the truth, and lead people to adopt beliefs they wouldn’t reach through logic alone. In all these cases, the core mechanism remains the same: design influences perception, emotion, and belief. Understanding this—through art history, psychology, and empirical studies of images—is essential for responsible use of design. Ethical use of tools depends on understanding how they function.

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In a world marked by ongoing political, social, and environmental upheaval, we are constantly exposed to messages meant to divide, incite fear, or foster isolation. While design has played a role in creating these divides, it also holds the power to counteract them. When done well, design fosters community by making people feel recognized, connecting them, and building trust. Cup of Sugar was founded on the belief that a platform centered on dignity, mutual aid, and genuine human needs could succeed where commercial civic technologies often fall short. Panacea was created to support students during a pandemic because they needed direct communication. The manifesto was written because the field required a compelling argument. I believe design’s purpose is to teach, serve, and uplift.