Design and social responsibility

Cooper, Rachel and Koo, Yoori (2021) Design and social responsibility. In: Design for Global Challenges and Goals :. Design for Social Responsibility . Routledge, London, pp. 38-46. ISBN 9780367568511

Abstract

This chapter explores the introduction and rise of design for social responsibility or socially responsible design. The authors provide a brief historical overview of how socially responsible design emerged within the last 50 years and the role of the designer. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the chapter draws on how designers have become activists, working with and for global communities, to take action into their own hands to reset the way we conceive of the world and how we inhabit it responsibly. The chapter concludes that the next challenge for designers lies in reframing the role of design globally to catch up on the SDGs and to act with total responsibility for the future of humans and the planet.