Designing for the Best Interest of the Client Includes Research

For the purposes of our discussion, the word "amateur" is not derogatory but refers instead to someone who is not trained and experienced specifically in our field. It could refer to anyone from a helpful hobbyist to a secretary whose boss has provided some design-type software with expectations that the secretary can use the software to eliminate the need to turn to a more expensive professional! While this may seem a cost-efficient decision by the boss there can be other costs associated with doing so! The example following will illustrate this point.

In British Columbia Canada, the government has been in negotiation with many First Nation bands over land claim issues for many years. The process has taken a long while and results have been painfully slow coming. Needless to say, frustrations among First Nation people have been growing over time as they have felt disrespected both by the process as well as the government.

The BC government, at one point, began making attempts to convince band members that there was in fact respect toward them. These efforts were conducted internally within government. One such effort came across my desk, as an outsider, and presented a very poignant example of how serious gaffs occur regardless of good intentions. The document was schmooze piece (no surprises) however the decorative image in the document (chosen to demonstrate 'respect for native culture') was a real forehead-slapping, eye rolling head-shaker. The well-intentioned government worker who produced the document chose an attractive native drawing of a creature from native lore ...one called a "Kwakwakalanooksiwae" ...a cannibalistic monster. Somehow I don't think that was the impression intended ...however poignant the error may have been!

This is an example of someone working hard to produce a good document for their employer but who failed to research far enough to discover that (however decorative) the image was definitely inappropriate and even damaging to the project! The mistake was innocently made but inherently disrespectful to the audience and embarrassing to the employer!

Our responsibility to the client, as professionals, is to always exercise due diligence in assessing the broad picture of how our work will be viewed, who will view it, how it will or could be interpreted and to always make sure we know why we are using any particular element in a presentation particularly were factors such as culture, religion and race are coming into play.

As an example of using research to create culturally sensitive and informed work, please look at the Year of the Rooster artwork and read the associated article which will point toward why certain elements were included in the art.