Fast.Co Design posted a fascinating (and admittedly very reactionary) op-ed yesterday regarding the widely-circulated poster produced to benefit post-Quake Japan. We’re curious what you guys think about the issue.

Signalnoise designed this poster shortly after the disaster, in a move reflecting the helplessness that everyone watching the developments in Japan is feeling. The sales of the poster went to the Canadian Red Cross, and totalled more than $7,000. Wonderful, obviously, that a designer could raise that kind of money so quickly – and as John Pavlus points out, it’s a beautiful piece of design, and the intentions behind it are good. But what about the motives implicit in conspicuous consumption? Does buying the piece say something about your willingness to donate, or about your wanting to be seen as someone willing to help? And at what point does a visual depiction of suffering (i.e. the blood-red “splatter” at the bottom of the circle) become disrespectful?

Anyways, we’re still mulling it over, but go read the piece here, and tell us where you fall on this one (editorial@architizer.com or @architizer).

by Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan

posted in Debate

tagged Debate, graphic design, japan, you tell us

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