An Introduction to Design for Social Innovation

Abstract

It is self-evident that society is affected by Art and vice versa, and we cannot separate this mutual influence between the development of human thought and the development of his artistic taste. The well-known British art writer and critic, Herbert Reed, confirms in his book “Art and Society” that art is a path of knowledge, and the world of art is a special system with a value to man that is comparable to the value of the world of philosophy and science, and the truth is that we do not begin to appreciate the importance of art in the history of mankind except when we clearly see art as a path equal to the other approaches in which man reaches to comprehend what surrounds him, and is distinguished from it”.

The rapid and successive developments of artistic and philosophical movements and trends that emerged and spread in the twentieth century opened many boundaries and horizons for the concept of art in the modern era.  Many new concepts and terms have emerged for visual arts that fall under the concept of graphic design, which is considered one of the arts most affected by technology and its continuous developments, as well as It provides a visual and cultural field that eliminates visual illiteracy, and contributes to achieving a visual development of society to realize special aesthetic aspects in an era that has its daily scientific, cultural and civilizational achievements.

Graphic design may be an art in itself, and it can be beautiful at times, but the role of a graphic designer is not just to create an attractive image or decorate a specific space with a beautiful visual formation. The graphic designer has a more important social responsibility, and this can come in different forms as the graphic designers are responsible for the effective communication of ideas. While doing so, they must take into account the needs of the target audience, social, cultural or ethical trends, and also, at a deeper level, sustainability and impact on the environment.

This research comes to present a new concept in contemporary design, which is the design of social innovation, which has begun to attract designers greatly because it gives the designer the freedom to create solutions to social problems, and to present what he deems appropriate of artistic works to leave their effects in society directly, and beyond the traditional process of design, which is based on the principle of the client / designer. This research presents what are the controls and foundations upon which the design of social innovation is built, the extent of the impact that the designer may play, and what are the difficulties it encounters, and can social design leave real effects in society?