Why this is important for designers?

Our design work can have a significant impact on issues of concern and can literally change our world. When we take positive action in our own communities, we show others how they can take steps to change their impacts.

Take action on this pledge:

• Support the 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development
• Design for the most vulnerable sectors and pressing causes of your community, bringing your creative skills to the table with your local non-profit organizations, foundations and charities.
• Design for the greatest impact. Design items that will benefit your community and are replicable in other regions.

Why this is important for designers?

“Free pitching” and “spec work” diminish the contributions of creatives. Design organizations globally have statements on spec work. When we say “no” to spec work we ensure that creatives are able to make a living. (Note: Pro bono work isn’t considered speculative work as this is work that the designer has deemed to be a gift).

Take action on this pledge:

• Communicate with clients or design competitions who request spec work to educate them on the potential pitfalls of spec work.
• If you are a student or recent graduate, seek payment for your creative work, whether in internships, job, or freelance opportunities.
• Join a design organization that defends designers’ rights to fair compensation.
• Avoid benefitting from unfair pricing.

Why this is important for designers?
When designers strategically aim to reduce waste, remove toxins and use materials efficiently, we provide best practices for others to follow. We can also promote resource and material reduction to our clients and their stakeholders, which helps reduce liability and builds a business’ integrity. So it’s good for our clients’ reputation as well as our own!

Take action on this pledge:

• Learn the basics of waste.
• Design with non-toxic materials that can be taken back, or upcycled, or are at the very least easily recyclable. Learn about the impact of printing inks. 
• Find suppliers who use renewable energy.
• Learn how to use materials like paper efficiently.  Use a paper calculator.

Why this is important for designers?

Culture is at the heart of our democracies. Design plays a role in defining our cultural identity, both regionally and globally. When designers nurture cultural diversity, we play a part in promoting peace, tolerance, cooperation and creative expression.

Take action on this pledge:

• Seek projects that help us understand our pluralistic heritage
• Seek projects that promote cultural expressions from hard-to-categorize cultures such as deaf and transgender cultures
• Design with (not for) people from other cultures

Why this is important for designers?
Designing for accessibility reaches more of your audience, ensuring that every person, regardless of their abilities or situations, can access information, products and services. Designers can help an elderly person who is uncomfortable with technology feel included, or help a low visual person access web content and digital documents just like everyone else. Design for accessibility is being put into law in many countries. As a designer, you pledge to adhere to the most recent accessibility standards.

Take action on this pledge:

• Avoid making assumptions.Test your work for accessibility directly with those who have disabilities.
• Consider your choice of formats, materials, typefaces, colours, contrasts, sounds, and the position of wayfinding in your strategies
• Learn the fundamentals of accessible design and integrate them into your work and workplace:
  • If you’re a product designer, learn more about Universal Design principles.
  • If you’re a visual designer working in digital or web environments, learn more about WCAG Level 2.0 standards for web content, and accessibility in digital documents (link to Adobe’s Accessibility Checker for PDFs).
  • If you design for print, learn more about the fundamentals of colour, legibility and braille (link to RGD’s Accessibility Handbook).
  • If you design environments, learn more about accessible signage and display elements.

Why this is important for designers?

Business is the foundation of our economy. Designers with high standards and practices model best practices for others. This helps demonstrate how small changes can help meet shareholder and stakeholder expectation.

Take action on this pledge:

Inclusiveness

• Adhere to the Global Compact’s Ten Principles to communicate that your business operates with the highest standard of values and principles, and if you are a studio with more than 10 employees, sign the Global Compact. 

Worker’s Rights and Fair Trade

• Adhere to the WFTO’s Ten Principles of fair trade.
• Ensure fair working wages and hours of all staff, and act if you see an unfair labour practice

Transparency and Accountability

• Avoid work with organizations involved in documented cases of corruption and instead work on projects that promote transparency in government and corporate trade.

• Create a code of conduct policy to address conflicts of interest, best practices and non-disclosure, and use ethical accounting principles in your business.

Why this is important for designers?

Only when all people are considered equal while respecting and valuing our differences will we see the elimination of bigotry and racism. When we value indigenous culture our world remains vibrant and diverse.

Take action on this pledge:

• Seek projects that support and consider the input of indigenous peoples. For example, work on projects that help nurture an endangered language, or hire an indigenous creative.
• Be cautious and avoid cultural appropriation.  
• Work on projects that promote the self-determination of indigenous peoples.

Share your action here.

Why this is important for designers?

We can’t make a better world for all without first acknowledging that every person in our world has inherent value, deserving of respect and care. As designers, our work affects the well-being of others, locally, and globally.

Take action on this pledge:

• Consult with your audiences to make your communication design materials appropriate for their culture.
• Avoid choosing “token” minorities in visual representations. Be authentically inclusive, choosing models that fairly represent your community.
• Ensure your studio is free from discrimination and if not, act to end it.
• Work on projects that promote human rights such as freedom of expression and equality.

Share your action here

Why this is important for designers?

When designers are aware of processes that endanger the health and well being of any animal and act to stop it, we support all life on our planet, as well as being responsible to shareholders, the majority of whom choose to uphold the rights of all sentient beings.

Take action on this pledge:

• Refuse work on projects where animal health is, or will be compromised.
• Work with vendors and suppliers whose practices and policies protect habitats and wildlife.
• Seek projects that promote biodiversity and wildlife protection.