There’s been a lot of talk among designers lately about change. Milton Glaser is talking about Designism—using design to change the course of politics. William McDonough is talking about Cradle to Cradle—rethinking how we design and make things, which is currently from creation to landfill. Ric Grefé is talking about Design for Democracy, so that leadership is never again determined by guessing the number of hanging chads. Christopher Liechty is talking about Cross-Cultural Design and understanding cultural differences around the world so we can be better communicators. Stefan Sagmeister is talking about touching someone’s heart with design. Natalia Ilyin is talking about Chasing the Perfect and not getting so hung up an antiquated design theory that we lose sight of the human being who is supposed to benefit from our design work.

Designers are not the only ones talking. Business and cultural leaders are talking about the Triple Bottom Line, Corporate Social Responsibility, Value-Driven Business, The Global Reporting Initiative, The Creativity Economy and Innovation—all terms they are reading in BusinessWeek and hearing at business conferences.

It may sound like these designers and business leaders are quoting different theories, but they are not. They’re all talking about the same thing: using our creative thinking and design skills to help redirect the present course of the world—economically, socially and environmentally. Maybe it was Hurricane Katrina that finally did it. Maybe it was Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth. Maybe it’s the never-ending casualties and ever-growing troops in Iraq. Whatever the trigger, there’s a collective feeling that we can no longer afford to go on working and living the way we have. In a world that grows smaller every day—where we are economically interdependent on each other, where cultural and social clashes create terrorism, where the changes in the environment are now too disturbing to ignore—the things we are creating no longer feel sustainable.

During interviews, I’m struck by how many designers believe sustainability is about using green materials. It shows we are only thinking about execution, but being environmentally responsible in our design decisions is only one part of being sustainable.¹ Making decisions that take into account humanity and long-term economic impact are also part of it. But to me, being sustainable means asking oneself: What do I want to leave the next generation through the work I do today?

If you’re feeling like me, the only thing that seems to be standing in the way of creating a meaningful and lasting legacy is the reality of your rent. You wonder if there’s a way to break out of your day-to-day responsibilities and change what you are doing, to make a difference where you already work and live.

Sometimes the best thing to do is borrow inspiration from others. I talked to designers attempting to change how they approach their day-to-day work (yes, for clients). No one has all the answers. There’s no how-to manual. Everyone is figuring it out as they go, learning from what works and what doesn’t, project by project. I’ve selected three that inspired me, for this article (even though there are more).

Mark Randall: Bringing a meaningful message to client work
The recent Urban Forest Project, a collaboration between Worldstudio, Times Square Alliance and the New York Chapter of AIGA, was intended to show the public how graphic design and visual communications can spark change. But for me, the lessons in this project ran deeper. Mark Randall developed his client relationship with the Times Square Alliance beyond servicing immediate needs, and considered the life span of the project.

Thirteen years ago, David Sterling had a successful career at branding agency Doublespace, where he designed everything from brand identities and logos to posters, packaging and album covers. But he was feeling restless; he wanted to start addressing more humanitarian issues in his day-to-day work. Mark Randall joined him in his sentiment.

They knew they still needed to earn a living and pay rent. They still liked being designers. They still liked having clients. So they started Worldstudio, Inc., a for-profit company in New York City. To fulfill their dream of pursuing projects with a human and social agenda, they took a portion of profits from Worldstudio, Inc., and established Worldstudio Foundation.

They wanted Worldstudio Foundation to be more than a soapbox. They sought to engage their creative colleagues in hands-on work, such as mentoring high school students and working with them to address violence and tolerance in their schools and communities. Randall adds, “We enlisted professional designers and artists to mentor these kids, to show them how graphic design and visual communications can give them a platform—a voice—to express what matters to them.” Even more impressive, Worldstudio to date has raised and awarded $700,000 in scholarships for promising students wanting to pursue careers in design or art.

The goal? “We work like a mole from within. We recruit passionate, socially aware, young students. We mentor them. We help them fall in love with the potential of design. We give them money to go to school and get an education. Then eventually, they go out into the world and get jobs where they are able to actively participate in and influence key design and business decisions...we hope for the better.”

AIGA President Ric Grefe has taken notice. Randall continues, “Ric calls and says, ‘I love what you are doing. I believe there’s strength in numbers. What can AIGA do to help?’” And with that AIGA and Worldstudio joined forces to create a new program called Design Ignites Change. Randall exclaims, “I think it’s great because it makes our message that much louder, that much stronger.”

Design Ignites Change
The first initiative of Design Ignites Change is The Urban Forest Project in Times Square, Manhattan. The Times Square Alliance, one of Worldstudio Inc.’s clients, needed to fill 185 banners that promote good business and quality of life in Times Square. The client and Worldstudio Inc., however, decided to take it one step further: Bring other forms of design and art to Times Square (other than the larger-than-life advertisements) to show the public that there is more to Times Square than commercialism.

At the same time, Design Ignites Change leaders conducted a survey to find out what’s at the forefront of designers’ concerns these days. An overwhelming number said “sustainability.” (There’s a lack of consensus, however, on what it means and how designers can implement it.)