Ethical Policy

Thoughtful have an ethical policy.

It's on the website where everyone can look at it. We bank with the Co-op and so when asked we use their ethical policy as a guide to these issues. But we don't talk about it on our website.

Does anyone know of any graphic design companies (small or large) with an ethical policy?

Comments

[minxlj]

I don't know of any in the North East, which is very sad because that's the type of company I want to work for. I suspect a lot of agencies may jump on the bandwagon and talk the talk because ethical policies are all 'trendy' now - but I hope not.

[Guy]

Thomas.matthews have a sustainable design philosophy on their website, which is the nearest I have come across.

http://www.thomasmatthews.com/

[Nick]

Two Twelve have some interesting points under Philosophy and Mission on their site, including their environmental mission: http://www.twotwelve.com/flash/

AIGA also have a great section on their site:
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/professional-practices

I couldn't find it but Milton Glaser wrote a beautiful guide to ethics in design a few years back.

[Nick]

sorry for another post, here's the Milton Glaser Article. Under Number 10 is his Ethical questions for a designer, I love them! We've all done some of them I'm sure

http://www.icograda.org/web/feature-past-single.shtml?pfl=feature-single-2.param&op2.rf1=103

[Jess Sand]

I've got a sustainability policy in place for Roughstock:

http://www.roughstockstudios.com/2006/12/our-commitment-to-sustainability.html

I'm actually in the process of redesigning the entire site, which will include more detail about both our sustainability and ethical policies.

Given the nature of the design and marketing business (I like to quote Bill Hicks, who calls us the "ruiners of all things good"), it's very important to me that the work I do be conducted with regards to the people it impacts (both directly and indirectly).

[Darren wilson]

I know airside have been working really hard at adopting an ethical policy right from their creation. Drop Nat Hunter a line over there, I'm sure she'd be keen to tell you about it.

[Ciaran McCabe]

George Nelson had my favorite take on it:

George Nelson on working:

Last week, on the way to Fort Wayne’s airport, I passed a new housing tract. The land in the area is wooded and rolling, but the development had been bulldozed flat and all the trees, of course, were gone. At the entrance to this instant wasteland there was a sign: “Wildwood.” ... It is our fate, recalling the ancient Chinese curse, to live in interesting times. The heads of every one of us are full of lumps from these interesting times, and anyone may be forgiven for finding himself in a state of confusion. Still, there is one way to simplify an impossibly complicated situation which I find both practical and comforting. It is to look at whatever one is doing and to decide whether it is an act that will enhance life, even to the most minute degree, or something that will work against life. What makes this kind of work worth doing? What is the payoff for the effort demanded? In my view the answer is simple: it is the only way to get an exit visa from Wildwood.

[Jim]

We have one (and we are in the North of England)

How we want to be:

http://www.sumodesign.co.uk/nice.html

How we try and be more green:

http://www.sumodesign.co.uk/eco.html

[Ben]

Brilliant. Thanks everyone.

Keep 'em coming.

[Tom]

If you would like an action - based policy as opposed to something to design your web site around - I can give you that opportunity.

[Tom]

Someone's already mentioned it, but I saw a talk in Cardiff from Thomas Matthews earlier in the summer and it was really inspiring. It struck me that it was more than just a policy page on a website, more a sort of philosophy that guided how their work came out at the end.