Responsibilities of Employers
Many of the values RGD outlines for individuals also clearly apply to employers of designers. A creative professional could find themselves rising through the ranks of a design studio to become a manger. Leadership and team management are not skills that we excel at naturally. Most designers spend hours and hours in solitary work creating graphics. Being in charge of others is not at the forefront of our thoughts.
Understanding this, RGD outlines the key values a good employer should express. Firstly, the employees should never be asked to break any of the established RDG rules. Potential clients may request spec work, which should always be rejected even if the employees are paid for their time. Speculative work should never be accepted as appropriate.
Another potential pitfall is the need for good time management. Creative professionals always struggle with procrastination and require clear deadlines and expectations. As an employer, we have the added responsibility of creating and enforcing them. In addition to deadlines, we must also be prompt with email replies from employees. Designers will often run into roadblocks that need a decision, so we must respect their time and provide answers as soon as possible.
Finally, the design employer must also ensure a safe work environment. The creative professional can take many forms, although certain trends and stereotypes do emerge. Graphic design attracts men and women in equal measure. Visual communication gives voice to the quietest among us. Graphic designers tend to be more introverted and have great sensitivity. They often come from marginalized communities and have diverse backgrounds and interest. This means an employer must take extra effort to be inclusive. In the field of design, the typical workplace diversity issues can be inverted. Women bosses need to ensure they hire men and LGBTQ bosses should ensure they hire cisgenders. Employees should always feel welcome.
Responsibilities of Educators
Teachers of Graphic Design must be wary of their influence on their students. Similar to employers, educators must strive to ensure a safe environment for new designers. Learning design requires creative expression, which can make an individual feel especially vulnerable. Students must be treated with compassion and dignity when they inevitably make mistakes.
Accepting and giving appropriate and helpful criticism is essential to growth as a designer. Critical reviews, articles, and blogs are all aspects of design work that can show off ones writing skills as well as their design knowledge. A well-written and intelligent critical review of another designer can help validate yourself and your subject as designers in the world. Collaboration is a good thing in our profession, but it can descend into cruelty if you are not careful. Learning to appropriately criticize the work of others is an essential skill that must be developed in the classroom.
The educator also has the responsibility to teach students how to navigate the social dynamics of the design field. There is constant demand for speculative work and unpaid exposure. Designers need to learn to value their time and effort in a world full of people eager to belittle their work.
Designers also need to recognize the type of meta-information that they should know. A designer must obviously be well-read in their field, but they also must have knowledge of cultural symbolism and accessibility. As mentioned in the responsibilities towards clients, the design student must recognize failures and deftly correct them. This means the educator has the responsibility to always reinforce the needs of marginalized communities and the effects of unintended symbolic messages.