Anoushka Khandwala
Decolonising design
CSM Graphic Communication Design colleague Anoushka Khandwala writes for the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) ‘Eye on Design’ about what it actually means to decolonise design.
In the article, Khandwala reflects on how designers are inspired by our individual taste, derived from our upbringing, linking to our individual experiences of identity, background, race and social status.
Khandwala argues that exposure to the Western design canon, whether directly or indirectly through educational institutions, shapes the design development of students, shapes them into a European mould.
“The work designers make is inspired by taste, and taste is often derived from what we’re exposed to during our upbringing. But design values and history is taught through a canon; that accepted pantheon of work by predominantly European and American male designers that sets the basis for what is deemed “good” or “bad.” The authority of the canon has undermined the work produced by non-Western cultures and those from poorer backgrounds so that Ghanaian textiles, for example, get cast as craft rather than design.”
Khandwala, 2019
My own experience of design school
I recall this happening at art school, what felt like a positive influence, learning about design in lectures and class projects but also being influenced by the architecture of the Lethaby building, work displayed on walls, books in the library, London design culture more generally, exhibitions at the Barbican, etc. But there is definitely an aspect of this that is about losing part of one’s own cultural identity in your work.
In more progressive art/design schools (CSM for example), there is noticeably less teaching from the canon, I recall only a couple of contextual / design history lectures at CSM. We were encouraged to explore the subject in the way we wanted to. I don’t recall anyone really looking at the reading lists.
So the ideal goal would be that students are encouraged to nurture their own tastes, find ideas and research their own cultural backgrounds and share this knowledge with a cohort that is diverse in terms of race, social background, nationality, gender, sexuality, politics, etc and that this creates a discourse where different views, knowledges and practices are valued and encouraged to develop.
One great tutor I had at the University of East London, would encourage students to explore their own backgrounds and experience in their work as he would say, “your experience is valid” and encouraged this perspective as a way to develop our own approach to design and develop design languages that reflected our experiences.
How we move away from teaching from the canon
One could argue that even in progressive institutions, like CSM, where a lot of work has been done to centre the learning on each student’s individual experience, is still operating within a institution who’s legacy is part of a colonial system. The influences of class, race, etc permeate in a multitude of subtle ways, from the lack of diversity in the student demographic, in teaching staff, in reading lists and resources, but even in the way the library is organised for example.
Often what we end up doing when pointing students to references is reproduce these white male references, as we grew up with them and they are the most prominent. There is also the issue of hierarchy, what is considered serious or professional in terms of references. It’s easier to diversify a set of references but there tends to be an emphasis on the references from the Western canon as neon the more advanced, serious, professional, etc. Others from marginalised communities as often presented as amateur, less-professional, outsider, less sophisticated, ‘other’.
Distinctions and divisions can “other” both designers and designs. Simba Ncube, a graphic design student and researcher at London’s Central Saint Martins, describes his experience of being labelled as a “Black designer:” “While identity and solace can be found in the words, they still ‘other’ the practitioner and therefore their work,” he says. “When Western conventions are centred in design, this means that anything else is seen as ‘different.’” When a homogenous group of people decide what’s “good,” it’s detrimental to the profession, and results in the majority of people striving towards a similar style.
Khandwala, 2019
So as tutors we need to work against this ‘othering’ and flatten the hierarchy of references, and the way we discuss knowledge and acknowledge sources of knowledge from cultures other than the West.
Students are learning about design, and look to please the tutors, or meet the learning outcomes, in order to achieve good grades. When they look for examples of ‘good’ design and see these models from the Western canon, this affects what they are striving to achieve.
As a global society, if we are to learn about how design can improve the world around us and value the environment, then we will benefit from alternative ways of thinking to those that have brought us to our current state.
What are the realities of attempting decolonisation?
Khandwala talks later about the challenges of decolonisation: “Realizing that the standards we’ve been taught are not universal is key to decoloniality. And it’s not easy: Ncube likens the process of unseeing Western culture as getting a “fish to understand that it’s in water.”” (Khandwala, 2019).
Khandwala references educator and designer Danah Abdulla (one member of the research group Decolonising Design) and uses her quote: “decoloniality is about shattering the familiar.” (Abdulla, quoted in Khandwala, 2019).
Khandwala makes the connection to capitalism and as ‘”an instrument of colonization,” and therefore that it’s almost impossible to truly decolonize in Western society at present’ (Khandwala, 2019).
So a key aspect of the argument of decolonisation is to see the Western canon as one approach of many different regional views or approaches. It’s also important for designers to consider a diverse audience for their work and that the meaning of one design language may not mean the same thing for others.
‘The process can extend to something small like selecting typefaces. Many designers will spring for a certain font because it’s “timeless.” But will a diverse audience see it the same way?’
Khandwala, 2019
Khandwala also presents tips for decolonizing our design practices:
“To avoid taking charge of another’s narrative, or appropriating what isn’t yours, recognize when a project is not yours to take. When it’s not, promote someone more appropriate to take your place.”
Khandwala, 2019
“Therefore taking yourself out of the equation can be an opportunity to ensure people from marginalized backgrounds get a place in the creative community.”
Khandwala, 2019
“Working with minority owned printers, for example, is one way of decolonizing design labor”.
Khandwala, 2019
Khandwala’s closing statements talk about the “process” of decolonisation, something we should all aim to work towards but that there is no easy finite fix:
“Ultimately, there is no finite end that we’re trying to reach: Decolonization is a process. The fact that it’s a journey means that in order to keep evolving, we must be continually curious, and educate ourselves about what we haven’t experienced directly.”
Khandwala, 2019
#decolonisation #canon #taste #capitalism #identity
Bibliography
Khandwala, A. (2019) ‘What Does It Mean to Decolonize Design?’, AIGA Eye on Design, accessed 19 November 2024 (https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/what-does-it-mean-to-decolonize-design/)