Can designers make a political difference? | Figma Blog
The post argues that designers can make a political difference by applying their skills, platforms, and creative work to support vulnerable communities and challenge political ideas. After Trump’s election, many designers moved from grief to action through pro-bono services, fundraising, public art, and political satire. Their work may not change policy directly, but it can strengthen organizations, shape public conversation, and build solidarity. ## Visible: Design Support for Grassroots Organizations - Portland agency The Beauty Shop responded to the 2016 election by offering free design work to organizations serving women, people of color, Hispanic, Muslim, immigrant, and LGBTQ communities. - The response quickly grew: - Their Instagram following quadrupled in two days. - Around 300 designers and studios volunteered, including a Facebook design team. - The founders created Visible, a coalition connecting designers with grassroots organizations. - Its initial twelve partners included: - The Iowa Abortion Access Fund - Nightingale, a healthcare-focused publication - The Yemen Peace Project, whose website had been attacked by hackers - The designers argued that strong branding and visual structure can make organizations appear more legitimate and help them succeed. ## Creative Action Network: Celebrating Shared Values - Creative Action Network (CAN) organizes artists around social-good campaigns for groups such as the National Parks Conservation Association and the New York Public Library. - After the election, CAN launched a project to publish one poster per day for the first 100 days of the Trump administration. - The posters celebrated elements of American life including jazz and religious freedom. - Rather than focusing only on protest, CAN emphasized celebrating the values and communities people wanted to preserve, creating common ground. ## Hallie Bateman: Art as Fundraising and Personal Resistance - Illustrator Hallie Bateman questioned whether her usual focus on ordinary moments still fit a changed political reality. - After reflecting on art’s role during periods of conflict, she began using her illustrations to raise money. - She sold a limited-edition drawing and donated the proceeds, excluding printing costs, to Planned Parenthood, raising $2,000. - She later created another print to support the Sierra Club. - Bateman acknowledged that her approach was informal and could become more strategic, but viewed creative fundraising as a meaningful way to contribute. ## Ben Barry: Political Satire Through Design - Former Facebook designer Ben Barry accepted a freelance assignment from The New York Times to design a satirical job application mocking Trump. - He explored several visual directions, including: - A poorly formatted elementary-school field-trip flyer - A document styled like an internal Russian government memo - An exaggerated, gold-and-brassy design reflecting Trump’s public image - The project allowed Barry to use design and humor in one of the country’s largest newspapers to criticize an administration he opposed. Designers can contribute politically by offering practical expertise, amplifying causes, raising funds, celebrating shared values, and using visual communication to expose or ridicule political power. The examples suggest that meaningful action does not require a single grand strategy; individual creative efforts can support broader movements.
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