This document is a proposal form for a BA (Hons) Graphic Design student's Context of Practice 3 project. The student, Melissa Morris, proposes exploring ethical and charity-based graphic design. Her past projects focused on raising awareness for homelessness and autism. For COP3, she wants to research ethics in design and create graphics for a charity to help society. Her research plan includes studying ethical design theories and examples, contacting designers, and learning about audience needs. She will survey potential charity audiences and discuss her project with charity workers. The goal is to understand ethical design and how to effectively support a cause through visual communication. Potential challenges include coordinating with charities and managing her time for in-depth research and design

1. BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form
Make sure you print a copy off for your own records
Name: Melissa Morris
E-mail: mm250174@students.leeds-art.ac.uk
SUBJECTS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH ALREADY UNDERTAKEN
Level 4:
Choosing a particular period from 1800 to present, in what ways has art or design responded
to the changing social and cultural forces of that period? (Arts & Crafts- William Morris)
Level 5:
How do traditional Printmaking methods affect contemporary Graphic Design?
(Benjamin- screen printing process)
AIM AND/OR OBJECTIVE OF YOUR PROPOSED C.O.P.3 PROJECT
Ethical/charity based design and design for “good” is something I have always been interested in. Through
college I completed a small project based on homelessness and raising awareness in a mock up project for
Shelter. In Level 5 I have completed a project based on raising awareness of the early signs of autism in
babies for parents. Creating design for social awareness is something I haven’t had chance to explore further
but would love to do so. COP3 would give me the opportunity to explore my own personal interests in
choosing a charity to create some form of graphic response for as well as being able to research in-depth
into ethics within my creative practice. Creating something real, which would help and affect society in a
positive manner, is something I strive to do from my COP3 project.
1. What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice?
- I will research into ethical design and what this actually means, in what formats and subject areas
are relevant?
- What theories are there based on ethics? What is “good”?
- Research into what the first things first manifesto is and why it came about? Why is ethical design
important now?
- Contacting studios and artists connected to ethical design and ask for their opinion about the subject
and why they work for charities ect.
- Research into different subject matter for the content of my practical piece as it will follow along with
a charity. I will need to research into several until I find one I feel passionate about creating for.
- I will need to gain an in depth knowledge of what ethical design is and how it can be applied to
graphic design. I want to avoid looking at advertising as it is graphic design and charity campaigns in
particular that I want to focus on.
2. What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and tools are to be involved
in research into your practice?
I will research into ethical design by looking at a broad range of theories (books) and also by looking at
examples of campaigns and examining them as to how and why they are ethical. I will research by
experimentation in creating artwork for a charity this will be through research into audience specifically
depending on the campaign I create as the colour, layout, tone of voice and many other elements will be
developed through experimentation and asking for feedback.

2. BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form
Make sure you print a copy off for your own records
3. What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place?
- I will research by looking at already existing campaigns and why they are successful.
- What elements make them work well? What format and context works for their audience?
- I need to have a clear understanding of what ethical design is and the purposes it has before even
creating any physical designs. If I am to create something, which is useful and successful in the ‘real
world’ outside of university I need to understand the audience I am creating for and what works well
in terms of capturing their attention.
4. What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?
- I will need to research into a specific charity in which I want to create for. This will include finding a
problem that they have that needs some form of graphic design whether that be a campaign ect.
- The charity I choose will then inform the research I partake in to know who the target audience is
and what their needs are. Their needs will inform what content is included in the physical element of
my designs as for example the colour choices, fonts, images, tone of voice will all be created with
the audience in mind.
Primary Sources of Information
1.Description Survey/ questionnaire to gain knowledge about audience.
Location Given out online or in person to people who are relevant to my charity of choice
2.Description Discussions with workers at the charity
Location Local smaller charities that could benefit from a graphic design input.
3.Description Getting into contact with designers who work for good causes
Location Online/ in person- to find out opinions on what makes good ethical design.
Secondary Sources of Information
1. Good: an introduction to ethics in graphic design. / Roberts, Lucienne (2006)
2. Ethics: a graphic designer's field guide. / Kane, Eileen MacAvery (2010)
3.
Conscientious objectives: designing for an ethical message. / Zappaterra, Yolanda & Cranmer, John
(2003)
4. First Things First Manifesto 1963/4 Ken Garland- Rewritten in 2000
5.
Kantianism (Immanuel Kant) Utilitarianism (John Stuart Mill) Social Contract Theory (Thomas Hobbes
and Jean-Jacques Rousseau) (all ethical theories- a start in collecting ideas and concepts)
6. Introducing ethics (garratt, Christ & robinson, dave) 2008

3. BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form
Make sure you print a copy off for your own records
Perceived problems or difficulties:
A particular problem could be getting into contact with particular charities and seeing if they want any
involvement. But a solution to this would be to continue making the design and propose it as a real life piece
to them as some form of pitch as of course it is difficult to communicate about needs ect.
Another problem could be time management and I need to ensure I give myself enough time to thoroughly
research my chosen area in terms of design and also my research that will run alongside in my essay. As
this is quite complex in terms of not only researching ethics but also researching how these theories and
ideas about ethics and society relate to campaign work and changing peoples minds from the dominant
ideologies/myths they already believe about particular issues.