AIGA recommendations for government support of design

With every administration change, a new opportunity arises to increase awareness of the value of design in the civic experience. In the case of the Obama Administration, the opportunity may be even more apparent because of the themes of the Obama campaign and the urgency for economic change.

AIGA urges the Obama Administration to recognize that communication design is the means to achieve some of its most significant goals: to improve the transparency and accountability of government to its citizens, by making the relationship clearer; and by raising the clarity and consistency of the United States’ image and communication around the world. The first is a high concept, low-cost initiative that will result in cost savings through fewer errors, less misunderstanding, greater compliance and responsible production values. The second should result in the United States’ communication materials being regularly recognized as among the best in the world, demonstrating the clarity and accountability of an effective democracy.

AIGA is seeking implementation of at least seven objectives or programs.

1. Propose that any stimulus package should consider the value of projects that improve the citizen experience through improved information and service design. The value: the research and planning effort is as labor intensive as the execution (unlike bridges); this is part of the participatory infrastructure; it hits citizens directly; it has cost, compliance and accuracy impacts; it is a relatively low-cost, high-concept investment; and the creative community is one of the nation’s most productive industry sectors.
2. Develop adequate data to measure the contribution of design to creating value in the economy. The Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau should meet to develop improved economic data on the design occupations and their output in order to improve economic measures of value added through creativity, design and innovation, since this value is critical to national economic competitive advantage. This would be  a U.S. version of the British HM Treasury Cox Review on the contribution of creative industries to the British economy.
3. The principles of Design for Democracy should be embraced: to add a requirement in reform legislation for taxes, immigration, social security, Medicare, home finance, customs and census that calls for effective information design to ease the experience, lower the costs of processing, reduce errors, enhance understanding and encourage compliance. This means investing appropriately for a full program of design thinking and development by the best design professionals in the nation.
4. Establish an information design unit at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to provide continuous review of effective form design by agencies that must have OMB review their materials. Establish plain English, literacy and accessibility standards for all government documents.
5. Require a plain English version or summary for all legislation to be signed by the President.
6. Encourage and support the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in proposing a U.S. National Design Assembly in 2010 and Federal Design Improvement Program in 2011, similar to the activities to revitalize federal design standards and implementation in the 1970s (initially chaired by AIGA medalists Ivan Chermayeff and Richard Saul Wurman). AIGA will seek NEA support for this endeavor, which would include:
   
   • A White House Conference on Citizen Experience  (two days with White House-mandated participation of agencies but led by design and corporate types), leading to:
   • A two-day Federal Design Assembly in 2010, modeled after the one in the early 1970s that brings attention to the issue of branding America consistently, cleanly and effectively worldwide and to enhance the citizen experience through clarity, accessibility and effectiveness, leading to:
   • A Federal Design Improvement Program that engages the best communication designers in America, to be launched in 2011 and implemented by 2012. This would be a one- or two-year program, with continuing assessment of the effectiveness of design over five years.
7. Revive U.S. Information Agency exhibitions of design for international display at embassies, consulates and other venues.