After focusing on consumerism for so long, we are seeing a movement of artists on a mission to create for social change. By harnessing unique problem-solving skills and owning their altruistic impulses, designers are acting as catalysts to create social change within their communities worldwide. This rise in the designer’s epiphany for personal fulfillment has created a movement to provide products and services for the greater good.

As homelessness remains a major concern worldwide, one design firm has proposed a solution by thinking outside of the box (literally). The Slovakian firm DesginDevelop designed The Gregory Project, which is a creative way to introduce social change while still satisfying a company’s advertising needs. By constructing billboards a specific way, The Gregory Project proposes a dual functionality of a billboard first and [low-income] living area second.

Universities and colleges have began implementing design courses and internships (like impact.sva.edu , designforamerica.com and social entrepreneurship) focused on teaching students how to build and create designs that can have a positive impact on social change. Designing for Social Change is a book by author Andrew Shea that illustrates twenty case studies of “how design professionals and students approach unique challenges when working on a social agenda.”

To view a few of our Philanthropy projects, visit our website portfolio at absherdesign.com.