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Design 4: Visual Organization and Information Design

Week 12: Disinformation and Propaganda Analysis

The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition (1989) says that in the 20th century the word propaganda developed the following meaning: "The systematic propagation of information or ideas by an interested party, esp. in a tendentious way in order to encourage or instill a particular attitude or response. Also, the ideas, doctrines, etc., disseminated thus; the vehicle of such propagation." I define it as information (words, images, sounds, etc.) used to manipulate people's behavior or beliefs. Regardless of whether the message is true or false, it is always manipulative. The target of a successful propagandist will feel that s/he has made a voluntary choice, even though s/he was never given a real chance to do so. And later, only very effective counter propaganda will be likely to effect a change.

During World War II, the word became a pejorative in the U.S. Therefore our advertisers, marketers, public relations officials and public information officers no longer call their product propaganda. Nevertheless, that is what it remains.

Read more

Analysis of deceptive information graphics

Consider this graph developed by the U.S. Treasury Department to illustrate how jobs are rebounding and unemployment falling under the Bush economic policies.

When evaluating any design, especially advertising and information graphics consider the following issues:
(see sample analysis in green)

What is the item are you analyzing? Government economic policy graph
The message is transmitted using (check off all applicable categories)
__X__ written language _____ spoken language _____ music _____ other sound
__X__ image (photo, drawing, etc.) __X__ color _____ other visual _____ other _______________________

The medium used to transmit the message is (check off the type that applies)
_____ book _____ magazine _____ newspaper _____ mail or e-mail _____ billboard or poster
_____ TV _____ radio _____ film _____ CD, audiotape, etc. __X__ other Website, and Press Release

Who authored the message? United States Treasury Department, Author / Designer Unknown

At whom is it targeted? News and business press, and mass media

Is it commercial or non-commercial? Noncommercial but meant to influence policy and commercial interests

In one clear, brief sentence, summarize the message with which you've think is the focus of this example. The graphic implies that the Bush economic policies are working and an indicator is the increase in job growth.

Are there other propagandistic messages in this item? Yes, the un-stated message is that implementing the oppositions economic policies will harm the economy.

Is the author attempting to elicit a behavior or a belief? Belief

Clearly state the behavior or belief the author wants from the target. Believe that the neo-conservative economic policies instigated by President George W Bush have had a positive impact on the economy.

Does the message attempt to manipulate with emotion, reason or both? Reason

Describe how you think the manipulation works?
1. Misrepresenting performance data. Displaying only 3 years gives minimal historical perspective. This is particularly clear, given that the average rate of unemployment displayed is from 1960 to 2005.
2. Jobs are not normalized to population. Actually, since the unemployment rate is being displayed, it's not clear that anything is gained by showing jobs also.
3. Double-y-axis graph is very hard to read and emphasizes a meaningless point on the graph where the lines cross. Use 2 separate graphs (or, probably better, just get rid of the "jobs" line entirely).
4. Axes are crowded. x-axis should be labeled every year, not every 2 months. y-axis could just have labels at 4%, 5%, 6%. And if you want to display jobs, display them in millions, not thousands to show a more accurate representation of the real impact of these policies.
5. Horizontal lines at 129, 130, etc., add nothing but clutter.

Do you believe this item was successful propaganda? Yes

What evidence supports your answer to the last question? Because this graph and data assumption was used to continue an economic policy and this data was referenced in news and media reporting as an indicator (at the time) that this administration's policies were working.

Use this propaganda analysis sheet to help you deconstruct design messages.

Let's look at some examples of propaganda and use this analysis sheet to deconstruct the message.

Army recruiting poster by James Montgomery Flagg

Antiwar poster, author unknown

Antiwar poster, author unknown

Air Force Recruiting/Branding TV Ad.

Reelect Ronald Reagan TV Ad: "Its morning in America again"

Example of capitalist indoctrination / anti-Communist propaganda

Related reading:

• "The role of the media in contemporary politics forces us to ask what kind of a world and what kind of a society we want to live in, and in particular in what sense of democracy do we want this to be a democratic society?" - Noam Chomsky, The Spectacular Achievements Of Propaganda
• The National Association of Manufacturers and Public Relations during the New Deal, by Richard S. Tedlow (note you can access this article through the MyNewSchool library electronic databases.
• Noam Chomsky on the Mohawk Valley Formula from Propaganda and the Control of the Public Mind.

Final Project Notes

Begin working on the design of your final project

Choose four different channel specific marketing tactics to include in your final project.

Examples of some advertising/marketing channels that you may choose from:

• Direct Marketing (e.g.. Mail and e-mail marketing, etc.)
• Outdoor Advertising (e.g.. Bill boards, bus wraps, taxi signage, digital signage, bus shelters, posters, etc.)
• Print Advertising (books, pamphlets, periodical advertisements, advertorials, posters, brochures, door hangers, etc.)
• Gorilla Marketing (e.g.. Spray-paint stencils, stickers, wheat-pasted posters, projection bombing, etc.)
• Marketing collateral (bumper stickers, buttons, hats, t-shirts, powerpoint templates, etc.)

Create a systematic visual design and apply it to each of the four designs so that they all work as one campaign.

Each of your designs should work together as a cohesive visual system. I.e. consistent color palette, grid system, typography, graphic/photo style, tone, logo, icons, etc.

Use propaganda tactics within your design.

Include information graphics.

In addition to the message in text you should also include information graphics used to convey some information in order to "convince" your audience of the merit of your issue. Information graphics come in a variety of forms. Here are just a few examples that you may consider using.

• Map(s) (related to the issue. They may be geographic maps, process maps, concept maps, or linear maps such as a time line of an event).
• Tables, charts and graphs of Data (Statistics related to your issue. They may be represented in tables, graphs, charts, etc.)
• Diagrams and Flows (informational or instructional diagrams illustrating layers of information and/or steps of tasks)
• For more information about maps and information design graphics refer to lessons Visual Explanations and Information Graphics and Visual Explanations Interaction Design from Design III.
• Note all maps, and information graphics must be your own original work.
• Photography used in your projects may come from other sources, but do not rely on images from the web for printed projects. Web images typically have too low a resolution and generally are not ideal for printed projects.

Due May 12th, 2008

Extra Credit - War / Antiwar

Create six posters

Content

Three of the posters should be antiwar.

• You have been hired by The Center for Constitutional Rights to develop three posters to be distributed during both the Republican and Democratic conventions.
• Audience: Antiwar delegates, swing voters, activists and the press.

Three of the posters should be pro-war.

• Scenario: You have been hired by a PR firm (which was hired by Blackwater Worldwide) to develop a series of pro-war posters to be distributed during both the Republican and Democratic conventions.
• Audience: Pro-"National Security" Republicans and Democrats, anxious swing voters.

Considerations

• Use the propaganda techniques and good information and communication design principles we've been exploring in class.
• Two of the posters must include a comprehensive information design such as a map, graph, chart, diagram, etc.
• There should be a consistent visual vocabulary, including an organizing symbol such as a logo or pictogram which encapsulates the underlying idea of the poster's message.
• Each of these posters should be mounted on illustration board and presented as per syllabus requirements.

Format

• Size, each poster should be 18 x 20"
• Printed in color, each may use up to three colors (as well as black and white)
• Using Adobe Illustration, Photoshop and/or InDesign

Due May 12th, 2008

Extra Credit - Voter Guide Typographic Grid

Create a voter guide for the 2008 U.S. presidential election

Content

• The voter guide should be slanted toward one political point of view of your choosing.
  i.e. Left, Right, Green, Pro-Anti _(fill in the blank)_
• Must include the voting records of the candidates running for the president of the United States in 2008. The voting records should be slanted to emphasize how good your candidate is on your issue (of your choosing) and how bad the opponent is.

Format

• Printed in 2-4 colors
• Double sided typographic grid with multiple folds so it can fit in a voters front shirt pocket, and it can also be unfolded to present a poster on one side and the legible information on the other.
• Size: 22 x 33"

Considerations

• Be creative, you are trying to convince someone with information graphics and propaganda techniques how to cast their vote and why.
• Think about who your audience is. It may be bi-lingual (eg. English and Spanish) if it is directed toward a multi-language population. It may use emotion and reason to sway the voter.

Due May 12th, 2008

Related links

• Modular typographic grids
• Information hierarchies and suggestions for planning the content for a communication design such as a brochure