Campaign Propaganda is a semester long project that will culminate in
the production of a design system which will include logos, symbols, color
and type palettes, posters, flyers, voting guides, brochures, etc...
These assignments connect thematically and make use of class readings,
research conducted in the library, in periodicals, tv, radio and the web.
Graphic design is a powerful means of communicating civic messages and
stimulating thinking about the issues that define our world. Conscious
visual organization and information design makes complex information easier
to understand and to use. In this class we will examine a variety of design
tactics and apply them to the study and development of campaign propaganda.
...It may seem strange to suggest that the study of propaganda has
relevance to contemporary politics. After all, when most people think
about propaganda, they think of the enormous campaigns that were waged
by Hitler and Stalin in the 1930s. Since nothing comparable is being
disseminated in our society today, many believe that propaganda is no
longer an issue.
But propaganda can be as blatant as a swastika or as subtle as a joke.
Its persuasive techniques are regularly applied by politicians, advertisers,
journalists, radio personalities, and others who are interested in influencing
human behavior. Propagandistic messages can be used to accomplish positive
social ends, as in campaigns to reduce drunk driving, but they are also
used to win elections and to sell malt liquor.
As Anthony Pratkanis and Elliot Aronson point out, "every day
we are bombarded with one persuasive communication after another. These
appeals persuade not through the give-and-take of argument and debate,
but through the manipulation of symbols and of our most basic human
emotions. For better or worse, ours is an age of propaganda." (Pratkanis
and Aronson, 1991)
As we move forward into the semester we will be building on each class
and project in an effort to explore the practical applications of visual
organization and information design as it relates to communication in
public campaigns and propaganda.
Preliminary Research
Each student will choose an issue (or a person running for public office)
to create a campaign for. See list below if you need some help finding
an issue to choose.
The issue (or core platform of the candidate) should fall into one or
more of the following categories:
Social
Political
Economic
Religious
Cultural
Begin researching the issue by compiling relevant facts and statistics,
anecdotal stories, history, etc. Throughout the semester assignments will
be focused on developing designs related to each student’s campaign
issue. Imagine your campaign's "brand" and communicate that
through maps, factual and/or propagandistic information, narratives, logos,
print marketing, campaign schwag, and data through information graphics,
etc.
