AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design (AIGA|XCD)
An AIGA Chapter and Community of Interest

This printed version of the AIGA XCD Manifesto was produced in 2003 in English and Arabic. Arabic was chosen as the second language as a small way of reaching out to the Arab world in friendship and peace.

The brochure has two covers. A left-hand cover for English and a right-hand cover for Arabic. The texts meet in the middle. The pdf has been modified to function in this format. The brochure was distributed at Icograda Design Week in Istanbul. (http://istanbul.icograda.org/). 

Download a PDF of our manifesto. (English/Arabic)

The intersection of design and culture is a place where both the local and the global have a voice. The AIGA Center for Cross-Cultural Design (AIGA XCD) Chapter has been established to foster greater communication between designers across cultures, as well as a better understanding of the interwoven experience of design and culture in our lives. Technology, mass media and a global economy have made the world smaller, and the scope of cross-cultural audiences bigger for the design profession. It is imperative for designers to think beyond their national and cultural borders in order to create visual communication that is responsive to the diversity of audiences today.

The AIGA XCD Community of Interest proposes greater participation and more active citizenship by US designers in the global design community. We urge US designers to seek out and better understand the role of cultural and international issues in their work; whether it is across national borders or here at home. We believe that being a responsible designer today requires professionals to investigate the cultural and ethnic influences that define audiences and users in addition to meeting the goals of the message. By learning and accepting the role of things like tradition, religion, history, politics, economy, education and viewpoint, we can begin to understand the subtle differences that make audiences unique in a world that attempts to treat them all the same.

The AIGA XCD Community of Interest has been formed to address three main goals:

To facilitate and encourage greater participation among US designers in the global design community.

To serve as a point of contact for designers in other countries to begin a relationship with designers in the USA.

To address the changing needs of the design profession as more clients and jobs require international business experience and exposure.

In our attempt to meet these goals, we will use the following points to help guide us in our mission:

• Design is not defined by national borders or cultural differences.

• All designers have a responsibility to investigate the unique   characteristics of their audience including ones that reflect   cultural differences.

• Design operates on a global scale and in many cases will reach   enormously diverse audiences (whether we intend it to or not).

• Design must address the needs of both the local and the
  global. Although design can easily be experienced on a global   scale through communication technology and travel, the   designer must realize the impact local communities have on   perception.

• The design community is well positioned to help companies   meet international marketing challenges. Unfortunately however,   many businesses are not looking to the design profession for   solutions to these problems. Designers must find a way to better   communicate the value they bring to global business.

• Learning about other cultures requires interaction with other   cultures. Creating and connecting with venues at home and   abroad can increase this interaction.

• No one person can know all there is to know about any culture.   Cross-cultural design is about building a network and learning   from others.

• Design education is key to producing a new generation of   designers comfortable with and responsive to design on a global   scale.

• Seeking mutual understanding between peoples and cultures   can only lead to greater peace in the world.