Design is a crucial part of our lives, particularly for those of us lucky enough to be involved in the creative industries. From the products we use to the spaces we inhabit, design is everywhere and in everything and International Design Day, which takes place on 27 April each year, is a celebration of the power design has to shape the world around us.
First established in 1995 by the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA), International Design Day has since been adopted by design communities all around the world. The day aims to raise awareness about the value of design and its impact on society. Each year, International Design Day has a different theme, highlighting a particular aspect of design. This year's theme is “Peace. Love. Design!”
This is a theme that could be taken any number of ways, with many perhaps going for the “flower power” colours and shapes of the 1960s. This year, however, one activation caught my eye above all others.
Undead Ideas
We’ve all been there: burning the midnight oil to perfect an idea that a client’s initially keen on, only for it to be rejected last-minute”. In honour of International Design Day. Audio visual content platform Freepik has teamed up with the WeBelievers agency to launch the “Undead Ideas” initiative.
This is a campaign based around the bitter sting of rejection, something I’m sure we’ve all felt at one point or another. The idea here is that there are no bad ideas, just ideas that don’t fit a certain brief. That doesn’t mean, however, that they should be resigned to the creative garbage heap.
Undead Ideas is backed by dozens of major international designers and creatives, who echo the action and support the project, as they have experienced first-hand what the rejection of a great idea means.
Among them are New York-based artists Giulia Zoavo, Samuel Regan, Juan Sebastian Moreno, Paulo Junger, Arthur Daraujo, Max Kolo, and Giorgia Brugnoli; California’s Tyler Spangler and Jesse Nyberg; Miami’s Kiko Rodriguez; South Carolina’s Spencer Nelsony; Franklin Gomez in New Jersey; and Argentina’s Juan Cavia.
After the deadline closes on 4th May, the winners will be decided by a combination of Freepik’s own team and the popular vote of the company’s followers on social media. Winners will be highlighted as a ‘Featured Artist’ on Freepik’s website, where they will be able to showcase their entire project and receive a financial reward every time someone downloads their work.
Giving visibility to ideas that clients killed
Across the graphic design industry, turnover is rife right now, with nearly a quarter (24%) of designers leaving their jobs in their first year of employment. Burnout is a key culprit here, with 12-hour days too commonplace. For many designers, the negative effects of this are exacerbated when their hard work ends up in the trash, hours of effort spent for nothing.
Let’s be honest: recycling or rewriting ideas is a common practice. This is like revenge for when a client, a boss, or a focus group kills a beloved project. Freepik and WeBelievers have effectively turned the graveyard section of the deck into the undead ideas program. Because sometimes, brilliant ideas and amazing designs deserve to have a second chance, right?
So, if you have an idea you genuinely love that was turned down by a client and believe it still deserves a chance to shine, upload it to the Undead Ideas web portal and see if you can give your old ideas a second wind this International Design Day.
