Graphic design has had a hand in politics earlier than most of us know. As early as the 1200s, the first true artisans of graphic design used their skills to help legitimize political agenda. Printmakers, typographers and illustrators all helped to give a visual voice that would compel people to engage in politics.
To this day, design serves a fundamental role in bridging the gap between the government and the general public. According to Thomas Starr, design “adds legitimacy to messages by translating them into recognizable media formats while humanizing the message itself.” For example, US President Barrack Obama’s political agenda—change—was successfully translated through his campaign’s effective branding and design. The poster used was an illustration of Obama facing up, as if looking forward to the future. It exuded an image of determination and hope that was easily recognizable and relatable. Starr adds that, “Through design, Obama and hope became one and the same.”
In the Ateneo, organizations, businesses and students have been trying to establish their presence, and deliver the messages they each hope to declare by utilizing design. This is a fascinating trend that deals both good and bad effects to the community. On one hand, design flourishes and fuels participation and cooperation, while on the other, the success of others drowns out haphazard attempts to use design. The wrong connotation that in design, aesthetics is everything, creates a certain level of mediocrity that undermines the purpose of communicating with people.
This is evident in Sanggunian’s efforts to communicate with and engage the student body. At this point, it is not anymore merely a matter of aesthetics but an issue of whether its current brand strategy serves its purpose of capturing attention and gaining relevance on campus.
It seems as if the Sanggunian has abandoned the physical sphere in hopes of gaining ground online. Also, political posters and other paraphernalia seem to be a January-kind-of-thing, in that the Sanggunian only becomes physically visible whenever it needs to elect a new set of officers.
This strategy has proven ineffective for the Sanggunian’s public image. To the student who lacks initiative to find the relevance of his or her student government, seeing a Facebook page with announcements reduces the student government into a simple online infoboard. At this point, the Sanggunian’s presence on campus is crucial to successfully gaining visibility that most of their projects truly deserve.
This, however, is not to say that the student government should resort to the “epal” style of visibility. There are many ways in which the Sanggunian can communicate with its constituents. Putting up simple and properly designed signages about various student rights in strategic locations is one idea. They could also try promoting projects like the Sanggunian Subsidy System on campus through posters. These simple efforts can go a long way in helping students recognize their relevance. With good design and strategy, Sanggunian could serve more students while gaining trust through the same projects that they dutifully initiate.
If the Sanggunian is truly committed to transforming its systems and regaining relevance by reviving its credibility, it is imperative to have the willingness and initiative to translate these intentions visually. The legitimacy and, consequently, the effectiveness of the Sanggunian’s brand should be assessed thoroughly and be given the appropriate amount of attention and deliberate effort that it deserves.
