Graphic Design Article

Jackie Bischof is a freelance journalist and a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and a graduate from the school of journalism. She has excellent credentials since she was a Digital News Assistant at Dow Jones. She wrote Spot news stories and features on topics such as South Africa's Trade Unions and the relationship between the media and government and assisted with compiling graphics for various projects.

Jackie writes an article on the inherent difficulties that Mr. Matias Delfino,  a graphic designer for the United Nations Department of Public Information, faces when he is trying to convey a single message  to the world without stumbling on cultural misunderstandings or causing offense. She stated that he is a graduate of the university of Buenos Aires where he received his degree in graphic design. The author explains that Mr. Delfino is a Logo maker who thinks globally. He takes complicated topics and simplifies them into images that can be understood by people from all walks of life and all parts of the globe. The author adds that Matias' job is complicated not only because he has to make sure that these images must be very clear to the whole world, but also they must not be offensive. Although the author does not provide supporting evidence in this particular article, what she cited is self explanatory, does not provoke any skepticism, and does not need any supporting statistics or findings. She did include a quote to support her claims. It is in fact one of Mr. Delfino's statements.  He said, "Sometimes, each culture is a different world inside the same world. You need to make sure you're not misunderstood." The author 's perspective is even-handed and definitely not prejudicial. In fact, there was no need to add contrary information to prove that she is not prejudicial . The author explains that even the choice of color can be a complicated task in itself and she even included an example to support the importance of understanding the various culture in order to avoid conflicts. She relied on Mr. Delfino's own words when he said, " When you think about red, it [might] mean passion, love. Some other people see violence, blood."  In fact, we all know there is not one culture in this world, and some of the things that are acceptable in one culture might be rejected by others. the author explains that even though Mr. Delfino is one of the longest-serving members of the seven-person U.N, he still continues to face the challenge of making sure that the message behind his logo or designs will cut through all cultural differences and can be understood across the globe. The author stresses the fact of not crossing the line especially when dealing with sensitive issues such as world peace and human rights. She ads that Mr. Delfino sees these issues in black and white with a careful dash of color unlike most people who see them as abstract concepts with black and white with a dash of color. The designer has one goal in mind: designing is about injecting optimism, generating a positive change, and aiming to deliver the UN messages around the world. The author made it clear that that it's not always possible. One can argue that all we have to do is study other cultures and make the design. That is absolutely outside of the realm of reality. There is no way one can learn about all cultures of the globe since there are so many. But what the graphic designer who designs logos or images for an international organization should seek advise on a regular basis from people who works within the organization and are more familiar with world cultures. The author explained that the graphic designer is very aware of these issues and that he has once scratched a design that referred to the signal on a hospital heart monitor because he later learned that this common image from TV shows in developed countries is not known in poorer countries. The author elaborated on this point when she indicated that Mr. Delfino himself seek guidance on a regular basis from U.N. colleagues who have previously advised against images that might not translate universally. He does not take these issues slight. For instance, when he was approached to design a memorable brand for Holocaust remembrance, he had to give it some serious thought.  I find the author very credible and convincing. She cited many examples and experiences the graphic designer himself talked about.

Works Cited:

Bishof, Jackie. "Log Maker Thinks Globally." The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 21 Oct. 2012. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443684104578065241611424534.html>.