Communication design: towards a 'socially-situated' practice

This essay agrees with the editorial stance of this special issue of the AGDA research journal; that we cannot, as designers, separate ourselves from the social setting we inhabit. Saying that however, this essay makes the point that designers, and graphic designers in particular, often tend to deny their connection to the social setting and instead support design's sense of separation from the greater context. The essay makes the argument that with the change of name from graphic design to communication design, and the growing awareness of the ontological nature of design practice, it becomes essential to recognise that communication design is essentially a civil, or social, act.