i+D - January/February 2020 - 20

Business
of Design
Ethics,
Politics, &
Design

Balancing Beliefs and Business
Pop quiz: Your firm is approached about doing a high-paying
project for the National Rifle Association (NRA), but you personally
support strict gun-control legislation. Do you shelve your personal
beliefs for the economic benefit of a paycheck? Or perhaps you are
hired for a project that is or becomes controversial in nature. Does
your firm defend its position as to why it has accepted the job?
Sometimes the answers are obvious. At other times, it may depend
on the exact nature of the project or client and whether it aligns
with your firm's objectives. "It's not necessarily about personal
beliefs; it's about, 'What's the mission of your company? What does
your company stand for?'" says Kia Weatherspoon, president of
Washington, D.C.-based Determined by Design.
With projects that involve firearms, she says designers need to
look at the issue holistically rather than allowing personal politics
to interfere with their decision making. For instance, police stations
house firearms in secure locations to help protect the community.
Likewise, Weatherspoon says her firm is working with The American
Legion, the nation's largest wartime veterans service organization, on
a project that features a secure storage facility for guns. "The thing
here is not to put personal beliefs against any particular organization
and/or entity. If it doesn't feel right for your firm and its mission,
then definitely don't put profit first."

Christine Wozney,
two degrees
INTERIORS Inc.

Christine Wozney, principal and owner of two degrees INTERIORS
Inc., in Winnipeg, Manitoba, suggests it is a disservice to clients
to work on a project if a designer has personal conflicts or does
not support or believe in an entity or what they represent. "It is
important to maintain your personal integrity in any situation, as
your integrity reflects who you are as a person, your brand, and your
firm. If your personal beliefs are misaligned with your client's,
then it becomes difficult to provide your best work. There are
always opportunities for work, and your best work reflects who
you are and who your clients are."
Case in point: Jane Rohde, principal and founder of JSR Associates,
Inc., in Catonsville, Maryland, finds that in the senior living market
ethical considerations aren't frequent, "unless it's somebody who
is trying to warehouse older adults." Rohde recalls turning down a
client who planned to house 90 seniors in a facility when her team
felt 32 would better serve the end users.

Jane Rohde, JSR
Associates, Inc.

"It is important to maintain your personal integrity
in any situation, as your integrity reflects who you are
as a person, your brand, and your firm."
-CHRISTINE WOZNEY

20

i+D - January/February 2020



i+D - January/February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i+D - January/February 2020

Contents
i+D - January/February 2020 - Cover1
i+D - January/February 2020 - Cover2
i+D - January/February 2020 - 3
i+D - January/February 2020 - 4
i+D - January/February 2020 - 5
i+D - January/February 2020 - Contents
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i+D - January/February 2020 - Cover3
i+D - January/February 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/asid/asid/design_product_guide_2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20211112
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20210910
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20210708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/asid/design_product_guide_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20210506
https://www.nxtbook.com/emerald/id/20210304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20210102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20201112_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200910_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/asid/design_product_guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200708_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200506_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200304_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200102_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20191112_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190910_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190708_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190506_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190304_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20190102_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20181112_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180910_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180708_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180506_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180304_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180102_french
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/id/20180102
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com