Doing Good By Design
Christy Batta as a young brownie Girl Scout
I call myself a graphic designer for good. It’s what I’ve always strived to be.
The organizations I work with are motivated by doing good work for others — nonprofits and purpose-driven companies. I’ve seen the persuasive powers of design be used to manipulate audiences — companies that use green colors to make a product feel environmentally-friendly when it’s actually made using toxic chemicals, or stock photos that mislead audiences about a company’s corporate diversity rather than showing what their leadership actually looks like. It’s important for me to know that at the end of the day I am lending my talents to folks that put people before profit.
The truth is, I’m a do-gooder by nature.
Growing up, volunteering was a big part of my family life. On Saturdays, all the Battas would help out with Bingo at the local nursing home.
I was a Girl Scout up through my Gold Award. My project was designing a website — IN MICROSOFT PUBLISHER — for a winter homeless shelter that rotated through local churches.
My first job out of college was for a small design firm that focused on serving nonprofits, and from then on I was hooked.
Nonprofit organizations present interesting challenges. I have to figure out how to depict a cause or idea with graphic design, how to understand and represent a (sometimes abstract) concept the organization is fighting for. Rather than relying on a tangible product to lead the story, I’m figuring out how to visually represent an emotional journey — and invite others to come along.
poster design for Tomorrow’s Children film
I’m also driven by curiosity. It’s important to me to learn how folks are addressing important causes, especially ones I’m not familiar with. I find value in learning through my clients about issues I might not otherwise have known about, why they are important and how they can be improved. I learned about the plight of Syrian refugee children and how they are impacted by their families’ displacement through designing the poster for the short documentary “Tomorrow’s Children” by local filmmaker Mouhanad al Rifay (which you can watch on Amazon Prime). Prior to working with Mouhanad, I had only very general knowledge of the issue, but through watching “Tomorrow’s Children” and speaking with Mouhanad, I gained more understanding of the different ways the violence has affected families over the many years the conflict has been active.
That poster design was a pro-bono venture. If I come across a unique project that touches me, sparks my curiosity, and shows me value beyond money, but there isn’t the budget for design work, I will sometimes volunteer my talents. I think of these as passion projects. I’ll talk more soon about pro-bono work and volunteering (sneak peek: they’re different than working for free).
Ultimately, the top reason I enjoy working with nonprofits and mission-driven organizations: The good feels. I love working with organizations and companies that are spreading positivity and making the world — or their corners of the world — a better place. Owning my own business gives me the advantage of choosing whom I work with. I choose to work with companies — and people — that are dedicated to promoting justice, driven by helping people more than by the bottom line, and want to spread kindness.
That’s why I’m a graphic designer for good.
CHANGEMAKER OF THE MONTH
For this month’s change maker of the month, I’m spotlighting and donating to Girl Scouts of Nation’s Capital, our local chapter of the Girl Scouts organization. Since the Girl Scouts were such a big part of me learning how important service is as well as the kinds of service I am passionate about, I want to help provide those opportunities for other young women as well!