Today, I was reading an article in the December issue of Creative Review, and it was about the two new partners in Pentagram, a leading design firm. I came across a really interesting quote from Eddie Opara. He talks about the place he lives, called Bedford Stuyvesant, in Brooklyn, NY. He talks about the place positively, saying it's an intriguing place, but that the education in design was lacking. He says: "There's a strip [of shops] really close to me - with just a bit of graphic design it would look like something out of a really high class neighbourhood which would change the way people think about where they live - it's all about perception in America, not class." It really got me thinking about just how big an impact design can have on an area. If we, as designers are doing our job properly and can create beautiful shop design and advertising and identities for companies, then the image of an area can be completely changed. As graphic designers, we are in such a powerful position to change people's perceptions and alter the way they view things.
