The role of graphic designers is shifting. No longer seen solely as the producers of aesthetic “things”, graphic designers are being valued for their problem-solving skills and ability to help businesses strategize. At the same time, both designers and the clients they serve are increasingly expected to consider issues of sustainability and take responsibility for the impacts of the products and systems they create. However, most graphic designers have had no formal training in sustainable design thinking and methodologies. As graphic designers face this paradigm shift, what sustainable design roles are emerging in the marketplace, and how do we prepare designers to make this transition? Closing the Gap These are the questions Amy Dritz, graphic designer and graduate student in MCAD's Sustainable Design program, is seeking to answer with her thesis project. As part of this research, she is gathering information from practicing graphic designers through surveys and interviews to gather their unique perspectives on sustainability in design and business. The goal of this research project is to help graphic design educators and professional design leaders in identifying and closing the gap between current graphic design competencies and the future demands of business and sustainability. If you are a designer in a graphics or communications-related field and have a desire to design more sustainably, please click here to take a survey to help with this research (survey now closed). (Please allow yourself 15-20 minutes to complete the survey – you may complete over multiple sessions.) The survey will be open now through the end of September 2014. For questions or more information about this project, contact Amy Dritz, adritz@mcad.edu. Survey link: http://bit.ly/1nCBluT (Survey Closed) Image courtesy of Amy Dritz Categories Green Graphic & Packaging Design Published on September 09, 2014 Tags Amy Dritz eco-career Green Graphic Design Holly Robbins MCAD sustainable design Sustainability