How Design Is Changing the American Political Landscape

Scope

"Design has a strong connection to national identity and emerges as a key during landmark moments in history," says Jilly Traganou, architect and associate professor in spatial design studies at Parsons School of Design. "How are you going to show yourself? What do you want to become? That is why design is used: a rebranding to reconfigure the future through the present."

A changing nation is a tough schematic to follow. The US is seeing a decline in the voting power of baby boomers and a steady increase in that of generation Y. The congressional membership itself is only comprised of 2% millennials, whilst baby boomers make up a large 63%.

#MAGA: A Populist Design Approach

"Design within the frame of power becomes a kind of a smokescreen," says Traganou. "Very often it absorbs so much of the conversation it makes people less aware of the more important politics. It attracts people to talk about the smoke and not the other things."

The populist design approach used by Trump captured the declining and aging white baby boomers fearful and anxious of its shifting electorate. Traganou sheds light on MAGA's design approach: "Trump's hat is the typical anti-signifier. It can be whatever people want it to mean." The very purpose of this design is to act as a mirror onto the electorate — a receptacle for dreams and opinions to be launched beyond the factual of the everyday.

"Design within the frame of power becomes a kind of smokescreen."

Jilly Traganou, Design Professor, Parsons School of Design

Innovation Politics: A Corporate Design Approach

Beyond populist tactics, there is another strategy persuading voters through the fusion of corporate work and American liberalism. Obama in both his 2008 and 2012 campaigns used forms of grassroots collectivism with generic populist rhetoric and a corporate marketing strategy. The effort and money spent by the Obama campaign on its design strategy to reach a younger audience made logical sense considering how Gen Y believes innovation and productivity are interlinked with the application of good design.

Insights & Opportunities

Design is, above all else, the processes in which objects and intangible forces of persuasion are interlinked. Their designed interactions. Without this understanding of nuanced design and political strategy, how are we to know the tactics of those in power or those who seek power, and how they intend to influence our behavior and ultimately drive our decisions?

Written for Canvas8 by Zach Soudan as a behavioral analyst.