As designers, we have great power. We have the power to influence and impact the world around us because design is at the heart of everything people are searching for which is a solution. Whether its designing an app, an advertisement or a webpage, it is the canvas the whole world might see.

Understanding the impact your work can have on others is the first step to understanding the ethics of design. Design is all about opinion and perspective, and often times in our business, projects are designed to highlight one side of an argument. Advertising for a fast food chain, designing an eco-friendly engine, filming a documentary on government corruption—they all provide a perspective that an audience wants to believe, and often times, will. You shape the opinions of the world with your work; hopefully you believe in the messages you’re sending.

Throughout your career, you have not only need to develop your style and your skill, but also your design integrity. Opportunities will arise that make you question your ethics—how you react to these situations is what makes you who you are as a designer. In the end, what you do is what people use. What you do is what people see. And what you do can shape the way people think. Remember the impact you can have. Remember your ethics.

Inspired by do good by AIGA member David Berman.