Design as Negotiation and Reconciliation: A Case Study of Charity Affinity Credit Cards

Abstract

Design is more than an individual act of creation, it is also defined by extended negotiations between designer and client. Expressed as differences of opinion on trial designs, the need for such negotiations stems from different conceptions of the role and possibilities of design. Negotiation between client and designer is conventionally presented as the means by which the end result (design) is achieved. In this paper, we take a different view, arguing that design can be seen as a medium through which broader relationships can be explored and negotiated. The empirical material is taken from a case study in which the negotiation of design occurs predominantly between two clients of the same design agency, rather than between the agency and the clients. This negotiation is necessary for two reasons: first, negotiation over design enables the parties involved to clarify and confirm their corporate images and second, it allows reconciliation between the parties as they attempt to collaborate on a single product. Design as clarification and reconciliation is explored using a case study of charity affinity credit cards.