소비문화에 대한 성찰과 디자인의 윤리적 실천

In the modern society of material prosperity, the importance of ‘ethics’ is progressively being magnified. Likewise, in a consumer culture which shows the lifestyle of modern people, many sympathize with and participate in alternative trade, corporate social responsibility, and an ethical consumer movement as part of their reflection upon ‘ethical consumption’. Keeping in step with this trend, kind designed, slow design, and sustainable design, and other similar concepts have emerged as key issues in the field of design and have become a new trend. The 'good will' in Kant's ethical rule offers support to the view that ‘ethics’ is something that must be practiced in design as a matter of course for the environment and society. As part of this ethical practice in design, alternatives have been proposed. These include selecting naturally decomposing material when choosing and manufacturing material and removing unnecessary decoration. During the process of packaging goods, excessive packaging can be avoided and unnecessary purchase can be discouraged by packaging in small units. Also, one can practice the idea of fair allocation and sharing of earnings in the process of distribution. Minimizing damage to the natural environment by delaying as much as possible the time for throwing away used merchandise by recycling or extending the lifespan of such merchandise can be a way of practicing ethical design.