Hélène Dufour

Title of dissertation: Communicating the Green Cause: Graphic Design and the Environmental Movement, 1960–2010 


Since the 1960s, the intensification of consumerism in the West has driven political and social agitation with respect to the environment. In particular, graphic design has played an increasingly significant role in how these concerns have permeated the popular debate on ‘green’ issues.


This study examines the evolution of the relationship between the environmental movement and the graphic design profession with examples from Britain, France, USA and Germany.


It uses a range of methodologies to show how changes in the mindsets of designers and in design technology helped enable ‘green’ issues to move from the margins to the very centre of public debate. These methodologies include posters analysis, product semantics and interviews with designers including Peter Kennard. Just as importantly, this study shows how the development of design acted as a vehicle for large corporations to advance their green credentials.