As designers, we are now becoming part of what I call a new genre of “cultural engineers.” Our role now becomes critically important as we look at the issues of design that re-purpose and re-frame problems in our environment. We should no longer be thinking of ourselves as “problem solvers” but rather, we need to become, “solution finders.”

In looking at fixing our culture and economic society right now, designers must adopt a position equal and opposite to what media’s role has been in establishing the problem. The work we as a design profession now need to address is re-contextualizing (also known as re-branding) our media and directly confronting, then deconstructing the notion that our society has, in some way, crumbled around our feet.

It is obviously human nature to respond to outside information that is considered valid and relevant. If we designers really are doing what we claim in our marketing song, shouldn’t we be able to formulate a design proposal to change the status quo of information right now? Some of us are, after all, directly involved with creating the architecture of this information already.

To effect change and to create a smarter world, designers must be thinking ahead of what the media may be planning. Or, even better, what the media is waiting to consume.