Utopia In Action

This article is centered with Victor Papanek's design thoughts while combing through history of ethic thoughts of modern design which has developed upon such a potential issue that how modern design, as a complex of knowledge, experience and creativity that acquired by designers since 19th century, shall be utlilized and evolved to benefit all the people. This article discusses the pre WWII designing pioneers' concerns on moral issues, along with the sprouting of career consciousness and sense of morality in career, in the process of American consumer oriented design. Modern designing experience in this era basically defined the historical geography in later discussions of design ethics.The second chapter mainly talks about the influences of dialogue forms, the 1960s context and organic modern design to Papanek in a period since WWII to the publication of "Design for the True World" by Papanek in late 1960s. This chapter primarily holds research over direct background of Papanek's design thoughts which composes the historical transect of the Papanek we comprehend. Chapter III and Chapter IV is core of this article. Papanek's basic understanding of design, his assertion of design ethics, various designing frameworks with solutions have been raised and analysed. Again by combing through logical texture of his designing thoughts, the article tries to clarify the rationale and limits of his thinking and thoughts. Chapter IV discusses design ethics' development on both theoretical and practical levels since 1990s, in which we can also tell that meeting up all Papanek's calls is rather a systematic project that needs involvment of enterprises, non-profit organizations, government, as well as legislative divisions.This article believes that, through research, the clue that found in design thoughts and supported by designing ethics reflects a humane tradition of designing thoughts, thus research of modern ethical issues must be leveled in one more complicated societal dialogue context for further discussion.