zfaust
Growing up my dad used to recite that line to me whenever we got into an argument about politics. A “fiscal” conservative he beleves in what most other conservatives do: pull up your boot straps and solve the problem yourself. Large, societal issues like climate change, poverty, and hunger don’t exist, and when they do there is nothing we can do to fix it.
I have clear memories of screaming matches. A result of miscommunication, a lack of emprathy for one another, and shared baggage of our pasts. I’m thankful to say I’ve yet to back down from my believes that contrast from his, but I’m shocked to learn that maybe he is on to something.
The start of my design journey intersected with the art school ethos that design will save the world. Wicked problems are overwhelming, but if a team of researches and designers could combine data, ethnography, and design then any problem can start to be solved.
Feeling misguided at that time, and eager to find community I drank the Koolaid. The perfect ecosystem for my desire for surface-level change mixed with the ability to create was enticing.
I carried that ethos with me long after graduation. I worked with nonprofits, volunteered my time, and accepted a life of low wages in order to save the world. Well... maybe not the entire planet, but at least my surrounding community.
And for the most part it carried me through. I felt secure and fulfilled by the work I did day in and day out. knew I wasn’t making peoples lives completely better, but I felt like I made it one step away from completely sucking.
It wasn’t until I landed at my most recent job or working at the natural history museum. The first few years were incredible, but quickly the facade chipped away as the money pulled in, and the administration began to change.
Although the mission of the museum didn’t change, it’s offerings had to increase in order to keep the doors open. As tourism dwindles, and international dollars lessen, the museum is pivoting towards more money-generating initiatives.
We’re taking on more grant-funded, donor-given, and business-generative projects to keep us alive during this economic hardship. It’s a seemingly good initiative and it makes sense for an institution our size to alter our business model It could be worse. I could be laid off, or the museum could reengage in promoting eugenics. I’m grateful for this change, but I question the significance of putting these projects out.
Maybe this is just a long-winded way of saying I’m suspicious of the kool-aid. I always knew to follow the money, but more so now than ever the shroud has been removed completely from the mask. Maybe I was ignorantly happy, or I was truly clueless, but coming from a small institution I always thought large ones were untouchable.
What happens if this continues? What if this is just the start of a new age where this continues to get worse?
I’ve known the museum to have a shady past, but it feels like the veneer of good is chipping. We’ve already taken donations from conservative mega-donors like Ken Griffin. What happens if large donations from people like that ensue? What happens if their demands conflict with the desires of the museum?
More importantly, what happens to an institution like this under an administration is leading a population to be more distrusting of science? Influence is a funny thing, especially when that influence comes from people paying to keep the lights on.
I thnk I’ve become cynical over the last few months of self-reflection and my relation to this industry.
I’ve become wary of the powers in place that were created to protect the everyday person. As long as there’s money transferring from one hand to the next, no one is truly free from the control of others.
Although my dad and I identify our beliefs on opposite sides of the political spectrum, I’ve come to think that maybe that spectrum is bending to meet at the opposite ends.
At the end of the day, although my team and I are creating educational materials, we’re still providing value for someone else to use as leverage. Indirectly, it’s still marketing, and unfortunately, it’s something the design industry will never be able to escape.