CRyder Design

As an incoming Graphic and Interactive Design student, ethics and design plagiarism are constantly in my mind when I’m creating designs. On the first day of my Visual Design class, we were taught how to source images ethically. While sitting in class it occurred to me that if a professor shows you something like that on the first day of class it must be important. 

Plagiarism is defined as, “the unauthorized use or close imitation of existing artwork and the representation of it as one’s own original work” (“Plagiarism and Appropriation”). This is not something that can only occur when writing papers or presentations, but creating works of art as well. The acts of plagiarism and appropriation are not new. “The practice can be traced back to the Cubist collages and constructions of Picasso and Georges Braque made from 1912 on” (“Plagiarism and Appropriation”). These things have been happening for over a century, but in 2019 they should be much less common than they are. It is common for people to believe that because they know what plagiarism is that they are unlikely to commit it. However, sometimes that isn’t the case. “As much as we would like to believe we are wired to be good and have impeccable ethics, most of us aren’t born that way, but rather develop into ethical people with imagination playing a key role” (“Battling Visual Plagiarism”). Imagination is a powerful tool that should be utilized in the design world.

With three more years to look forward to in college, I will be sure to keep plagiarism and ethics in mind. I can’t wait to show off my creativity not only to my classmates and professors, but the world too.

Works Cited

“Battling Visual Plagiarism.” Ethics in Graphic Design RSS, http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/design-plagiarism/.

“Dog Eat Dog World?” Ethics in Graphic Design RSS, http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/dog-eat-dog-world/.

“Plagiarism and Appropriation.” Ethics in Graphic Design RSS, http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/legalities/plagiarism-and-appropriation/.