In 2000, David Berman rededicated his career to leveraging his experience and credentials to help spread the idea that visual communications can, and will, help repair the World. In so doing he has struck a chord with many, including Vint Cerf, Vice President of Google (and father of the Internet) who read David’s book on social responsibility and design, Do Good Design, and commented, “I found great resonance with David Berman’s ideas. I’ve sent copies of his book to a number of friends.”
Since 1984, David has worked to establish a code of ethics which embraces social responsibility for graphic designers throughout Canada. The Society of Graphic Designers of Canada adopted this version nationally in May 2000.
David served as the first elected president of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, the world’s first accredited graphic design organization, from 1997 to 1999. He drafted the association’s constitution and Rules of Professional Conduct and authored Ontario’s accreditation examination on ethics and professional responsibility for graphic designers.
In 1999, the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada named him a Fellow for his work on the Code of Ethics, accreditation and other national issues. In 2000, he was elected Vice President Ethics of the Society, and now serves as national ethics chair.
From 2005 through 2011, David served on the executive board of Icograda, the world body for graphic/communication design, and now serves as their Sustainability Chair.
In 2009, he was appointed a special advisor to the United Nations on how design can help fulfill the Millennium Development Goals.
David is dedicated to realizing graphic design’s potential to help improve the human condition and the global environment. He speaks at international and local conferences and writes about the important role graphic designers can play in enhancing social conditions around the world, as opposed to applying their skills to help organizations mislead their audiences or manufacture false needs. Speaking invitations welcomed!