Indigenous Design: Beyond Medicine Wheels, Ox Carts and Inukshuks

Think Twice.

Why you should think twice about using cultural and spiritual symbols in your visual design and communication projects. We must be careful when using cultural symbols. By using the feather, the Infinity Symbol, the Inukshuk, the Medicine Wheel or Traditional Patterns, the meaning and the teachings behind
them are diluted, lost, or overlooked. 

In this webinar we’ll have an open a discussion around the appropriate use of Indigenous culture and spirituality in design and communication projects, particularly logos and brands. There are numerous ways to create visually appealing designs that communicate ideas effectively and that are not limited to the standard “go-to” or “stereotypical” design elements that often get overused. In some cases, designers and
communicators run the risk of cultural appropriation, although they may not even know that this is being done. Since time immemorial we have shared and exchanged ideas from one another to create something new. So this begs the question, “why are some designs negatively labelled “Cultural Appropriation” or their creators accused of disrespecting the very cultures they find inspirational? and why do these designs illicit such strong reactions?

About Mark Rutledge RGD
Mark is a creative with decades of experience and is currently working from Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada’s north. He is also the former National President of the Design Professionals of Canada (DesCan). Mark was the first Indigenous designer elected to the position in 2018. He is also the first to lead from Canada’s Arctic region. Mark is currently the Senior Creative at Know History. Established in 2011, Know History provides historical services – which means that we help individuals and organizations that want to research, present or document the past. We have worked with museums, government bodies, Indigenous organizations, non-profits  and corporations on a variety of projects both large and small. In addition to Mark’s private and public sector design experience, he is one of the few designers with deep roots and
experience designing for Canada’s Indigenous communities and organizations. Mark’s portfolio is rich in annual reports, corporate brochures, research reports and book cover designs, but Mark’s real passion is for branding and visual identity. Mark has worked with many organizations to design their entire visual
identity including logo, business collateral's, internal materials and stationery.