For the first contemporary graphic design piece that focuses on social impact is from Banksy who has gained popularity in recent years for their strong and impactful designs that focus on issues in society. This specific piece focuses on how religion says one thing but does another portrait by a judge beating a person. (1) The reason I think this is a good example is because not only does it address a long issue that has seem to have gotten increasingly talked about recently but also because of the design aspect of it. The fact that the message is portraited by just simple illustration is a hard thing to do, without using typography or any dominant colour. When looking for a social impacting designs I feel like the ones that don’t use words, but imagery convey the message way stronger and get across for the viewers a lot more. Another aspect of Banksy’s work that is very well thought through is the location of the graffiti he does. For this specific example, very fittingly he has done it in front of the court of justice where a lot of different people will see it and it will create very mixed reactions since judges would feel negatively about how their portrayed while people that are going in the court for a trial might feel scared or inspired to speak out more.
The second piece of contemporary design work that caught my attention is this cookbook cover. It’s called ‘Black Power Kitchen’ by Ghetto Gastro and New Studio (2). The cover does not have images or any colours, it’s a simple black and white scheme that creates a jarring impact, especially since usually cookbooks have a person in the cover or a picture from inside of a dish from the book. This bold type face that was used creates another jarring aspect in the design, it leaves little to non-white space, giving off a clear message to the audience. The book focuses on celebrating black culture which in recent years has become a staple in the design world.
1 – Ed Cunningham (2025) New Banksy in central London: location and potential meaning for Royal Courts of Justice artwork. Available at: New Banksy in Central London: Royal Courts of Justice Mural Location and Potential Meaning [Accessed 04 May 2026]
2 – Jay Wall (2022) The vibrancy of design for social change. Available at: RGD | The vibrancy of design for social change: 10 examples from 2022 [Accessed 04 May 2026]