Building Bridges Between University and Responsible Practices in Design: A Case Study on a Campaign Against Dating Violence

This article presents a case study of a campaign developed in the context of university teaching in Communication Design to raise awareness among young people about the problem of dating violence, which is part of domestic violence and gender violence, behaviors that are a concern in our society. Gender equality is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) identified in the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda, equality that will not be achievable as long as gender violence exists. The ethical thinking and social responsibility of the Designer can be applied in the design and development of campaigns that inform and sensitize the public and educate young people. Designers, as promoters of culture and disseminators of information, can thus contribute to a better future aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With this Case Study, we have promoted responsible design practices, with a focus on a social impact cause, helping Victim Support Association through pro bono design work, and we believe it fits into the principles of service learning. This campaign helped to make students socially responsible agents aware of the importance of their civic action and their active role in changing mindsets in a society that is still confronted with problems of violence between young couples.