We as designers don't always think about the impact our work can have on the world. Check out this article on CNN about the supposedly infamous "War Room" photo:

What Situation Room Photo Reveals About Us

Apparently, this photograph:



Photo by Getty Images


Has become the most viewed photo on flickr. According to the author of the article, this photo reveals three history making and earth shattering messages to us.  It supposedly is changing perceptions on:

1. Race
2. Women
3. "Presidential Swagger"

For those of us not up on our presidential lingo - like me - Presidential Swagger refers to the machismo of the president.  Or at least, how macho the public perceives the president to be.

The race thing is because they contend this photo does not portray Obama in an "Angry Black Man" stereotype.  And women because historically iconic photos of the president (think Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs) do not have anything other than MEN MEN MEN MEN Manly MEN in them.

And, on a local slant, some professor from Lehigh was quoted.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm all for progressive thinking and removing stereotypes.  But really?  Really? Dude is almost up for re-election people.  Can we get over the omg-there's-someone-not-white in the White House?  Don't forget he's 1/2 white.  But he's always referred to as a black man when someone on either side trots out the race card.  Who cares??!  He's a person!!  Good God. 

And women?  Yes, it's great we're all showing up more, but gasp!  This isn't the 1950s anymore.  Women are allowed out of the house now.  We might show up in important pictures.

I honestly did not think any of those thoughts when I first looked at the picture.  My thoughts were 1.Wow - look at the emotion and intensity on President Obama's face.  It is obvious he didn't take this lightly.  2.  Do all of those old guys go to the same barber? And 3.  Hillary actually has an emotion on her face.  Turns out, she was probably just trying to cover a cough. 

Which brings me to my point. Perception is everything. Some people want to read something into eeeeeeeeeverything. 

In the photo above, the expert from Lehigh weighed in on Hillary:

Yet you see two powerful women in the Situation Room photograph -- Clinton and Audrey Tomason, director for counterterrorism, who is straining to see from the back. Their inclusion shows how far women have come, Ambar says, even though Clinton's response is ambiguous because she's covering her mouth in what looks to be alarm.
"God only knows what she's seeing on the screen," Ambar says.

Perception. So-called expert sees something, says it in on a global stage (ie. the interwebs), and many who read believe. All along, she's probably just trying not to cough at an inappropriate time.

I'm not saying we're all going to design things or photograph things that will impact on a global, or even national level.  But it is something to think about.  This is why I'm so fascinated with Photoshop disasters.  What message will you send to your audience, whether intentionally or unintentionally?  What will they perceive from what you present?  How can manipulation of reality affect people's morals, values or actions?  Or maybe, as a people, we over-analyze waaaay too much?

Imagine.  Maybe McCain's thinking "I need a nap" or "I shouldn't have had that second tacquito".  Maybe Obama's thinking "I could use a smoke right about now."  Maybe they're watching Family Guy. Who knows for sure?