A Manifesto for Truth in Design

Question everything and everyone; even yourself.
Doubt is a useful reaction. Do not take everything as is. We owe it to ourselves and to our craft to ask questions when we don't understand or believe something. In an age of intellectual apathy, we must embrace our natural curiosity. It is that curiosity that will move us into the future.
Design should be practiced within the constructs of truth.
Style-houses, carelessness, and relentless appropriation plague graphic design today. We have conveniently forgotten its roots and given history the middle finger. The new generation of designers are far too comfortable reigning the helm of style. Intellectual curiosity is now just an afterthought. As a result, any remaining truth in design has been distilled into a byproduct.
Embrace our aesthetic tendencies.
At some point in our careers we will begin to notice certain tendencies in our process and inevitably in the work we produce. It might be a recurring typeface, a certain shape that makes its way into our projects, or a certain color. Whatever it is - we cannot afford to ignore it. There is a reason that it rears its head. If it keeps showing up then we owe it to ourselves to embrace it. To own it.
* I must take this opportunity to address the fact that an "aesthetic tendecncy" in this instance is not style, but rather voice.
Acknowledge external forces of inspiration.
In an era where isolationist technology is the norm, we must find new ways to reconnect with our environment and step outside our own little bubbles. Inspiration can come from many places—not just from other design(s). Whether it is the age rings from a tree stump or the scales of a snake, these artifacts are worthy of our acknowledgement and study. Active observation is critical.
Remember the tenants of the past.
Graphic design is a practice born out of our recent history. Its fathers were giants who are just as deserving of attention and respect now as they were then. Movements such as Futurism, Constructivism, Structuralism, and Modernism have given us a remarkable foundation on which to build, yet we seem to be hesitant to do so without a safety net. As a result, we are now witnessing the homogenization of design. It is being pushed aside for the sake of style. Expropriation is in vogue. We must resurrect the ideologies critical to the birth of graphic design in order to save it from eating itself.
Don't be afraid to piss people off.
Take risks. Preserve your integrity and others will respect you.