Context of Practise 2: Seminar Notes and Study Task 5- The First Things First Manifesto

In the seminar, we were given a copy of 4 texts being The First Things First Manifesto and texts referencing the Manifesto.

The First Things First Manifesto (1964) by Ken Garland

First Things First Manifesto (2000) by Adbusters (Rick Poyner/ Kalle Lasn/ Chris Dixon)

First Things First Revisited by Rick Poyner

Ten Footnotes to a Manifesto (2007) by Michael Beirut 

We were put into Groups and we had to read and analyse one of the texts. My Group had to analyse the First Things First (Revisited) Essay by Rick Poyner.

• The whole text is quite contextual- focuses on the cultural and social elements surrounding the Manifesto's production
• Poyner comments on how Design isn't used to express Opinion anymore and instead is seen to have a commercial, domestic use- this needs to be debated upon and changed before the death of Design- This is all people are taught these days
• How can Design be used for other means?
• End Sentence calls for people to rebel against this use and design for the love of Design- this is what Design was meant for

From this Group discussion, all Groups had to pass on their comments within a Class Discussion on all 4 texts.

First Things First Manifesto (1964) by Ken Garland:

• Context- Economic boom after War (1960's) but Garland wanted to be involved with things that actually change the World 
• Against using Design for Advertisements of Products
• Garland against Design for trivial purpose and more for Designs that improve Society and has a real purpose
• Designs could be better used to make awareness of the World
• Can't get away from the Capitalist, Consumer culture but there needs to be a reverse of priorities- to use your skills for something worth it

First Things First Manifesto (2000) by Adbusters (Rick Poyner/ Kalle Lasn/ Chris Dixon):

• Context- Global Consumer system
• More urgent tone-of-voice
• Target audience is aimed at everyone rather than just the design community
• Focus on social effects- Designers are using their skills to harm Society instead of helping it (Dumbing down of Society)
• A politicised version of the same Manifesto- A challenge to the Consumer System and a promotion of Design Activism
• The things we target for Consumption now are worse- they lead to a spiral of consumption. An attack of using talent to promote unethical stuff.

First Things First Revisited by Rick Poyner:

• Commercial Design is Political
• If you are working for companies, you are supporting the status quo of Consumerism and therefore, indirectly, your work is political
• Advertisements are made to look nice- there is style over substance
• Designers feel like politics is not there concern

Ten Footnotes to a Manifesto (2007) by Michael Beirut:

• Context- A Commercial Designer critiquing the 2000 manifesto stating why what he does is right
• The signatories are co-cultural workers so they are not the Designers that the Manifesto is targeting
• Designers need to earn and make a living so they can't all do work for cultural needs- they have become the exploited class
• Society judges us by what we own and need Designers for this. If Designers stop, what do we do instead? It would be less ethical to drop out as you are giving them victory by doing nothing- the only thing that will benefit is the System
• Criticised Adbusters- they want you to work in their style as no other way would be acceptable
• There is no clear, good cause- a Manifesto is simple but life is complicated
• There is no clear cut choices
• People need to go into this system with their eyes open

Study Task 5:

Write a critical, triangulated discussion of 2 works of Ethical and Un-Ethical Graphic Design. Support your points with 3 other peoples arguments discussing theoretics using the 4 First Things First Manifesto Texts to provide a rational conclusion. There is no Word Count.

Amnesty International Poster Adverts:

"International- Diversity" (2012)  by Kim Holm

Holm, K. (2012) "International- Diversty" [Internet] Available from http://www.kimholm.com/102498/932603/selected-work/amnesty-international-diversity (Accessed 16th November 2013)

"International- Hearts" (2012)  by Kim Holm
Holm, K. (2012) "International- Hearts" [Internet] Available from http://www.kimholm.com/102498/932583/selected-work/amnesty-international-hearts (Accessed 16th November 2013)

McDonalds Billboard Advertisement:

"McDonalds Sundial Billboard" (2011) by Leo Burnett

Burnett, L. (2011) "McDonalds Sundial Billboard" [Internet] Available from http://www.leoburnett.com/ (Accessed 16th November 2013)

The first designs are a set of Posters for Amnesty International by Kim Holm which are in support of human rights in regards to the LGBTI community. The second design is a Billboard advertisement used to promote the food of fast food chain, McDonalds by design agency Leo Burnett.

The Amnesty International posters have been produced to emphasise a problem in modern society within the world and address it so it is within the public consciousness. In this case, the posters are emphasising the fairness of gay marriage, the right to love and the need for equality. Several authors, Garland (1964), Adbusters (2000) and Beirut (2007), have all commented on designers producing ethical design for the needs of improving the world. For instance, Garland in his First Things First Manifesto comments on how the world is becoming increasingly saturated by consumerist selling, "proposing a reversal of priorities in favour of the more useful and more lasting forms of communication" to create a "greater awareness of our world". This point is strongly reinforced by Adbusters in the First Things First 2000 Manifesto who "propose a reversal of priorities in favour of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication- a mind shift away from product marketing and towards the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning". On the other hand, Beirut argues in his Ten Footnotes to a Manifesto Essay that not all designers can be ethical philanthropists, particularly those starting in the industry, as people need to make money to pay the bills as there is no good clear cause and no clean cut choices in life, declaring that "Manifestos are simple; life is complicated". These three authors have a different take on this argument but it seems to be that a consciousness towards being ethical is important within the creative industry, despite whether you can afford to take on these projects or not.

The McDonalds Billboard, which uses the suns position from a make-shift dial to show its customers what they should order during a particular time of day, is incredibly clever and innovative in regards to the idea and execution of the design but has been produced for a company which is linked to obesity and unapologetically targeting children, thereby being regarded as working for an unethical company. Garland (1964), Adbusters (2000) and Beirut (2007), have all commented on designers working for consumerist products and their companies within their writings. The First Things First Manifesto (1964) writes that "By far the greatest effort of those working in the advertising industry are wasted on these trivial purposes, which contribute little or nothing to our national prosperity" showing Garlands belief in the need to use your talents to improve our society rather than add to the problems which already corrupt it, despite the fact that he does state that "we do not advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising: this is not feasible" thereby admitting that you can't get away from the capitalist, consumer culture which surrounds us. Adbusters goes one step further than Garland, declaring an all-out war on this culture, declaring "Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design". This states that designers are part of the cause for the society we live in as "To some extent, we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse"- in other words, we are harming and not helping society by using our skills for consumerist means.  Again, Bierut argues against this, stating his opinion that "it is a lot easier to win a prize for a pro bono award poster than for a butt toner brochure" and discusses how, despite the call for design that aids the world, a lot of the design which is made for this purpose is overlooked unlike the visually striking adverts which supposedly do the opposite, as they are "too humble, too accessible, too unshocking, too boring". These three authors have a different take on this argument but it seems to be that there is a dislike towards those who openly admit to like producing work for a consumer purpose despite the fact that the consumer culture is something that our society is based on and cannot be ignored.

The difference between these selected Designs is that one is a purposeful advertisement and one of them is a poster which can act as a advertisement as it is for promotional purposes therefore highlighting how the work between Advertisers and Graphic Designers has become blurred. Again, Adbusters (2000), Poyner (1999) and Beirut (2007), have all commented on the place of designers and advertisers in the creative world. Adbusters make a point of discussing the current educational system for creatives where Designers are being groomed for the world of producing adverts for consumer companies, adding that "Many design teachers and mentors promote this belief; the market rewards it; a tide of books and publications reinforce it". This has lead to a confusion between the two creative forces as "graphic designers have now let it become, in large measure, what graphic designers do. This, in turn, is how the world perceives design" rather than it being a matter solely for Advertisers. This is supported by Poyner's comment in the First Things First Revisited (1999) Essay where, from the educational direction mentioned by Adbusters, "For many young designers emerging from design schools in the 1990s, they now appear to be one and the same", describing how Advertising and Graphic Design has merged and thought of wrongly as the same thing, however, it is Beirut who put its the most eloquently, stating the obvious fact that "graphic designers do work that informs, and that advertising agencies do work that persuades". Despite this, he goes on to say how Graphic Designers are jealous of the advertising world as "the effect of design is secretly feared to be cosmetic, vague and immeasurable, the impact of advertising on the client's bottom line has a ruthless clarity to it", with agencies treating designers as solely "stylists for hire" and are "in the ecosystem of the design disciplines, graphic designers have long dwelled at the bottom of the pond", making the skill of design appear cheapened and ineffective. These three authors have a different take on this argument but it seems to be that the lines between advertisers and graphic designers have never been more blurred. This is probably due to the society that has been created, making consumerist advertisements a large part of the world around us and the need for people to feed its creative influence. If anything, advertisers and graphic designers should co-exist and work together to produce work that would be influential not just for the consumerist society but for the ethical as well so overall, it would create a balance within the world.

Word Count: 1,145

Reference/ Source Book: