First Things First

Personal Manifesto First Things First 102

#44

For a project that is all about in the end writing your own manifesto, nothing is more suitable then looking at one of the most known manifestos throughout time that was written by Ken Garland and 20 designers, photographers and students The First Things First Manifesto. We were asked to analyse and give our perspective on the manifesto.

What do you think it reveals to you about the Creative Industries in the 1960’s?

I feel First Things First reveals a group of visual communicators who feels suppressed by advertising. That they are limited, or the public think, that designer can “only” do commercials. The manifesto tries to address this and inspire designers to stand up against this trend and work for things that matters in society. Charity, magazines, exhibitions etc.

Do you still think this view is current in our society today?

Out from the 2000 version of the manifesto I will say the view is pretty much the same if not worse for the visual communicators. Today many are educated and brought up with the idea that adverts pay the bill for a designer. This is then where most of our visual creators end up at. They need jobs and money, which unfortunately means that the important, less fortunate cases are left behind.

How do you feel personally about the role of designers and Graphic Communication in our 21st Century society?

Personally, I feel like there is something untouched with Graphic Communicators in the 21st century. For way to long have it all been either about persuasion or information, and it still should be that too, but I feel like there is such a lost opportunity in

making the world a better place to see. Imagen your everyday sign. They are clear, understandable and gives information. Give that to a Graphic Communicator and say, “do what you want” and I promise you, wherever that sign leads, you will be way more interested in going there looking at that sign, then the one that was previously untouched by a creative thinker. I feel graphic students, and new people to the platform often get lost in the aspect of paying your bills. They get lost in project after project only focusing on the product and the pay check that follows. Wouldn’t it be an experience taking something ordinary or mundane and create something truly extraordinary just because you have the skills and expertise to do so. I do feel we have people who act upon these urges to change the visual where world we live , in the most exciting ways imaginable, but there are not many of them. For me, the graphic way is a way to do what I love and pay my bills. What I would like to see for the future on the other hand is a much more visually

engaging everyday then the one we live in today.