FIRST THINGS FIRST

The First Things First manifesto, published din 1964, argues that designers should contribute to bettering society instead of just wanting to sell things. It suggests that advertisements could be used as an instrument to transmit bigger ideals. It relates to the concept of mass production, in which the main focus is money and selling things, however, this manifesto makes us think: could there be more in advertising than just profit? The answer to this question is yes, designers who work in advertising can exceed boundaries of creating something simply for it’s aesthetic and actually propagate ideas and innovations. 

The manifesto in still very relevant now a days, which is quite interesting since it was written in 1964 and media manipulation is still really present in our daily lives. Criticizing this practice is a good way to raise attention to the cause, just like Charles Chaplin did in his movie ‘Modern Times’. This movie is located in factory and it portrays the workers in an ironic way; as if they were machines. 

The arts and crafts movement was a reaction to mass production, which is quite interesting to compare and contrast since it praises quality over quantity while mass production will do the exact opposite. It raises attention to purchasing something that you truly find to be useful and pleasing to look at. On the other hand, many propagandas will try to sell a lifestyle, you don’t necessarily need the item you are buying, but maybe you saw a beautiful person selling it and you want to feel closer to her. This is a form of manipulation, you think you need that too become someone famous, for example, in this way, there is a huge desire being induced. 

A good solution is using the skills of a designer for movements and campaigns. This was done by activists in the 1980’s and 90’s, who invited designers to help out with posters and other forms of communication. This way, something beautiful could be created while still having a greater cause involved. The artist Barbara Kruger is another fantastic example of using art to propagate opinions, in her case, many times the role of the woman is criticised as well as consumerism. In conclusion, when a designer used his talent not only aesthetically but also with attention to the message being propagated, he is paying attention to his responsibility while carrying out his job.