This is the email that I've sent out to some existing sustainable graphic designers, that should hopefully help me with this research for my FMP, but also my dissertation as well.
I'm not too sure if I'm totally happy with the questions I've asked and how helpful the responses might actually be, but it'll be something to go on!
If I receive any emails back from the people I've sent this one out too, then I'll reply with a few more questions that might be more appropriate. But they might also reply with some useful information that might feed some more questions that I might be able to ask them.
Hello
I'm Emma and I'm currently in my third and final year of the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course at Leeds College of Art and Design.
I have based my dissertation and final major project on the subject of sustainable design and was wondering if you might be able to help me by answering some questions...
From looking at your website I have noticed you are taking into consideration a designers effect on the environment...
1. Is it something you have always been aware of as a subject, or was there a life changing event that made you consider your environmental footprint?
2. What changes have you made to work in a sustainable manner?
3. Do you encourage your clients to use environmentally sensitive processes and materials whenever applicable to a design?
4. Do you think it is important for the educational institutes to inform us about sustainable practice, making it a compulsory subject?
5. As a student who will be venturing out into the big wide world of design in a few months, do you think it is important that I have a good understanding of working sustainably?
6. How might you define sustainable practice within graphic design?
7. Do you think graphic design can be sustainable?
8.Do you think there's anything else you think I need to consider, or have any helpful advice to help me along the way?
Thank you very much for your time
Emma
x
Fingers crossed I get a reply!!
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Stuff-O-Meter - Brief One
I've found the first brief I want to do as part of my FMP. I found it whilst searching new and old D&AD briefs, this one being one from 2007, but it's prefect! Relating to my subject of 'Sustainability within Design' that I'm going for.
It's called 'Stuff-O-Meter' and the brief is to create a visual representation of any household product's lifecycle, from 'cradle to grave'.
This 'Stuff-O-Meter' D&AD brief has been sponsored by DOTT 07 (DESIGNS OF THE TIME).
Dott 07 (Designs of the time 2007), was a year of community projects, events and exhibitions based in North East England, explored what life in a sustainable region could be like – and how design could help us get there. Dott 07 projects aim to improve five aspects of daily life: movement, health, food, school and energy.
The focus of the initiative was on grassroots community projects; but there were also projects involving more than 70 schools, plus exhibitions and events in museums, galleries and rural sites. All events explored how design can improve our lives in meaningful ways.
DOT 07 is a thing of the past, but the website is still there, and has loads of information about sustainability and the benefits and the projects that they were involved in during this year. So something that can prove useful to me in the times ahead with this FMP...
It's called 'Stuff-O-Meter' and the brief is to create a visual representation of any household product's lifecycle, from 'cradle to grave'.
This 'Stuff-O-Meter' D&AD brief has been sponsored by DOTT 07 (DESIGNS OF THE TIME).
Dott 07 (Designs of the time 2007), was a year of community projects, events and exhibitions based in North East England, explored what life in a sustainable region could be like – and how design could help us get there. Dott 07 projects aim to improve five aspects of daily life: movement, health, food, school and energy.
The focus of the initiative was on grassroots community projects; but there were also projects involving more than 70 schools, plus exhibitions and events in museums, galleries and rural sites. All events explored how design can improve our lives in meaningful ways.
DOT 07 is a thing of the past, but the website is still there, and has loads of information about sustainability and the benefits and the projects that they were involved in during this year. So something that can prove useful to me in the times ahead with this FMP...
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Sustainability and Cradle to Cradle Design - Podcast
I'm not too sure how relevant this theory work might be to my design context, but I found it interesting to listen to anyways.
Basically, these are some notes I made yesterday whilst listening to this podcast by Matthew Sweet, the director of Dott07 (Designs Of The Time), this also being the sponsor for the Stuff-O-Meter brief I'm responding to at the moment.
Discussion between Matthew Sweets and Michael Brownguard, a German scientist who had a vision of the future in which nothing ever ends up in a land fill because, as in nature, no waste product is ever truly wasted.
- Some possibilities that need to be considered, some changes that might work to help save the future of the planet...(sorry it's in note form, so very vague)
Cradle to cradle is about reshaping industry to make it mimic the processes of nature, it means ‘to reinvent everything’ so either that things can go back in a biological cycle like shoe soles, like brake pads, like food, like detergent. It’s designed to be good for the biosphere.
Mimic the process of nature.
Reinvent everything.
Look at how ants live, how they have order and how they use natural materials in everything they do.
Eliminate thinking of waste, we are the only species that produce it.
Define the use period of everything.
But it’s not about being less bad, it’s about being good. Right now we think we protect the environment when we destroy a little less
Discussion with Matthew Sweet, Hugh Pearman and Antonia Ward.
As I understand it means that there is no waste product at the end, so that products become infinitely recyclable.
It’s the idea that in nature waste equals food, and that can be food for animals or for systems or for society.
You have to then talk to the manufacturer and say “will you take this back when I’m finished with it?”
What’s embodied energy?
How much it costs to make the things that you…how much it costs in energy terms to make a brick say, or, you know, a steel beam or anything else like that, that’s in the building, concrete, a lot of energy is involved.
Consumers need to demand more. But knowing what to demand is where design comes into it. They need to know what to demand.
The government can help tip people towards wanting to do things more and generally speaking what that means is making people feel they can afford to make a step in this direction.
What we need though is the information to enable us to make a choice. We have labelling on food where we know where food comes from now because consumer demand for food miles has asked for it, you don’t know what its made of, you don’t know how to take it apart, you don’t know where to send the bits to be recycled or if they can, you don’t know how to upgrade it.
The idea of recycling that we know is down-cycling, it’s making worse quality products out of second hand materials. If you build things so that they can be remade and remanufactured you’re up-cycling, you’re making a new and better thing out of an old material.
Basically, these are some notes I made yesterday whilst listening to this podcast by Matthew Sweet, the director of Dott07 (Designs Of The Time), this also being the sponsor for the Stuff-O-Meter brief I'm responding to at the moment.
Discussion between Matthew Sweets and Michael Brownguard, a German scientist who had a vision of the future in which nothing ever ends up in a land fill because, as in nature, no waste product is ever truly wasted.
- Some possibilities that need to be considered, some changes that might work to help save the future of the planet...(sorry it's in note form, so very vague)
Cradle to cradle is about reshaping industry to make it mimic the processes of nature, it means ‘to reinvent everything’ so either that things can go back in a biological cycle like shoe soles, like brake pads, like food, like detergent. It’s designed to be good for the biosphere.
Mimic the process of nature.
Reinvent everything.
Look at how ants live, how they have order and how they use natural materials in everything they do.
Eliminate thinking of waste, we are the only species that produce it.
Define the use period of everything.
But it’s not about being less bad, it’s about being good. Right now we think we protect the environment when we destroy a little less
Discussion with Matthew Sweet, Hugh Pearman and Antonia Ward.
As I understand it means that there is no waste product at the end, so that products become infinitely recyclable.
It’s the idea that in nature waste equals food, and that can be food for animals or for systems or for society.
You have to then talk to the manufacturer and say “will you take this back when I’m finished with it?”
What’s embodied energy?
How much it costs to make the things that you…how much it costs in energy terms to make a brick say, or, you know, a steel beam or anything else like that, that’s in the building, concrete, a lot of energy is involved.
Consumers need to demand more. But knowing what to demand is where design comes into it. They need to know what to demand.
The government can help tip people towards wanting to do things more and generally speaking what that means is making people feel they can afford to make a step in this direction.
What we need though is the information to enable us to make a choice. We have labelling on food where we know where food comes from now because consumer demand for food miles has asked for it, you don’t know what its made of, you don’t know how to take it apart, you don’t know where to send the bits to be recycled or if they can, you don’t know how to upgrade it.
The idea of recycling that we know is down-cycling, it’s making worse quality products out of second hand materials. If you build things so that they can be remade and remanufactured you’re up-cycling, you’re making a new and better thing out of an old material.
Friday, 23 January 2009
ecofont...cont.
Since discovering the 'ecofont', I've since found an article on The Guardian website, showing off the invention by SPRANQ.
Below is a collection of interesting comments that might be useful. Some positive comments, some not so positive!
The link to the page is below...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2008/dec/22/waste-ethicalliving
Below is a collection of interesting comments that might be useful. Some positive comments, some not so positive!
The link to the page is below...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2008/dec/22/waste-ethicalliving
Thursday, 22 January 2009
ecofont
Since the tutorial the other day, it's got me thinking about where I can go with my Final Major Project (FMP) and what briefs I might want to look for or create myself.
As the theme/subject of my FMP is Sustainability Within Design, I have considered the ways in which a designers works, their ways of working within the studio and also the way they actually work, how they go about answering briefs. Choosing whether to use recycled paper, whether the brief is worthy of being produced.
I had thought of creating my own typeface, that uses less ink when going through the printer, that prints most appropriately on recycled stock etc..
But looks like this has already been done :(
I discovered the 'ecofont' whilst gathering some research for my dissertation. It's developed by SPRANQ Creative Communications.
"The prints we make for our 'daily use' not only use paper, but also ink. Your ink cartridges (or ink toner) could last longer.
Appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. In the picture you can see how the Ecofont is created by omitting parts of the letter. At the shown size, this obviously is not very nice, but at a regular font size it is actually very usable. Naturally, the results vary depending on your software and the quality of your screen. Using up to 20% less ink" - ecofont.eu
Discovering this isn't going to stop me from looking at creating my own sustainable typeface as part of the FMP. Reducing the amount of ink used in some other way...fingers crossed!
As the theme/subject of my FMP is Sustainability Within Design, I have considered the ways in which a designers works, their ways of working within the studio and also the way they actually work, how they go about answering briefs. Choosing whether to use recycled paper, whether the brief is worthy of being produced.
I had thought of creating my own typeface, that uses less ink when going through the printer, that prints most appropriately on recycled stock etc..
But looks like this has already been done :(
I discovered the 'ecofont' whilst gathering some research for my dissertation. It's developed by SPRANQ Creative Communications.
"The prints we make for our 'daily use' not only use paper, but also ink. Your ink cartridges (or ink toner) could last longer.
Appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. In the picture you can see how the Ecofont is created by omitting parts of the letter. At the shown size, this obviously is not very nice, but at a regular font size it is actually very usable. Naturally, the results vary depending on your software and the quality of your screen. Using up to 20% less ink" - ecofont.eu
Discovering this isn't going to stop me from looking at creating my own sustainable typeface as part of the FMP. Reducing the amount of ink used in some other way...fingers crossed!
Sustainable Graphic Design Widget
Divided into three sections; "paper", "print" and "more info", the sustainable graphic design widget delivers basic information about the environmental impacts that design methods and techniques have.
Created by 57 design + illustration, by a graduate called Becky Green, from Australia. This widget is available over at Apple’s Dashboard Downloads.
A really clever and useful download, that is always at hand to clarify some questions or problems a designer might have when heading to the print and production of a piece of design.
Includes a few stages on how to get involved with becoming a more sustainable designer, with a good list of useful links to other sustainable design practices and sites that provide help and advice and further information about sustainable design.
Created by 57 design + illustration, by a graduate called Becky Green, from Australia. This widget is available over at Apple’s Dashboard Downloads.
A really clever and useful download, that is always at hand to clarify some questions or problems a designer might have when heading to the print and production of a piece of design.
Includes a few stages on how to get involved with becoming a more sustainable designer, with a good list of useful links to other sustainable design practices and sites that provide help and advice and further information about sustainable design.
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Tutorial no.1
To get our brain ticking over and for us to specify where it is we might actually be going with our FMP, we were asked 4 questions..
1. What subject/theme will my FMP be on?
2. How am I researching it?
3. What areas of graphic design am I interested in looking at?
4. Decisions of design practice/design context...
My answers to these questions were as follows...
1. My susbject is Sustainability, which since the tutorial, is now, Sustainability Within Design
2. I've based my dissertation on susthainable design, so have a lot of research already. But need to look at more visual work, not as much theory. I want to discover sustainable design companies, who already work in a sustainable manner and how this affects the work they produce.
3. The main areas of raphic design that I am interested in is print based design, type, layout and information design.
4. I want to produce for a purpose. Not just designing for design's sake...
It is still quite vague and I'm still slightly confused about where this might go, so the only way I think I can get any idea of what direction I'm going to go in is to write my statement of intent, as much as I possibly can...and try and go to next weeks tutorial will more specific ideas...
1. What subject/theme will my FMP be on?
2. How am I researching it?
3. What areas of graphic design am I interested in looking at?
4. Decisions of design practice/design context...
My answers to these questions were as follows...
1. My susbject is Sustainability, which since the tutorial, is now, Sustainability Within Design
2. I've based my dissertation on susthainable design, so have a lot of research already. But need to look at more visual work, not as much theory. I want to discover sustainable design companies, who already work in a sustainable manner and how this affects the work they produce.
3. The main areas of raphic design that I am interested in is print based design, type, layout and information design.
4. I want to produce for a purpose. Not just designing for design's sake...
It is still quite vague and I'm still slightly confused about where this might go, so the only way I think I can get any idea of what direction I'm going to go in is to write my statement of intent, as much as I possibly can...and try and go to next weeks tutorial will more specific ideas...
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Proposal
DESIGN PRACTICE / RATIONALE
Print based design is definitely my main area of interest, focusing on developing my Adobe software skills, in particular, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. This also encouraging me to look at paper craft, types of paper stock and print processes.
I like design that’s different, that grab’s attention, even if that’s never happened with my work….it’s something I try to intend to do!! But I would also like it to have a purpose, especially now I've been looking into sustainable design and not just designing for design's sake.
DESIGN / CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT AREAS
I want to focus on type and layout design, as that’s my main area of interest but an area that still needs plenty of room for improvement!
I would like to consider looking at editorial design, it’s something I’ve not yet focused on, but is something I’ve always wanted to look at. But not sure if I should be focusing on skills I already have instead of trying to get to grips with new ones for the final major project. I guess it’s an option I could consider.
I briefly looked into exhibition design in the last module, and really enjoyed it, so that would be an area I would like to look at again. Maybe not just focusing on exhibition, but environmental graphics in general…
Also, from the previous module, I did a bit of branding, and after the summer work placement I had thought that was an area I wasn’t interested in. But I really enjoyed doing this for the last module, so that’s something else I would also consider doing…
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Would like to aim to have a 3 week work placement sorted for the Easter holidays. Some where with the possibility of perhaps being offered a permanent place once I graduate....I wish!
Would preferably like to be in either Leeds, York or Harrogate, so there's various locations I can try.
Need to become more clued on with this area, as I feel I'm not as informed as I should be.
Already started looking for places, but would like to sort out my print and digital portfolios before I start emailing, so that if they ask, then I'm not keeping them waiting for too long.
CONTEXTUAL REFERENCES / INFLUENCES
Work/Research
Non-Format – Type and Layout
Information Graphics
Exhibition/Environment Graphics
Sustainable design
Books
Data Flow -Information graphics
1000 Graphic Elements – Various print based formats
Special Effects – Print effects
The Layout Look Book – Type and layout (Editorial)
Introducing – Type and layout
Magazines
Creative Review – Sustainable design
Grafik
IDN – Retail and environment design
Computer Arts – Design Trends
Campaign – What's going on and what's out there that works
Websites
Three Trees Don’t Make a Forest < Both sustainable based sites
Lovely as a Tree
SUBJECT
As I did for the last module, I tried to focus one of my briefs on sustainable design, to help with the research of my dissertation. That is something I enjoyed doing and felt I got a lot of benefit from. Being ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ is becoming more important and is something I would like to continue to address.
Focusing on this could also link with awareness and promotion, which is another subject I would like to look at.
For the last module I also looked at information and environment, again something I would like to focus on and look into a bit more.
RESEARCH AREAS / RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
To understand the subject matter of sustainable design and researching it, I feel I've already done a lot, especially secondary research. But to focus on primary research I would need to take it further and get in touch with existing designers and studios that already work in this way and find out the benefits and negative points.
Since the last module and going about starting my briefs in the wrong way and not doing enough research and seeing what is already out there, I've learnt to keep my eyes peeled more, to read more and just overall try and become more aware of the inspirational stuff around me.
INITIAL / PROPOSED IDEAS FOR BRIEFS
I can only think to suggest some initial ideas for proposed briefs, as I've no idea what I could do.
But I would, from what I've noticed whilst putting together this proposal, like to focus on sustainability, print, editorial, environments and information based design. So what I would do with this is many possibilities.
Print based design is definitely my main area of interest, focusing on developing my Adobe software skills, in particular, Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. This also encouraging me to look at paper craft, types of paper stock and print processes.
I like design that’s different, that grab’s attention, even if that’s never happened with my work….it’s something I try to intend to do!! But I would also like it to have a purpose, especially now I've been looking into sustainable design and not just designing for design's sake.
DESIGN / CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT AREAS
I want to focus on type and layout design, as that’s my main area of interest but an area that still needs plenty of room for improvement!
I would like to consider looking at editorial design, it’s something I’ve not yet focused on, but is something I’ve always wanted to look at. But not sure if I should be focusing on skills I already have instead of trying to get to grips with new ones for the final major project. I guess it’s an option I could consider.
I briefly looked into exhibition design in the last module, and really enjoyed it, so that would be an area I would like to look at again. Maybe not just focusing on exhibition, but environmental graphics in general…
Also, from the previous module, I did a bit of branding, and after the summer work placement I had thought that was an area I wasn’t interested in. But I really enjoyed doing this for the last module, so that’s something else I would also consider doing…
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Would like to aim to have a 3 week work placement sorted for the Easter holidays. Some where with the possibility of perhaps being offered a permanent place once I graduate....I wish!
Would preferably like to be in either Leeds, York or Harrogate, so there's various locations I can try.
Need to become more clued on with this area, as I feel I'm not as informed as I should be.
Already started looking for places, but would like to sort out my print and digital portfolios before I start emailing, so that if they ask, then I'm not keeping them waiting for too long.
CONTEXTUAL REFERENCES / INFLUENCES
Work/Research
Non-Format – Type and Layout
Information Graphics
Exhibition/Environment Graphics
Sustainable design
Books
Data Flow -Information graphics
1000 Graphic Elements – Various print based formats
Special Effects – Print effects
The Layout Look Book – Type and layout (Editorial)
Introducing – Type and layout
Magazines
Creative Review – Sustainable design
Grafik
IDN – Retail and environment design
Computer Arts – Design Trends
Campaign – What's going on and what's out there that works
Websites
Three Trees Don’t Make a Forest < Both sustainable based sites
Lovely as a Tree
SUBJECT
As I did for the last module, I tried to focus one of my briefs on sustainable design, to help with the research of my dissertation. That is something I enjoyed doing and felt I got a lot of benefit from. Being ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ is becoming more important and is something I would like to continue to address.
Focusing on this could also link with awareness and promotion, which is another subject I would like to look at.
For the last module I also looked at information and environment, again something I would like to focus on and look into a bit more.
RESEARCH AREAS / RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
To understand the subject matter of sustainable design and researching it, I feel I've already done a lot, especially secondary research. But to focus on primary research I would need to take it further and get in touch with existing designers and studios that already work in this way and find out the benefits and negative points.
Since the last module and going about starting my briefs in the wrong way and not doing enough research and seeing what is already out there, I've learnt to keep my eyes peeled more, to read more and just overall try and become more aware of the inspirational stuff around me.
INITIAL / PROPOSED IDEAS FOR BRIEFS
I can only think to suggest some initial ideas for proposed briefs, as I've no idea what I could do.
But I would, from what I've noticed whilst putting together this proposal, like to focus on sustainability, print, editorial, environments and information based design. So what I would do with this is many possibilities.
First Things First 2000 Manifesto
We, the undersigned, are graphic designers, art directors and visual communicators who have been raised in a world in which the techniques and apparatus of advertising have persistently been presented to us as the most lucrative, effective and desirable use of our talents. Many design teachers and mentors promote this belief; the market rewards it; a tide of books and publications reinforces it.
Encouraged in this direction, designers then apply their skill and imagination to sell dog biscuits, designer coffee, diamonds, detergents, hair gel, cigarettes, credit cards, sneakers, butt toners, light beer and heavy-duty recreational vehicles. Commercial work has always paid the bills, but many graphic designers have now let it become, in large measure, what graphic designers do. This, in turn, is how the world perceives design. The profession's time and energy is used up manufacturing demand for things that are inessential at best.
Many of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this view of design. Designers who devote their efforts primarily to advertising, marketing and brand development are supporting, and implicitly endorsing, a mental environment so saturated with commercial messages that it is changing the very way citizen-consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact. To some extent we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse.
There are pursuits more worthy of our problem-solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention. Many cultural interventions, social marketing campaigns, books, magazines, exhibitions, educational tools, television programs, films, charitable causes and other information design projects urgently require our expertise and help.
We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication - a mindshift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning. The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design.
In 1964, 22 visual communicators signed the original call for our skills to be put to worthwhile use. With the explosive growth of global commercial culture, their message has only grown more urgent. Today, we renew their manifesto in expectation that no more decades will pass before it is taken to heart.
signed:
Jonathan Barnbrook
Nick Bell
Andrew Blauvelt
Hans Bockting
Irma Boom
Sheila Levrant de Bretteville
Max Bruinsma
Siân Cook
Linda van Deursen
Chris Dixon
William Drenttel
Gert Dumbar
Simon Esterson
Vince Frost
Ken Garland
Milton Glaser
Jessica Helfand
Steven Heller
Andrew Howard
Tibor Kalman
Jeffery Keedy
Zuzana Licko
Ellen Lupton
Katherine McCoy
Armand Mevis
J. Abbott Miller
Rick Poynor
Lucienne Roberts
Erik Spiekermann
Jan van Toorn
Teal Triggs
Rudy VanderLans
Bob Wilkinson
and many more
Encouraged in this direction, designers then apply their skill and imagination to sell dog biscuits, designer coffee, diamonds, detergents, hair gel, cigarettes, credit cards, sneakers, butt toners, light beer and heavy-duty recreational vehicles. Commercial work has always paid the bills, but many graphic designers have now let it become, in large measure, what graphic designers do. This, in turn, is how the world perceives design. The profession's time and energy is used up manufacturing demand for things that are inessential at best.
Many of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this view of design. Designers who devote their efforts primarily to advertising, marketing and brand development are supporting, and implicitly endorsing, a mental environment so saturated with commercial messages that it is changing the very way citizen-consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact. To some extent we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse.
There are pursuits more worthy of our problem-solving skills. Unprecedented environmental, social and cultural crises demand our attention. Many cultural interventions, social marketing campaigns, books, magazines, exhibitions, educational tools, television programs, films, charitable causes and other information design projects urgently require our expertise and help.
We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication - a mindshift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning. The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design.
In 1964, 22 visual communicators signed the original call for our skills to be put to worthwhile use. With the explosive growth of global commercial culture, their message has only grown more urgent. Today, we renew their manifesto in expectation that no more decades will pass before it is taken to heart.
signed:
Jonathan Barnbrook
Nick Bell
Andrew Blauvelt
Hans Bockting
Irma Boom
Sheila Levrant de Bretteville
Max Bruinsma
Siân Cook
Linda van Deursen
Chris Dixon
William Drenttel
Gert Dumbar
Simon Esterson
Vince Frost
Ken Garland
Milton Glaser
Jessica Helfand
Steven Heller
Andrew Howard
Tibor Kalman
Jeffery Keedy
Zuzana Licko
Ellen Lupton
Katherine McCoy
Armand Mevis
J. Abbott Miller
Rick Poynor
Lucienne Roberts
Erik Spiekermann
Jan van Toorn
Teal Triggs
Rudy VanderLans
Bob Wilkinson
and many more
First Things First 1964 Manifesto
We, the undersigned, are graphic designers, photographers and students who have been brought up in a world in which the techniques and apparatus of advertising have persistently been presented to us as the most lucrative, effective and desirable means of using our talents. We have been bombarded with publications devoted to this belief, applauding the work of those who have flogged their skill and imagination to sell such things as: cat food, stomach powders, detergent, hair restorer, striped toothpaste, aftershave lotion, beforeshave lotion, slimming diets, fattening diets, deodorants, fizzy water, cigarettes, roll-ons, pull-ons and slip-ons.
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.
In common with an increasing numer of the general public, we have reached a saturation point at which the high pitched scream of consumer selling is no more than sheer noise. We think that there are other things more worth using our skill and experience on. There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world.
We do not advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising: this is not feasible. Nor do we want to take any of the fun out of life. But we are proposing a reversal of priorities in favour of the more useful and more lasting forms of communication. We hope that our society will tire of gimmick merchants, status salesmen and hidden persuaders, and that the prior call on our skills will be for worthwhile purposes. With this in mind we propose to share our experience and opinions, and to make them available to colleagues, students and others who may be interested.
signed:
Edward Wright
Geoffrey White
William Slack
Caroline Rawlence
Ian McLaren
Sam Lambert
Ivor Kamlish
Gerald Jones
Bernard Higton
Brian Grimbly
John Garner
Ken Garland
Anthony Froshaug
Robin Fior
Germano Facetti
Ivan Dodd
Harriet Crowder
Anthony Clift
Gerry Cinamon
Robert Chapman
Ray Carpenter
Ken Briggs
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.
In common with an increasing numer of the general public, we have reached a saturation point at which the high pitched scream of consumer selling is no more than sheer noise. We think that there are other things more worth using our skill and experience on. There are signs for streets and buildings, books and periodicals, catalogues, instructional manuals, industrial photography, educational aids, films, television features, scientific and industrial publications and all the other media through which we promote our trade, our education, our culture and our greater awareness of the world.
We do not advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising: this is not feasible. Nor do we want to take any of the fun out of life. But we are proposing a reversal of priorities in favour of the more useful and more lasting forms of communication. We hope that our society will tire of gimmick merchants, status salesmen and hidden persuaders, and that the prior call on our skills will be for worthwhile purposes. With this in mind we propose to share our experience and opinions, and to make them available to colleagues, students and others who may be interested.
signed:
Edward Wright
Geoffrey White
William Slack
Caroline Rawlence
Ian McLaren
Sam Lambert
Ivor Kamlish
Gerald Jones
Bernard Higton
Brian Grimbly
John Garner
Ken Garland
Anthony Froshaug
Robin Fior
Germano Facetti
Ivan Dodd
Harriet Crowder
Anthony Clift
Gerry Cinamon
Robert Chapman
Ray Carpenter
Ken Briggs
Thursday, 15 January 2009
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