If you aren’t familiar with the manifesto, mine probably won’t make as much sense. It was originally written in 1964 and can be read here. A new version was written in 2000 that can be read here. If you are interested, there is a great discussion about the manifestos in the book Looking Closer 4.

If I haven’t bored you to death already, Here is the first draft of my Revised First Things First manifesto:

In 1964, 22 visual communicators signed the original First Things First Manifesto in a call for our skills to be put to worthwhile use. In 2000, the manifesto was revised to “propose a reversal of priorities in favor of… a mindshift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning.” We believe the “First Things First Revisited” manifesto is so deeply flawed that an alternative needs to be presented. This manifesto is an attempt to correct the errors the 2000 version presented.

An Alternative to First Things First Revisited 2000

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. Within this climate, it is our intention to use our skills to improve our world rather than using our talents as as money-making, self-serving, ego-pumping vocations.

There is no pursuit more worthy of our problem-solving skills than the application of good design principles to seemingly mundane projects. The application of our skills is not for the elite, but for everyone. The most trivial of products (dog biscuits, coffee, diamonds, detergents, hair gel, cigarettes, credit cards, sneakers, beer and recreational vehicles) deserve quality design. This is not because it improves the life of the designer, but because design has the power to improve the life of every human being. Effort towards better design is never wasted, and the most trivial of purposes contributes 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. Rather than lessen our cause, this state of affairs gives importance to our work. We will not turn our back on our profession in order to search for a higher cause. With the explosive growth of global commercial culture, the current consumer climate deserves our immediate attention because it has the potential to have the greatest impact. We embrace this challenge and see the value of finding new relevant and effective solutions to the problems of our world. Our daily work may overlap with environmental, social and cultural crises, however, these ventures, although deserving of our attention, are not more important than any other project we are involved in.

We propose a renewed commitment to our profession that emphasizes the power of design to improve the life of all people. We are not challenging the institution of consumerism, but rather working within it’s structure to bring about good by improving the system. We are not endorsing a mental environment saturated with commercial messages, we are taking ownership of the effect our occupations have on our world, and striving to improve our world through our commitment to design.

Adrian Hanft