First Things First 2000

The First Things First Manifesto 2000 is very similar to the one written in 1964. In thirty six years hardly anything has changed in terms of commercial design versus educational design. The manifesto states, “The profession’s time and energy is used up by manufacturing demand for things that are inessential at best.” This statement and the manifesto itself almost makes me want to laugh. Here is something written by designers who have obviously made their money and paid their bills by commercial designing. If they don’t want to design commercially…then don’t. Don’t be a designer then, or don’t have a professional in design. Design for fun and get a different job to pay the bills. From personal experience, I already know that if I pursue a career in design, I will be using my skills and talent to market a brand. Many of the design assignments in a graphic design program at any college (including Mason Gross) teach you as a designer to create brand identities, and to learn how to market products in a commercial world. This whole shifting priorities concept will never work unless you start at the root. The root in this case is the graphic design students at any university. Distribute this manifesto to them, not as an assignment to “respond to” but just as a manifesto itself. Hopefully it will change the priorities of these graphic design students before they enter the professional world and become tainted like every other designer out there. (Who have no room to complain about anything considering they make their money by commercial design)