First Things First 1964

Ken Garland's "First Things First" manifesto was signed and supported by designers, photographers and students; that searched for the meaning of visual communication. They believed consumer selling pushed their skill and imagination aside, contributing little to our “national prosperity”. However, I don’t believe that is the case at all. When designing these products to meet consumer demand, a lot must be accounted for. The product must draw a person’s eye and when a brand has superior advertising compared to other brands, the successful companies flourish and improve our economy. Commercialism isn’t the problem but design without meaning is. I believe design strengthens commercialism, but I’m not saying design should only be used in commercial form. Design should exist as an art and should affect us everyday on the hour, every minute of every hour and every second we communicate.
I agree with Garland that designers can help create a greater understanding and awareness of our world. Through media, such as signs, posters, books, magazines, photographs, and films, designers can recreate an idea and portray their own point of view and message to the audience. I think what Ken Garland is really focusing on is capturing a feeling and representing it in a way that will influence the people either directly or even in subconscious thought. If a viewer was effected in anyway by a design piece, it’s successful. If they hated it, that’s great, if they loved it, even the more wonderful. The fact is that it kept them thinking after the first look.