This week's readings include the First Things First Manifestos, by Ken Garland, The Responsibilities of the Design Profession, by Herbert Spencer, Ethical Design Education, by Susan S. Szenasy, Innovation and Exploitation - A Critique on American Apparel. by Anna Kealey, and finally The First Things First Manifesto and the Politics of Cultural Jamming: Towards a Cultural Economy of Graphic Design and Advertising, by Matthew Soar.
First Things First Manifestos
In these manifestos, Garland points out the need for graphic designers to refocus their priorities away from advertising and products and more towards more practical media, like books or signs. I like the idea of the manifestos, and I would mostly follow what the manifesto is saying. This is because I feel that not all product advertising could be bad, I could help design something for a small company or a company that are trying to make changes for the better in the world. However, I will agree that product advertising nowadays seems to be more in the area of persuasion as compared to practically designing something. Advertising in this sense almost feels like an unwanted offshoot from design, something that is design but somewhat compromised.
- We are reaching a point where advertising has taken up a lot of our time and skill
- This skill can be better devoted for informational materials like books, signs, buildings, films, etc
- Advertising has already permeated through most of our society
- Not suggesting to entirely get rid of advertising, but a change in priorities
- Hope that society will realize the gimmicks of advertising and realize there is more worthwhile design
The First Things First Manifesto and the Politics of Cultural Jamming: Towards a Cultural Economy of Graphic Design and Advertising
This essay by Matthew Soar goes through various opinions from other designers about the First Things First Manifesto as well as arguments bought up for and against it. A main argument against the manifesto was that it was too elitist and uncompromising. One designer, Milton Glaser, commented on an earlier draft saying it was asking you "choose or die." You either had to be on the side of advertising or on the side of designing other media. Micheal Bierut also made the comment that most of the people who had signed the manifesto were people who were designing for the "cultural elite," and thus put the manifesto higher up than the average graphic designer. However some designers also felt that just the fact the manifesto brought up arguments about design was a good thing, so the designer become more aware of who he/she is designing for and why he/she is designing.
- Introduces time period and situation when manifesto was first written
- Goes over several opinions by known designers
- manifesto seems too elitist
- message would be carried better if not for the status of the signed
- Goes over organizations with same mindset as manifesto
- Adbusters: parodying ads
- Manifesto at least brings out discussion and get people thinking critically about design
The Responsibilities of the Design Profession
Spencer brings up the topic of not only advertising but also when design becomes a "design of a design," letting the design take over the process more than what the design should conveying and telling the audience. This is also related to the question of whether a product in question has to be present in a design. Spencer describes that in the his current time when graphic designer was finally being accepted as an actual profession, it doesn't mean that designers can or should fall back into conventional design methods or stop trying find the best ways to communicate an idea. Design should be something of quality and depth, not something shallow or quick, and thus can be applied in many situations; situations that may change the world.
- Design is a relatively new profession
- Everything is designed but some are designed better than others
- Comparison between development of typography and design
- as more ways were developed for type and design, people took advantage
- more and more freedom
- Stay away from conforming to trends and design of a design
- What we do as designers can affect the world
Ethical Design Education
Szenasy also brings up the issue of the effect of our designs, but more so in an environmental and ethical way. She addressed the need to avoid big companies that indirectly support unethical things like child labor or animal pelts. Szenasy also went over the possible consequence of design and how we should be aware of the materials we use and waste as well as how the material was produced. We need to be certain that we are not indirectly supporting unethical behavior, and that if everyone has this general attitude, changes can be made for the better in the world. Even though the graphic designer maybe seems to have not much power since they design things other people want them to, by choosing who to design for and being aware of the design process the designer can at least be in the moral right.
- class of 28 students in Ethics of Design Class
- control of the big companies- designers are just tools used by other people
- we need to think about how materials are used and where they come from
- discussion with monkey fur and palm of heart
- American lifestyle is unsustainable, we need to connect to humanity and the resources we use
- students decide to be more ethical and considerate of what to use
Innovation and Exploitation - A Critique on American Apparel
Kealey discusses American Apparel's advertising and marketing campaign. Despite American Apparel's focus on being a socially ethical and responsible company, they have ads that emulate soft pornography. While the author commends the company's effort to advocate their sweatshop-free policy, Kealey criticizes on their advertisements and the many negative connotations that the advertisements can carry. However Kealey does try to reason with American Apparel's ways, saying maybe their sweatshop-free policy may balance things out, or the fact that they are able to stand out more than other "ethical" companies is because their advertisements are the way they are now.
- company is sweat-shop free
- Benevolent Dictatorship- overly paternal management style
- sexualized advertisements- social responsibility
- negative connotations - emulate amateur pornography
- ethical practices maybe balance out unethical portrayal of women
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