First Things First Manifesto (1964/2000)

Written in 1963 and published in 1964 by Ken Garland along with 20 other designers, photographers and students, the manifesto was a reaction to the staunch society of 1960s Britain and called for a return to a humanist aspect of design. It lashed out against the fast-paced and often trivial productions of mainstream advertising, calling them trivial and time-consuming. It's solution was to focus efforts of design on education and public service tasks that promoted the betterment of society.

The influence of the manifesto was quick to reach a wide audience and was picked up by The Guardian, which led to a TV appearance by Garland on a BBC news program and its subsequent publication in a variety of journals, magazines and newspapers. It was revisited and republished by a group of new authors in the year 2000 and labeled as the First Things First Manifesto 2000.

In groups of five we were appointed the task of comparing 1964 manifesto with 2000 revisited manifesto. 

Similarities and Differences

Both talk about a reversal of priorities in favour of a more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication.  It condemns the products that graphic design works to sell as 'trivial' and hopes that society will tire of them.

The 1964 edition caused more of a stir then as it was published in The Guardian, Ark. In comparison to the revisited one as it was only published in graphic magazines. 

The 1964 edition was idealistic, consumerism could still be changed, whereas 2000 edition it was realised that consumerism was here to change but we still need to adapt and change. 

Another difference between 1964 and 2000 edition is that it lists cat food and dog biscuits. Dog biscuits are not a necessity but cat food is. 

The 2000 edition was signed by a lot more well known and successful graphic designers, unlike the first one. Names such as Erik Spiekermann Teal Triggs etc. 

Both manifestos were written in financial  booms. 

First Things First offers a compelling narrative of designers withdrawing from a consumerist culture and changing the world for good. However, it massively oversimplifies the issue.