When I wrote about Square One design the other day I mentioned that they'd done lots of work that is encouraged by the First Things First Manifesto but that I wasn't particularly bothered about that. I think this because I think the First Things First Manifesto is far too idealistic and no longer relevant.
Towards the beginning of the year in COP we had a studio task to write a piece of triangulated writing about the First Things Manifesto with reference to an example of Graphic Design as an exercise to help our academic writing.
I personally feel that it's far too idealistic to say that you shouldn't do work for certain types of companies or organisations, as many people, and not just designers, aren't in a position where they can be turning down work, purely for financial reasons.
Given the established nature of the some of the signatories of the 2000 manifesto such as Erik Spiekermann, Lucienne Roberts, Ellen Lupton, Rick Poynor, and of course Ken Garland himself, make it so idealistic in my eyes. I wonder how many of the signatories would want to sign it had they just finished a degree and been looking for work.
With this said, the last manifesto was published in 2000, a time which I can barely remember. Given the financial difficulties that western economies have gone through in years since then, reading and understanding the manifesto now must be taken with a pinch of salt because of the social change that's occurred since then.
In summary, at this moment in time I feel like I have no obligation or even duty to pay any attention to the manifesto because feeling like I have a moral existence within my professional line of work is useless if it results in their being no professional line of work. In 10-15 years time if I've established myself in a career, then that is when the First Things First Manifesto becomes important to me.
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