the MANIFESTO For Design students raised in the Digital Era
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Revisited. STUDENTS RASIED IN THE DIGITAL ERA
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The First Thing First Manifesto Analayzed and Revisited by Current Students EMMA LUKE WELCH BFA THESIS 2022
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Pages 10-13 Pages 14-15 Pages 16-31 Letter From the Editor Thesis Proposal Visual Research
CONTENTS Pages 31-47 Pages 47-57 Annotated Manifestos Student Perspective
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As a Graduating senior of Pratt Institute with a 11 major in Graphic Design and a Minor in Social Justice, I have learned the ubiquitous influence that Graphic Design has on both the individual and society at large. I have seen the design field used to change and voice perspectives, evoke emotion, and thought towards political activism. Simultaneiously, I have also been raised and educated in a highly consumerist and capitalist enviornment. My thesis draws from personal questions and concerns I have for the field in which i’ve devoted six years of studying to. It also draws from the contradictions and frustrations I face in my design process that come from balancing personal ethics and the capitalist society we live in. More importantly, I wonder most about what this is doing to our relationships with one another and our relationships with ourselves. THIS BOOKLET WILL INCLUDE 3 perspectives FIRST. PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND CRITIQUES ON GRAPHIC DESIGN TODAY. SECOND. DESIGNERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY ADVOCATING FOR A REVERSAL OF PRIORITIES THROUGH THE FIRST THINGS FIRST MANIFESTOS. THIRD. CURRENT DESIGN STUDENTS CRITIQUE AND RESPOND TO THE DESIGN WORLD THEY ARE ENTERING.
THE LENS IN WHICH I DESIGN 12
THE LENS IN WHCIH I PERCIEVE THIS WORLD 13 I AM ASIAN AMERICAN I AM 23 YEARS OLD I AM COLLEGE EDUCATED I AM ADOPTED FROM CHINA I AM ENGLISH SPEAKING I AM NON-DISABLED I AM NON-RELIGIOUS I AM A MEMBER OF A DIVORCED PARENT HETEROSEXAL BI-RACIAL FAMILY I AM A YOUNGER SIBILING I AM CISGENDER I AM HOMOSEXUAL
What / The field of Graphic Design and its politi- cal influence has been critiqued by designers themselves beginning in the 1960’s. The shift in public perception of design and the prior- itization on consumerism is placed on pedago- gy lacking a multidisciplinary design educa- tion. In addition, the evolving relationship between advertising and design is rewarded by our markets, publications, and reinforced by our “likes.” This contributes and propels a society in which we prioritize profit over people. How is this visually exemplified? Is it the due to advancement of technology? What are the long term effects of using our skills to sell? Is design helping or hurting our ability to communicate one another? 14 Why / This project explores the implications of con- sumerist centered design. It is essential to trace back to the origin of what we do in or- der to preserve our purpose and work towards a future where design is a form of communication rather than persuasion. We cannot solve this is- sue with ‘ethical design’ nor is it found to be feasible under capitalism. Rather, we can learn how design is inextricably linked to ethical implications and broaden our on consciousness towards a mindset that prioritizes our environ- ment and the humans in which we intend to com- municate with.
Project Proposal How / This thesis project will assemble varied perspectives in the form of a hard copy book15 that provides historical perspective from past designers, current design student cri- tiques and hopes, and my personal lens and response to the design culture we exist in. The gathering of information will commence with close reading and annotations of the four published manifestos 1964, 2000, 2014, and 2020. Extracting language similarities and differences, noting shifts in priorities and goals and critiques. Secondary research will be found through literature reviews of these pieces, other discourse such as inter- views from the writers, perspectives of oth- er designers in the field during these peri- ods, current day designers and their design processes and backgrounds. Simultaneously, I want to gather visual examples of this evo- lution and learn about the technological limitations or advances that were available at the time. Lastly, I will gather data and insight from current students working to find their place and purpose in the design world.
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17 The First Things First 2000 Manifesto
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“A lot of this st can swap the te for anything, a completely cha message. There much of a relat between conten aesthetics; if a the content is j interchangeab an ad, for bette worse.” HU |
tuff, you HOW DO ACTIVISM ext out SLIDESHOWS GO VIRAL ON and it’ll INSTAGRAM? ange the BY CO-OPTING POPULAR DESIGN isn’t tionship AESTHETICS FROM BRANDS. nt and anything, “Jess, who works as a just marketing consultant for ble like her day job, said the er or for branding inspiration for her account — which features bright colors and bubbly fonts — came from the deluge of inspirational graphics popular among millennial women.” bold and eye-catching, featuring colorful gradients, large serif fonts, pastel backgrounds, and playful illustrations 21
HQAUDESTIONS I 22
WHY DO THESE ALL LOOK THE SAME?? 23 ARE THERE LONG TERM NEUTRALIZING EFFECTS TO MAKING ADVOCACY DIGESTABLE AND CONSUMABLE? HOW CAN THESE TOPICS BE “INTERCHANGEABLE”? WHY IS THE DESIGN PROCESS SO THOUGHTLESS WHEN TALKING ABOUT RACE? IS IT BECAUSE OF TECHONOLOGY? DID A DESIGNER DESIGN THIS? WHO IS CONSIDERED A DESIGNER? IS THIS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF COMMUNICATING THESE TOPICS? DOES BRANDING AESTHETIC OF THESE INFORMA TION SLIDES DESENSITIZE THE INFORMATION BEING ABSORBED? IS IT BEING ABSORBED? HOW DOES THIS EFFECT THE FIELD OF GRAPHIC DESIGN OVERALL? IF OUR ART DOESN’T REFLECT COMMUNICATE EMOTE. WHAT IS IT DOING?
“Historically, artists haven’t shied away from the political; if a aesthetics and design choices in an attempt to disrupt and craft a
OSPAAL: Organization of solidarity of the people of Asia, Africa, & Latin America anything, some have sought to subvert or degrade corporate a new visual language for their own movements.”
27 Balck Panther Poster Emory Douglas 1969
The Undersigned: Graphic Designers, Photographers, Students Advertising has become the most desireable means of graphic talents Designers are calling for a Reversal of priorities in favor of the more useful and lasting forms of communication and worthwile purpose
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BBBBBBoooooommmmmmbbbbbbaaaaaarrrrrrddddddeeeeeedddddd31 high pitched scream of consumer selling is no more than sheeeeer noise.
The Undersigned: Graphic Designers, Art Directors, Visual Communicators 33
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How does consumerism affect your design process? 42
CORPORATE/TRENDY DESIGN APPROPRIATE SUBCULTURE VISUAL LANGUAGE AND USE THEM MOSTLY JUST FOR SPIKING UP THE SALES. AND ONCE A STYLE BECOMES TRENDY, EVERYONE IS USING IT BECAUSE IT MAKES A SALE AND IT’S SAFE(WHAT AN IRONY). I try to be hyper-aware of consumerism/capitalist agendas and either avoid them or actively critique them. Of course, money is necessary for survival unfortunately so I try to navigate this warily. In many ways, the presence of consumerism within graphic design and branding has really deterred me from pursuing a career in the field. I'm really concerned about the impacts of our current rates of consumption and feel very conflicted about entering into a job where I feel that my work is to convince people to buy more things (that they probably don't need.)Of course, there are graphic design jobs where selling something to someone is not the main goal but I felt that many of the career options that would be available and profitable to me followed along those lines.
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weg nswusosoutmladei ntyahobiunl eg It would mean using eco-friendly materials consciously so that they could be reused more than once. It is all about the material and format chosen. It could even be digital over print. Use materials that are low cost, easily ? ?? recyclable or reusable, and long lasting. For digital design, not to overload it with heavy coding. It requires users laptop energy to load a page! 100 million views can be a lot of energywasted. I WOULD USE RECYCLED OR BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS OR TRY TO DESIGN MESSAGING TO PROMOTE BETTER PRACTICES.NO COST AND NO WASTE
Ioowfnfhyetaohotuerwcfimooeuulodllrddeociftard “MY GREATEST CONCERN SURROUNDS HYPER CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION AND ITS 46 EFFECTS ON THE GLOBAL CLIMATE AND LABOR CRISIS. I THINK AS DESIGNERS WE NEED TO BE MORE CONSCIOUS OF HOW WE CONTRIBUTE TO THESE SYSTEMS OF IRREVERSIBLE HARM IN THE WAY THAT WE INFLUENCE CONSUMERS OR DESIGN THINGS FOR PRODUCTION.” I think in the digital age it’s easy for graphic design to get repetitive and uninteresting because it’s all done on screen. I think bringing back a diversity of mediums and practice in a corporate design office would be valuable I think design today uses a lot of covert tactics to subliminally influence people's decisions through social media, online platforms, etc. It's hard to escape from ads/ consumerism/ capitalism.
ritique aspects design, be? 47
What would you add to a 2022 design manifesto? What are we working towards? 48
Design holds power. 49 I would hope that designers could work towards a movement that could shift the mainstream paradigm away from capital- ism and towards a more community/service centric world. To consider the greater message you are sending when designingsomething and what consequences your design might have to its social and physical environment. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SHOULD BE THE STANDARD ALL DESIGNERS STRIVE FOR.
Manifesto Rewritten 50
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