Essay Proposal form Task

A proposed essay title or topic


What role should ethics play in the work of a graphic designer

The main issues addressed by your argument (in bullet points)

• What should be the ethical responsibilities of an individual designer?
• What examples of design could be conidered unethical?
• Issues surrounding greenwashing
• Companies that have used design to mislead
• Comparing original and updated First Things First manifesto

Any visual material that you will look at (include hyperlinks if possible)

What theoretical approach / methodology will you use? e.g. marxism, the gaze, psychoanalysis etc

Which specific theorists / writers will you refer to?


Milton Glasor
Ken Garland
Luicinne Roberts

At least 5 books / articles / resources already located (referenced using Harvard)


Berman, DB.(2009) Do Good Design, How designers can change the world. Berkeley, New Riders

Adbusters. (1999) First Things First Manifesto 2000, Vancouver, Adbusters Media Foundation

Roberts, L. (2006) Good: An introduction to ethics in graphic design, Switzerland, AVA Publishing,

Garland, K. (1962) First Things First, a manifesto, UK

Glaser, M. (2002) The Road To Hell, Metropolis Magazine, August/September

Triangulation Task (draft)

For this task I will attempt to write a short triangulated review of the First Things First Manifesto (2000 version)

First Things First was originally a short text written in 1964. This was updated and republished in 2000 as a design manifesto by Adbusters magazine. This version took a distinctly more political view on the ethical role of the designer and was signed by thirty three prominent designers. This revised version provoked wide ranging comment. I will look at a few of these responses in this review.

Michael Bierut of Pentagram reported that the responce from the design community could be summed up by "thats easy for them to say" and Sarah Forbes criticised its "preachy" tone, however Matt Sour maintained that "it deserves to be remembered as a visionary initiative on the part of America's graphic designers"