One thing from my active reading that stood
out to me was the main topic throughout the entire chapter, which was the idea
that public documents can connect the reader with the culture that we live in
today. This can be accomplished through
many types of documents with a public focus, because it “links individual to social
institutions”, which in turn connects the entire society through public
documents.
Response To First Things First 2000
Manifesto:
1.
The purpose of the First Things First 2000 Manifesto is to declare a new
identity for graphic designers, art directors and visual communicators. Within
this public document, graphic designers, art directors and visual communicators are trying to voice their opinion on
their commercial marketing work, which essentially is that they believe their designing talents could be put to more worthy causes, such as
educational advertising, as opposed to marketing useless things such as
cigarettes.
2.
Personally I felt that the writing was effective, because it argues the
graphic designers point of putting their talents towards more socially useful
forms of marketing. Whether their
document’s argument stands to make its point well or not, at the very least it definitely
gets their opinion out into the public.
3.
This document does not reference any outside sources as evidence, but it
does reference that the belief that graphing designs have taken on a new
meaning that is not what graphic designing teachers and mentors intended it to
be.
4.
It’s difficult to decide where this document's writing is at its best. However, I find that the writing in paragraph five was arguably my favorite throughout the document because it states exactly what the graphic designers believe that their talents should be put towards and why, and it proposes how they will accomplish this. A quote showing this is, "We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication- a mindshift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning"(The Call to Write, 178).
I really like your take on the chapters main idea, that it is the idea that public documents can connect the reader with the culture that we live in today. I agree with this statement and did not initially notice this when reading the chapter.
ReplyDeleteI also marked out that quote from paragraph 5, I thought it was a great example of what the graphic designers believe.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a good point on how you think the writing was effective but I didn't think it really homed in on the reader. It was just a statement that really didn't have enough 'oomph' in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI thought what the graphic designers were arguing for was a very good cause but I feel that because it did not have a lot of evidence it was not as effective. I think they should have given like one good example where something they had to design was below their purpose and how it made them feel during the time.
ReplyDeleteI chose the same document that you did to write about. I also agree that regardless of how well they made their point, it put their opinion out for the world to see.
ReplyDelete