305: First Things First 2020 with Marc O’Brien and Benjamin Gaydos

Diana Varma
May 12
3 min read

The First Things First manifesto was originally published in 1964 by designer Ken Garland and signed by 21 other designers, photographers, and students who believed in the ethos of his message. While I won’t read the entire manifesto (as it’s protected by copyright) I will read a passage that will help you gain an understanding of what it’s all about:

“We do not advocate the abolition of high pressure consumer advertising: this is not feasible. Nor do we want to take any of the fun out of life. But we are proposing a reversal of priorities in favour of the more useful and more lasting forms of communication. We hope that our society will tire of gimmick merchants, status salesmen and hidden persuaders, and that the prior call on our skills will be for worthwhile purposes.”

It rings true after all these years and I encourage you to search for the original manifesto and read it for yourself. I hope that it sparks something deep inside that makes you think about your talents and the power they hold to make positive change in the world.

The First Things First manifesto has since been updated a few times to address contemporary topics, the most recent of which is First Things First 2020, created by Marc O’Brien, Benjamin Gaydos, and Namita Dharia. Today we sit down with two of the three authors to hear more about the project and what it means to be a creative for social good.

Marc O'Brien is an award-winning creative director and strategist working at the intersection of design, business, and climate. Since 2016, his focus has been making climate work look good, sound awesome, be seen, and get needed support. In 2019, he co-founded Climate Designers, a global community of designers taking climate action. Marc is Senior Adjunct faculty at California College of the Arts, teaching climate design and social innovation.

Benjamin Gaydos is a Detroit-based designer and educator. He received an MFA in Visual Communication/Design from Virginia Commonwealth University, where his research focused on design and anthropology, and he has presented his work at institutions including Rhode Island School of Design, Harvard University, and MIT’s Media Lab. He is co-founder and principal of goodgood, a social impact design studio with offices in Boston and Detroit. He is Professor of Design at the University of Michigan–Flint, where he leads the Community Design Studio, working on participatory, community-based design projects focused on public memory and spatial justice.

In this conversation you’ll hear the tremendous global impact of the original First Things First manifesto in 1964 and what it means to each our guests. You’ll hear the way in which the First Things First 2020 manifesto is a collection of voices versus a single voice, and why this was so important to the team in the context of when it was created. You’ll also hear about the actionable ways that you can both work as a designer while staying aligned to your values even if your role isn’t directly in sustainability, climate design, or design for social good.

Check out https://firstthingsfirst2020.org/ where you can add your name to the growing list of designers who aim to put this manifesto into practice.

This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 806 - Advanced Typography in Winter 2026 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.

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