Since 1962 Ken Garland equipped the British movement for Nuclear Disarment with a visual message and he became a devoted adherent to the campaign, that never earned him a single penny. In 1963 he wrote and proclaimed the The First Things First manifesto “in favour of more useful and more lasting forms of communication” and demanded “Reversal of priorities in favour of the more useful and more lasting forms of communication.” Garland claims for a ”society that will tire of gimmick merchants, status salesman and hidden persuaders”.

After studying design at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London in the early 1950s, Ken became for six years art editor of Design magazine and official mouthpiece of the Council of Industrial Design. In 1962 he established his own graphic design studio, Ken Garland & Associates. He has contributed many articles to design periodicals in the UK, US, Europe and Japan and has also held lectures at universities around the globe, always outspoken, in person and in print. Garland’s photographic work has been seen in numerous exhibitions and books. (Photo: Ania Carson)