Since 2001, blurredrage has existed in one form or another. Its purpose and scope has shifted over the years, but the name has always stood for the same enigmatic feeling. It is a feeling of an ambiguous displeasure with the status quo, but with no concrete explanation on what exactly is causing this aggravation or what needs to change.

Back in 1964, a group of twenty-two British designers, photographers, and students signed the First Things First manifesto. This document expressed their concern with the role designers have in selling ‘trivial’ items, and they sought to see the skills and knowledge of designers used to more worthwhile ends. In 1999 this manifesto was revisited and rewritten, signed by another 32 designers (Ken Garland signed both), and was published in several magazines (Adbusters, Emigre, AIGA Journal, Eye, Blueprint, and Form) as the First Things First Manifesto 2000. The purpose of the renewed manifesto was to revive a dialogue about the relationships between design, advertising, commerce, and culture.

Today, blurredrage serves as a response to this manifesto. Not in the sense that we are here to endorse and promote the ideas of First Things First, or to provide a forum for public discourse, but we wish to look at how designers are perceived and their current place in the world. We are intrigued by the ideas of the designer as author and artist, and how these roles interact with the designer as a problem solver and visual communicator.

We are not here to offer any answers or conclusions. We are, however, interested in sharing a little bit about how we visualize the world, what we are interested in, and our reactions to what is happening around us. We strive to continually question what ‘normal’ means, and through a process of experimentation and reflection we seek to evolve as authors, artists, and designers. Through our words and images we are offering a window into our day-to-day lives, and over time we hope to see how this is influenced by, and influences, our work as designers. From this you can draw your own conclusions. This is our journal and our sketchbook.