I’m really looking forward to this upcoming film by Gary Hustwit, the film maker responsible for the documentary, Helvetica. The name of the film is Objectified, and it is a documentary on the design of everyday objects. The trailer was just recently released:
I typically don’t think the design of things garners enough attention from those who use them. Occasionally, folks speak of “form factor” and how form follows function, and indeed some consumer attention was devoted to design shortly after the original iMac hit the scene (especially when a great deal of consumer electronics devices attempted to imitate its design). But how often do we think about the design of the thousands of objects with which we come into contact every single day?
One of the best accounts of the subject, from a functional perspective was Donald Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things (originally published as The Psychology of Everyday Things). But it’s fantastic that someone with an ability to tell a story to modern audiences has taken on the task of illuminating the topic of design: from the drawing board (literally) to crafting a prototype and final production; from discussing the process to elucidating the impact design has on a society and how it frames the context of their times.
The film will be release this spring.