“Every object tells a story if you know how to read it” -Henry Ford
Everything is designed. Some one, some where put some sort of thought into the design of whatever object you’re using. Yes, some put more thought into it than others, but no object that you use ended up the way it is by chance, and that is the subject of Objectified – our interaction with the objects we use everyday and the people who designed them.
I love design. Design, architecture, typography. Objectified is the second film from Gary Hustwit, his first being Helvetica, one of my favs.
The thing I love about both films is it makes you stop and analyze what you pass by every day. Helvetica is one of the most common fonts that you see hundreds of times a day, yet never thinking about…until, of course, you see Helvetica.
Objectified does the same with the design of industrial objects. It mainly features the companies and designers that are putting out the best designed products and their thoughts on what design should do and where it’s going.
Basically it’s a film starring Apple, IKEA, and IDEO, you know, the titans of great design.
It’s great to see a film like this in a festival because you’re with a great audience, the kind of audience that erupts into applause when one of the interviewees states there’s only one company that’s consistently putting out great design, and that company is Apple.
I met Gary before the film screened. The only thing I could manage to think of to say was, “I love Helvetica.” I know, very witty and insightful. But then I think of what would happen if any normal person met Gary, say, my mom.
“You make films? What’s your film?”
“Helvetica. It’s about the font.”
“Oh…You made a film about a font?”
Objectified illustrated by Austin Kleon (via Objectified)
Gary said he’s working on a third film to sort of round out this design trilogy, though no word on the subject matter.
Related posts:
- Objectified Q&A [New Podcast Series]
- Helvetica in MoMA
- WWII, Blood Production Design, and Star Wars – Mid-Week Coffee Break
- Coffee and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
- The State of the Documentary [Panel]
Posted in Design, Movies on Monday, 20 April 2009 at 6:52 am
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I love stuff like this! It’s a little bit like crack for me. I’m might even call myself a font whore. There I said it. Feels good.
I’m right there with you, perhaps we can start TA (Typographers Anonymous). Have you seen Helvetica?
I’m in. I haven’t seen Helvetica, actually this is the first time I’ve heard of it but I want to see it for sure.