- Jul 31
1
I wish people would be more critical of design, and of designers, who are responsible for designing some pretty nasty stuff.
Categories: Quotes
July 2008 Archive
- Jul 30
- 3
I think in many ways design is about looking at a diverse range of problems and solving them. But the designs we make aren’t solving anything; they’re meant to ask questions. There’s a lot that’s unknown about these new technologies, so we’re very interested in using design to explore what we don’t know.
Categories: Quotes
- Jul 29
- 1
Good music = good design
What’s on Dieter Rams’ reel-to-reel tape player, you ask? Miles Davis, circa 1957, of course! In the late 1950s, jazz was hugely popular in the Frankfurt area, due in part to American Armed Forces radio broadcasts of US jazz groups in Germany. Dieter says that he and his friends were buying jazz records at the time, but their stereo systems were so bad that they weren’t getting to experience the full sound. So this actually pushed them to develop better stereo speakers and audio components at Braun.
Categories: Production Stills
- Jul 29
- 2
Thanks everyone!
I just wanted thank everyone for the response to the announcement of the film. It’s been overwhelming, and I appreciate all the emails, interest, and suggestions. And thanks to all the folks who’ve been spreading the word: Design Observer, Daring Fireball, Kottke, Coudal, Core77, Computerlove, Swiss Miss, The Skinny, Aisle One, and everyone else who’s written about it. Thanks!
And special thanks to Jason Santa Maria for all the help getting this site launched. The man is a rock star.
Cheers,
-Gary
Categories: Film News
- Jul 28
- 18
Let’s get Objectified
Greetings, and welcome to the site. Objectified is a documentary about industrial design; it’s about the manufactured objects we surround ourselves with, and the people who make them. On an average day, each of us uses hundreds of objects. (Don’t believe it? Start counting: alarm clock, light switch, faucet, shampoo bottle, toothbrush, razor…) Who makes all these things, and why do they look and feel the way they do? All of these objects are “designed,” but how can good design make them, and our lives, better?
One reason that I’m delving into the world of objects in this film is that I, admittedly, am obsessed by them. Why do I salivate over a shiny new piece of technology, or obsess over a 50-year-old plywood chair? What does all the stuff I accumulate say about me, and do I really need any of it in the first place?
Those of you who followed the making of my first film, Helvetica, know that the reason I make these films is not that I have a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter. I wasn’t an expert on graphic design, and I’m certainly not an expert on industrial design. But they’re both fields that fascinate me, and that I want to learn more about. I’m interested in industrial designers because their work influences so many aspects of our world yet most of the time it’s taken for granted. And I think that, especially today, it’s crucial for us to re-examine how we make and use consumer products at every level.
And if you could get all of these designers and design experts together at a dinner party, what would they talk about? This film will hopefully represent that conversation. I’ve been lucky to be able to include an amazing group of participants in the film so far, and I sincerely thank them all for their time and knowledge.
The term objectified has two meanings. One is ‘to be treated with the status of a mere object.’ But the other is ‘something abstract expressed in a concrete form,’ as in the way a sculpture objectifies an artist’s thoughts. It’s the act of transforming creative thought into a tangible object, which is what designers in this film do every day. But maybe there’s a third meaning to this title, regarding the ways these objects are affecting us and our environment. Have we all become objectified?
The film will premiere in early 2009; in the meantime on this blog we’ll be discussing the issues covered in the film, posting still photos from the shoots, and video excerpts as we finish the movie. I hope it’ll be something you’ll enjoy watching.
Cheers!
Gary
Categories: Film News
- Jul 27
- 8
Oh, you pretty things
We love the logo that Michael C. Place of Build (a.k.a. the British graphic designer in Helvetica with those crazy hairless cats) has designed for the film, and our first batch of Objectified merch:
Can’t read it? Step back a little. Got it? Now get it on American Apparel T-shirts, as well as a limited-edition silkscreen print.
Categories: Film News, Merchandise
- Jul 27
- 4
Help wanted: translators
Are you in New York City, and can you speak Dutch, German, French, or Japanese fluently? We’re looking for volunteer translators for a few days in August. If you can help out with any of those languages, or to get more information, please email: info (at) objectifiedfilm (dot) com.
Categories: Film News
