Objectified Film Review

In this new film by Gary Hustwit, he focuses on defining product design and determining what is good design. According to the documentary, the goal of industrial design is mass production and standardizing objects, though one of the featured designers adds that these objects must also have character. Furthermore, several of the definitions posed by the designers revolved around these common objectives:
1) Design should be based on what people need
2) Each part of the design should serve a purpose
3) Design should be focused on the future and how a current object could be improved/how to create a completely new object
4) Good design is "innovative, aesthetic, understandable, unobtrusive, long-lived, consistent in detail, and environmentally friendly"
The film also discussed the process from translating a sketch into a tangible object by mentioning computer-aided design (CAD) or software that is a two-dimensional representation of what the object will look like. From there, they use rapid prototyping to make a rough version of the object, and to see if the sketch agrees with the physical object. From there, it goes onto manufacturing. Jonathan Ive of Apple also explains his process in creating the iPhone and MacBook by talking about the materials used. One of his main concerns when designing a product is how to incorporate the jobs of 6 parts into 1 part, or in other words, developing a sense of hierarchy as to what is needed and what isn't.
A museum curator featured in the film believes that there are 3 phases of design:
1) form
2) symbolism
3) contextual, technological
Form deals with how the design materializes, while symbolism describes the meaning of the object, and contextual/technological explores the connection between the object and the environment in which it's used.
Meanwhile, Marc Newson also shares his philosophy on design by describing how he uses dissatisfaction with current products to motivate him to design a new one. He introduces an interesting paradox, in which good products will stand the the test of time, though good products are also focused on innovation and evolution.
Karim Rashid gives an example of this contradiction by questioning why we do not alter the shape of digital cameras, since the original rectangular shape was a result of the length of the film inside. However, now that digital cameras no longer use film, Newson believes that there is no excuse for its retaining its current shape, though that doesn't mean changing the function of the camera.
I noticed that a huge theme in the documentary was the relationship between objects and people. One designer spoke about car design, and how cars have a certain personality because consumers interpret the cars as having emotional value. In a sense, cars serve as avatars of the driver, since his choice in choosing that particular car is a reflection of his personality. Another designer also talked about how an object should be intended for the extremes of its demographic. For example, a potato peeler should be created with the arthritic or strongest in mind, because those in the middle will be able to handle the object with no problems.
The film also mentioned that industrial design shares a relationship with the environment, since mass production carries serious implications for sustainability. Karim Rashid questions why objects have to be built with permanent materials, i.e. cell phones can be made from cardboard, or a more environmentally friendly material. The film ends with a message that that is one of the major problems that product designers have to deal with, and that future designs will have to incorporate this is a constraint.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I saw how it shared many common threads with what we learn in design class, such as how to balance unity and variety, and emphasis and economy. I am already keeping an eye out for what Gary Hustwit releases next.