Objectified - Gary Hustwitt

Objectified is a short film produced by Gary Hustwitt about design. It explains that everything we come into contact with is designed, no matter how basic that object may be. Our assumptions on looking at a piece of design are immediate - in a split second we make a judgement about it.

Various design experts explained their views. The start of mass production, at the time of the industrial revolution, meant that design was standardised. It was explained that good design is created not for the average user, but for the users at the extremes of the spectrum. If it works for those people, it will also work for the average user.

Good design is invisible, almost undesigned. The statement that "form follows function" worked for the analogue age, it is not so relevant for digital products (e.g. the software functionality of a smartphone does not rely on the physical manifestation of the product). Products are not designed for now, they are designed for the future, because we live in an era where new products become obsolete within months of release.  Most items are designed for the 10% of the world that already has too much anyway. For the other 90%, who really need good design to lift them out of just subsisting, not enough investment is made because the return would be smaller.

Much of the design we purchase, we do so because it says something about the image we want to project - the film likened a car to our own personal avatar. Most of what we purchase is consigned to landfill, only objects with real meaning are conserved.

The film was really interesting. Much of the commentary was obvious, but so obvious that you take it for granted without thinking about it. Once it is articulated, it brings it into your consciousness and it makes you understand that absolutely everything we will make as designers needs to be considered carefully, and justified. You should question every existing design, and see if you can come up with an alternative solution.