Sleek, Shiny and New Posted on June 18, 2009 by Eric Heiman
Much like Helvetica, his endearing 2007 ode to the ubiquitous typeface of the same name, Gary Hustwit’s new documentary, Objectified, is a well-made, highly entertaining foray into the world of design. This time Hurstwit has his sights on the most precious consumer products and their creators. All the heavy hitters are featured, including Jonathan Ive of Apple, IDEO, Smart Design, Dieter Rams, Hella Jongerius, and Karim Rashid, and their voices are nicely supplemented by the scholarly observations of Andrew Blauvelt, Paola Antonelli, and Alice Rawsthorn. But where Helvetica was sharply focused on a single piece of the designer’s large palette unfamiliar to most non-practitioners, Objectified seeks to explain the manufactured allure of these everyday objects that we all covet, purchase, and use. The film’s wider scope also affirms that reflective insight on one’s work and how it truly functions in the world is not the designer’s strong suit.
