Looks interesting.
Yeah looks promising.
'Bout time!
Love how they did the music cue with Naoto Fukusawa’s CD player for the beginning and end of the trailer, didn’t really think too much about it when the music came on, but then when it came back at the end…awesome. I will certainly plan to see it and hope it lives up to my expectations.
Thanks for sharing!
'just bought tickets for the Minneapolis premiere next month. All of the ID glitterati are probably going to attend. Limousines, champagne, black turtlenecks. Yeah.
That poster is bad ass…Perfect way to promote the film. Too bad the Chicaog one is all sold out. Guess I will have to wait unitl they add a Michigan screening (probably 3 years out though)
yea man i tried to get mike on the bandwagon to go to chicago to see it about a month ago… but as usual he never got back to me… oh well, wait till it hits the streets i guess.
starck juicy salif
macbook air
iphone
aviators
bmw ?
motorola L7
Leica m6?
imac (candy)
coke bottle
heinz sauce bottle
anglepoise lamp
dyson vacuum
some karim rashid bits n pieces
braun radio
swiss army knife
nokia 6300
marc newsoms car i forget what it is called
B & O speakers
ipod Click wheel
eames lounge
ipod shuffle
mac pro
imac/cinema display
apple keyboard
that’ss all i got so far…
I hope I can see this somewhere in the north of england
Yup, definitely excited about this one, finally got around to watching Helvetica last month. Expectations are high!
Newson Lockheed lounger
oxo good grips
Fukasawa wall mounted cd player
Kelvin40 concept jet by Newson
Rayban aviators
I loved Helvetica so can’t wait until the show hits London.
The documentary looks promising…I want that poster!
Just saw the Canadian Premier at the Toronto Hot Docs film festival with a Q&A after by Gary Hustwit (the Director).
It was a good film indeed, and at times very inspiring (wish I had brought a sketchbook to doodle some ideas as I thought of them), but overall, I have to say, not much “new” to see/hear for the ID crowd.
My main criticism (as also echoed by the core77 review (link below), was that there was lot of propping on pedestals of the greats of ID (both products and people), but very little critique of all the bad crap out there. Gary commented on this in a question asked after the screening and said something to the effect that he wanted to show the positive and that the inverse of that (good function, good longevity, etc.) would become apparent to the viewer. (sorry, don’t have a direct quote and I apologize to Gary if I’ve misinterpreted his reply). Even just a scan down a dollar store isle for contrast to the glory of all things mac would be nice…
Another glaring omission in my mind was that there was not a single segment from the perspective of the user. A lot was made of how designers are designing with the user in mind (huge part of the OXO Good Grips segment, as well as others), but not a single non-designer was shown. Would have been great to see apple fan-boys talking about the mac after Ive, or even a “man on the street” interview with someone shopping at Ikea, Target, etc. A big point was made on how design affects us all and all the objects around us are designed, but how could the user be left out of the equation?
There was also very little in the way of critical comments from the interviewer/narrator to the subjects, which I found a bit odd. Maybe it stemmed from Gary’s adoration of the designers, but I for one would of at least like to see some good natured “Daily Show style” hard questions put to a few of them. For one, Karim went on about how we should design things that are disposable (like cell phones) out of stuff like cardboard, and things we keep to be more permanent. I’d like to know how he views his own designs that are very trendy (hot pink plastic!) would hold up over time in both materials, colors and design… (not well, I’d think).
A good point was also made by one of the founders of IDEO (I think) about how things should get better with time (like the patina on an vintage leather briefcase), and sustainability, but what I feel was left out was something about how good design and quality are equally sustainable. It’s something I, myself believe in very strongly- that sustainability is only key if you dispose of a product, but that another take is to design things that last forever (or people would like to last forever). This wasn’t really touched on, and I feel could have been a great theme to tie everything together. Good Design, materials, etc. produce objects that live on, connect to the consumer and are in effect sustainable. Despite what materials they may be made of, does anyone dispose of a Eames Chair?..This would show both the importance of design (having an emotional connection to the user that sustains time) and a flip in thinking of designers just making more “stuff” and rather contributing to the ecological and psychological health of the planet and the consumer.
Also while the film was very current some historical references to past products and designs would be nice to set the context.
Overall though, a good flick, and something every designer should see even just to catch a glimpse of so many great designers (go Rams!), speaking their mind in a very candid way.
R
Nice review RK.
I’ve felt particularly queezy about the prospect of this movie, and you’re confirming some of my worst suspicions.
Nice review^^
I’ve felt particularly queezy about the prospect of this movie, and you’re confirming some of my worst suspicions.
Check it out. I agree a lot with what rkuchinsky said, but I still think Hustwit did a good job appealing both to the non-designer and designer. Even if the content doesn’t set you on fire, it’s beautifully shot documentary that’s very well put together.
but what I feel was left out was something about how good design and quality are equally sustainable.
This issue came up in the Q&A at the London screening by Mark Newson. While I partly agree with yourself and Newson I still think this may be an idealistic way of looking at sustainability. A ‘rule’ that works great for individual designers that we should all strive to achieve, though looking at the bigger picture, a small baby step in the world of production and a sustainable living.
When Newson (and Ive) mentioned it in the Q&A I couldn’t help feel they were letting themselves off the hook. Very few of us are lucky enough to have the backing those guys have. You mentioned a dollar store isle, companies like this live off unsustainable design, their business model is based around it, even if they followed the ethics you mentioned, it wouldn’t work.
Definitely a good point raised, and a solution to many of our problems, though an idealistic one at that.
I was at the Minneapolis show and was surprised how many design-centric questions were being asked of a film maker. The film was very well done, but in the end, he’s a director and not an expert in industrial design. Making a film about design did not qualify him to answer many of the questions being asked.
Another case of quasi-fame promoting someone into a new expertise level.
Excellent film. I took my daughter so she could understand what the hell I did for a living.
Totally agree. The same thing happened with a lot of the Q&A here and to some extent you could even tell the Director didn’t seem that comfortable answering design questions. I guess though it’s a tough call. If you can’t know the subject of what you making a film (doc especially) that well, how does it affect the outcome of the film?
R
Enough with the freaking elite screenings, get this out on DVD already.
That was partly why I was excited about this film - to tell my friends (and even colleagues) to watch it to understand what I do (or try to). So, long story short - does this movie do justice to the profession?
IMHO - Yes.
There is a good balance between:
- Simple and complex objects.
- High design BMWs and plastic potato peelers.
- Esoteric concepts and injection molding presses spitting out chairs
- “Regular guy” designers and Karim
- Design process and finished products
- Plus a few minutes on sustainability - everyone’s hot button.