As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread around the globe, millions of people are doing their part to flatten the curve and slow the spread by staying home. For design lovers, quarantine has inspired deep cleans , redesigns , and ample creativity , but its also given way to a large amount of unstructured free-time. But while design fairs have been postponed (Design Miami/ until September) or outright cancelled (2020 Salone del Mobile), museums and galleries closed, and social gatherings cancelled in favor of social distancing, design enthusiasts can still get a taste of the design world remotely. To provide a small ray of light to viewers stuck at home during these trying times, filmmaker Gary Hustwit is releasing his collection of design world documentaries free to stream, anywhere in the world ("No catch, nothing to sign-up for, just free viewing.") Each Tuesday during the crisis, Hustwit will release a new film to stream here beginning with Objectified , which is streaming now through March 31.
Documenting the creative process of some of the most influential product designers, Objectified examines the people and ideas behind the hundreds of objects humans use each day, from the toothbrush and the razor to the alarm clock and the light switch. The film features in-depth conversations with dozens of luminaries, including Paola Antonelli, Chris Bangle, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Tim Brown, Dunne & Raby, IDEO, Naoto Fukasawa, Jonathan Ive, Hella Jongerius, Marc Newson, Dieter Rams, Karim Rashid, Alice Rawsthorn, Smart Design, Jane Fulton Suri, Rob Walker and more.
Examining the role of typography and graphic design in advertising, psychology, and communication, Helvetica invites viewers to take a closer look at the formation of the texts that unknowingly surround them each day. The film calls upon innovative names in the design world, including Paula Scher, design studio Experimental Jetset, and Massimo Vignelli to expand upon the typographic choices they make.
Urbanized calls into question who is responsible for shaping a city, and how do they do it? With over half of the world's population living in urban areas, the challenges of housing, economic development, public space, environmental policy, civic engagement and mobility are becoming universal issues that concern more than just the people who live in a certain area. Architectural icons including Sir Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Oscar Niemeyer, and Ric Scofidio and more discuss the cities of tomorrow.
Conceived as a project for the 2016 Venice Architectural Biennale, Workplace explores the function of an office, looking at its past iterations and exploring what the future of the modern workplace could be. The film follows the planning and construction of a Foster + Partners project, the headquarters of digital agency R/GA, as they consider the best ways for physical and digital spaces to interact. Bonus: viewers don't have to wait for this film to come up in rotation, as it is already available to stream for free on R/GA's website here .
Diving deep into the life and work of Dieter Rams, Hustwit's portrait of the German industrial designer gives viewers an unprecedented view of the notoriously private influential designer. And while the film is focused on Rams and his designs, it also touches upon consumerism, sustainability, and materialism; it's about how people live.
