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Gary Hustwit’s documentary, Objectified, examines the relationship between everyday objects and the people who design them. One of the key ideas that are emphasized throughout the film by the different designers interviewed is that the form of a design is directly derived from its content. Good design identifies the needs or wants of the public and seeks to meet that need. One of the examples discussed in the film is the design of a potato peeler. The designer of this object decided to improve upon the design of most potato peelers because his wife, who had arthritis, had trouble keeping a grip on the peeler. Thus the designer sought to design a potato peeler which fit more naturally into a person’s hand and would require less force to keep a firm grip on it. Designer, Dieter Rams, states that “good design should make a product useful” and understandable, while David Kelly states that “bad design is where the customer thinks it’s their fault that something doesn’t work.” The film highlights the process of designing an object such as the potato peeler, where the designers considered a variety of different handles, really taking the time to consider how the handle would fit into the hand and whether or not it effectively solved the problem at hand. Ultimately, their design was inspired by a bicycle handlebar. I think that the film does a good job at making the viewer think about the thought process that goes into the mundane objects that we use on a regular basis, things that we often take for granted. The film challenges the viewer think about the details of design and what makes a particular design effective…or in some cases, ineffective.
