Objectified

("Objectified" - title of film by Gary Hustwit)

Hustwit’s film, “Objectified,” addresses the problem with standardizing designs for the general public while maintaining sustainability at the same time. Many innovative designs are based on revisited archetypes because designers realize that people like familiar things – nothing too radical of a change. Hence, the principle of familiarity within a design is creates a standard and trend that people tend to follow. An additional color, flavor, or smell to an old design automatically makes it new without introducing the consumer to something out of their comfort zone. The celebration of previous zeitgeists hinders people from appreciating other types of designs completely foreign to them. The standardization of designs indeed gives the designer a basic outline of what to produce, but it does not lead to an advancement in design, but a regression. Soon enough, unique objects become ordinary and mundane to the point where people no longer find any significance in them and end up discarding the latter; all the time and effort put into these objects ends with a quick toss down the trash chute. The constant short-lived interest with new designs poses an environmental problem within the world.

The flaw within new designs is that they are made for permanency out of the expectation that they will be used throughout the consumer’s lifetime. However, as people grow old of purchased goods, they are thrown out and increase pollution. In order to remedy this environmental problem, one must determine what a good design is to understand its constraints and specifications. According to German designer, Dieter Rams, a good design is: aesthetically pleasing, understandable, unobtrusive, long-lived, consistent in detail, environmental friendly, and innovative. The strive for a product that is both genuine and sustainable is an example of what design is, the search for the elusive.