The movie really made the different products look like art. I’m still feeling a little concerned about not knowing where my major really ties in to this, but the dedication to and meticulousness of the designs presented is inspiring in itself. One interesting thing I noticed is that the designers in the movie were from around the world, particularly Europe and Japan. I don’t recall seeing an American in it at all. It was nice to get the perspective of designers from varied walks of life, but it made me wonder whether American design is up to the standards of the rest of the modernized world.
On some more specific points, I’m rather amused by the opening blurb about Apple. Apple products are certainly nice to look at, very sleek and advanced-looking, but in my own life I find myself favoring other brands for my most-used pieces of technology. The laptop I bought for school, for example, is a Samsung, and I think it’s gorgeous. I’m going to go on a bit of a tangent here, but bear with me. Even though I bought my computer before watching Objectified, the observations I made while I was considering which laptop to buy really resonate with the point of the movie. A lot of the laptops I saw were simply ugly, clunky, and not user-friendly. For example, there seems to be a new trend in mouse touch pads—heavy texture. Just by touching them I knew that would drive me crazy. The keyboards were less than ergonomic, too; the keys are tiny and scrunched in at the back of the laptop base to make room for unnecessarily large mouse pads. I have tiny fingers; I don’t know how anyone with average-sized or large hands could use one of those computers without discomfort! A lot of the computers were a dull slate gray, too, which makes them look gloomy and industrial. My laptop follows the principles that both the documentary and Dieter Rams talked about: It’s simple, pleasant to look at, and I have fun using it. Unlike my old laptop, this one is silver with a black screen and keys, which goes along with my own personal style. It has a very shiny surface that I could just stare at, and the power button is just the size of my fingertip, and I could find it even in the dark because it’s the shape of a power symbol and in recess from the base of the laptop. The computer runs smoothly and I can just shut it and then open it later and all my programs will be right where I left off—no waiting for Photoshop to boot up! I tried Macs in the store, I really did, but they always feel off and unfriendly to me. They all have that gray navigation interface, the icons for every program are crammed in at the bottom and aren’t all instantly recognizable, and you can’t double click…I don’t know why it’s considered “user friendly,” but if one has used it for some time I suppose it probably comes naturally. For me, it just wasn’t the better design.
Okay, computer rant over. I wish I had written down some of my thoughts while we watched, especially since there were subtitles for most of the movie…when I hear a name or quote, I’m more likely to remember it, but if it’s just on the screen it doesn’t always soak in.
Here are some short opinions on the other design-related videos and article I looked at:
Dieter Rams:
Dieter Rams’ ten principles preach simplicity and efficiency. Efficiency seems to me a good principle to adhere to, but he also says that “good design is as little design as possible.” For physical objects, this makes sense, but as an Illustration major this is off-putting. In some instances simplicity is the way to go, and every line and shape should contribute to the flow and purpose of the image, but some of the most beautiful illustrations I have seen are packed with intricate details. I suppose for me, this principle can be used in that an illustration should not be so complex as to not be easily read by the eyes.
Readings:
These excerpts truly demonstrate the broad reach design has over our lives and everything in them. As the second passage points out, though, such broadness invites criticism—misunderstanding of the filed. I think it is possible to defend a variety of disciplines as design, but in my major my focus is designing images that tell a story. I hope that my designs will not be misconstrued as not merely existing to sell, but as long as I keep in mind that design is a huge piece of our lives, I can maintain my focus.
Don Norman Video:
Don Norman says that for a design to be good, it must be beautiful, functional and reflective—in effect, it has to look nice, work well and inspire or trigger memories or stories. Of all the readings and other media that I explored for this project, I think this one pertains most directly to my area of study. My work won’t be meaningful or effective without meeting these three requirements. So when I work on my projects, I need to keep these things in mind.
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