Objectified was a truly inspiring film. The featured designers discuss some of the most important aspects about the process of design that seem so obvious in hindsight. One such designer was Dan Formosa, who said, "What we need to do to design is to look at the extremes. The middle will take care of itself." [source:http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?878] If you think about designing a bike, when both a girl that stands 4'8" tall and a man that stands 6'8" tall can ride it comfortably, it logically follows that just about everyone else who falls in between those two heights will find no problem with such a bike.
The film then continues on to shoot a company's design process in creating a new and improved hand grip for a vegetable peeler, targeted towards easing pain in those with arthritis. After multiple drafts and much trial and error, the design team found that the grip of the handlebar of a bike proved to be the most ergonomic. What was so perplexing about this ingenious discovery lied in its simplicity. The team had found a new purpose for something that already existed.
The film then continues on to shoot a company's design process in creating a new and improved hand grip for a vegetable peeler, targeted towards easing pain in those with arthritis. After multiple drafts and much trial and error, the design team found that the grip of the handlebar of a bike proved to be the most ergonomic. What was so perplexing about this ingenious discovery lied in its simplicity. The team had found a new purpose for something that already existed.
And that's what design is about. It's not always the search for something novel; it's often about returning to an old design and making it better. Sometimes, taking a step forward is just as good as taking a step back.
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