I object Objectified

I got a chance to check out the industrial design film Objectified with Saki yesterday. I'd have to say I came away feeling a bit uneasy. While I'm glad some attention is being brought to industrial design, I feel the film was so all over the place that it lacked a clear message/debate/question/stance. Moreover, while I do understand trying to condense a film about ID into 75 minutes is difficult, it brushed too lightly over some really important issues and even worse did not utilize the best people for some really essential topics like sustainability.

Cardboard mobile phones? Maybe there's something I'm missing but just because something is made to be disposable certainly does not make it sustainable. What about the landfills and the trees? I think one really needs to think carefully when sharing an opinion on such a topic. It's a dangerous thing especially when there are some who may take your word as gold. But it's not all on Karim. It is the film maker who put him in as well.

I think the problem of companies driving the production of more and more products for more revenue should be given more attention because I think the mentality of these companies is the root of the problem, along with the mentality of the consumer as well... so fickle and insecure.

I could go on but I won't bore you. Overall the film could have been much better. I'm honestly scared for the masses to see it, as some design fans who may not be aware of things beyond the aesthetic of design may take away the wrong message.

Anyhow, in becoming an industrial designer the issue that most everything we design and make will eventually add to landfills is a dilemma I think many of us grapple with, at least I do. It's a huge responsibility and how we handle it will affect our earth and we humans that live on it. But companies and certainly consumers need to take responsibility as well. Without consumer demand, what need will a company have to produce the next iteration of a product with only a few changes? Consumers as a collective can have more power then we think. Something to think about.