I love when “research” time comes around at the office. It gives me a valid excuse to do what I clandestinely do the rest of the week: Surf the Internet. We’re deep into work on an architectural firm and researching all things architectural and found a documentary on West Coast Modernism called “Coast Modern: Open space, modern mind.” . It seems to fall in the footsteps of Helvetica and Objectified. No real information on the website about official release, though the blog talks of a fall release. Can’t wait to see it!

Objectified Documentary

Our old friend Gary Hustwit, who brought us the feature-length film Helvetica about typography, graphic design and global visual culture, is putting the final touches on his newest documentary project, Objectified—this time a fascinating look at the creativity at work behind industrial design, from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. The first Objectified trailer is now posted on the film’s official website.

Let’s face it: Gary Hustuit’s documentary Helvetica was a runaway hit. I certainly didn’t expect so many designers and non-designers alike to get so goofy about a film about a typeface. Building on his success and reputation as a top drawer documentary filmmaker and design aficionado, Gary Hustuit is planning on doing again—this time with a look inside the world of industrial design. Called Objectified, this feature-length film is described on its promotional website as:

a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. It’s about our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

Through vérité footage and in-depth conversations, the film documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?

The film is still in production and slated for an early 2009 release. If it’s as well researched and produced as Helvetica was, it’s destined to be another resounding success. I can’t wait to see it.