“Objectified” Response – Hannah Kerber

After watching “Objectified”, I have a better understanding of the importance of design.  One statement, from the documentary, that really stood out to me was the idea that design helps us to “understand ways to improve everyday life.”  I like this thought because it really captures the importance of design.  Design isn’t just about creating something that’s pleasing to the eye, but it’s about creating tools to help make life easier for the consumer.  This thought brings more meaning to the way that I view design.   It helps me to shift my focus from the creative aspect of design to a more purposeful outlook of design building.  Another thought, by one of the designers, that changed my thinking is the idea that design involves what’s going to happen next, as opposed to what’s already taken place.  I think this is an interesting perspective to keep in mind.  Since design is about being innovative and creative, with the purpose of making life easier, it makes sense that designers should focus more on the future instead of the past. If designers want to create a product that’ll enrich the lives of their consumers, then they need to look towards the future of design.  They can do this by thinking outside of the box in order to create something new.  They can’t create a new design if their main focus is on what’s been done already.  Design should always be moving forward, not backwards.  However, I don’t think designers should ignore this all together.  It is important that designers take note of what worked and didn’t work in past designs.  By studying old designs, designers are able to gain a better knowledge of what their consumers want and how they can improve designs for the future.  All that being said, I believe that design is best described as a tool that enhances everyday life through the use of creative processes.  In other words, I like to think of design as art with a purpose.  Not only does it allow one to practice their creativity, but it also gives them a chance to make a difference as well.  That thought is something that I never really focused much on until recently.  I knew that design could help people, but I always focused more on the creative aspect of it.  Watching “Objectified” really helped me to realize just how big of a role design plays in helping to enrich our everyday lives.