There are a lot of ways to improve your design skills and vision: books for designers from the beginner to the master, online courses, video lectures and lessons on different topics from typography to designing a logo or a cartoon hero. Even when you visit museums, cinema, exhibitions, just walk on the streets and see some graffiti on the walls – you can learn something new from that. Â In this blogpost we have gathered 7 design related films for your weekend which can entertain you, Â teach something new, give you new design tools and inspire for a new design achievements.
1. Helvetica (2007, Gary Hustwit)
About:
For the 50th anniversary of the creation of the eponymous font (1957), which became the most popular in the world today, Gary Hustwit shot a feature-length independent film about graphic design, typography and global visual culture. The goal of the film is to show the beauty and the impact of the font to us and give a new look at the letters that surround people in everyday life.
How the urban spaces in big cities can look like without all that set of signs and headlines touting or enlightening something? Shooting process was in the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. It contains dozens of interviews with famous and innovative names is design world like Massimo Vignelli, Erik Spiekermann, Michael Bierut, Paula Scher, Jonathan Hoefler and many others. Their talks about the work, interaction of people and characters, creative process, postmodernism, fonts aesthetics are really catching and worth listening.
Links to see:
You can watch the official trailer here or rent the film from the website. Or you can even try to watch it for free on Youtube Â
2. Design is one: The Vignellis (2012, Kathy Brew, Roberto Guerra)
“LINEAR GENIUS, BOLD AND TRANSFORMATIVE. This smart, information-rich film includes perceptive visual details…and is enlivened by the charm of the intelligent, eccentric couple at its heart.”
– The New York Times
About: Â
A portrait of Massimo and Lella Vignelli, two of the world’s most influential designers, whose contribution to industrial, production and graphic design is overwhelming. Â The film captures the Vignellis’ intelligence and creativity, offering the audience intimate access into their everyday life and continuing work and a glimpse of their humanity and humor.
Links to see:
That is the trailer, the link where you can rent the film and one big interview with Massimo Vignelli
3. Why Man Creates (1968, Saul Bass)
About: Â
That is an animated short documentary that tells you about the nature of creativity. Moreover the film won the “Oscar”. Written by Saul Bass and Mayo Simon, the film will certainly inspire any aspiring graphic artists out there.
“Why Man Creates” focuses on the creative process and the different approaches used. The action begins with the ancient hunting people: at first they used the stones, and then realized that it was in vain and started to make a spear. Responding to the question why a person works, the authors point out  that creative process is divided into several stages. Ancient people enjoyed a successful hunt and tried to capture their exploits. So there is a rock painting. Then begins the construction of the first houses, tools, vehicles and so on to the creative activity of modern humans.
Links to see:
4. Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight (2008, Wendy Keys)
About:
The film examines the entire breadth of creativity of one of the most legendary designers of the 20th century: Milton Glaser – mostly known for designing that iconic “I Love NY†campaign. From the design of newspapers and magazines to the interior, logos and Identity, famous prints, drawings, posters and paintings – the film covers the entire scope of the great designer. Skillfully directed by Wendy Keys, the film immerses the viewer into the daily moments of personal Glazer’s life and seals immense warmth and humanity of the designer, as well as the boundless depth of intelligence and creativity. This film will help you to validate every reason you decided to become a graphic designer.Â
Links to see:
The trailer and the film on YoutubeÂ
5. Design & Thinking (2012, Mu-Ming Tsai)
About:
Being inspired by the values of design thinking, this documentary film reveals business people and designers  points of view to the challenges of the 21st century.
What is Design Thinking? How the principles of design thinking can be applied in business models? How people can change the world around them with the help of creative thinking? That film is the challenge to an ordinary mind and at the same time a call to everyone to change in a constantly changing world.
Links to see:
Film on Youtube and  the official trailer, the film’s website with online storeÂ
6. Art and Сopy (2009, Doug Pray)
“The joy that these creative types experience when their work is successful and the seriousness with which they approach their craft comes shining through. Along the way, viewers get caught up in their exuberance.”
– NY1-TV
About:
A powerful, witty and very exciting documentary film dedicated to advertising of all kinds of form, inspiration for that and the people that were involved: directors, creatives, artists and copywriters. Dozens of professionals talk about how to get your way in advertising, about the frameworks of which they have to overcome on a daily basis, and consumers who are constantly complaining about the abundance of advertising. How and why the legendary campaign «Just do it», «Think Different», «I love NY» hooked millions of people, turning ordinary thing into the subject of worship and lifestyle, which came the first – advertising or consumerism  – that are only 2 of dozens of controversial questions in the film.
The last 30 years  of business advertising are shown here with the help of people’s stories who have influenced us and at the same time remained completely unknown.
Thus, this film is certainly a must see if you want to further enhance your graphic design career and pursue a job in the field of advertising. It’s also a great film to watch if you are just curious as  how these famous campaigns started and whose great minds are behind them.
Links to see:
You can see the official trailer on the movie’s website and the film is here.
7. Objectified (2009, Gary Hustwit)
About:
That is an independent feature-length documentary, which tells us about our complex relationship with objects of mass production and, as a consequence, the people who designed them. This film is a look at the creative component of the designing of things, from toothbrushes to laptops or a bike. The central part of the film is the creative process, the complexity and nuances of the design work, the sources of inspiration. Among the heroes you can find the chief designer of Apple, whose creative mind came up with a whole line of products, and other monsters of industrial design.
Links to see:
The link where you can rent the film and see a Free trailer first or you can try to look it here for free
Have you seen them?
May be you know some other films about design that impress you?
Share them with our community in the comments!
