Genius of Design, The

Synopsis

This five-part series tells the story of design from the Industrial Revolution through 20s modernism, the impact of war and freedoms of a post-war world, the swinging 60s, the designer 80s and up to the present day. Features interviews with star designers like Philippe Starck and creatives from Apple and Ford; as well as design fans like Stephen Fry.

Episodes:
1 - Ghosts in the Machine: The Industrial Revolution saw a wealth of anonymous creators developing objects for life and work, yet it also gave birth to a new generation of designers from Wedgwood to William Morris. Includes interviews with Dieter Rams and J Mays, Ford Motors’ global head of design.

2 - Designs for Living: In the 1920s and 30s, did the future lie in the radical vision of the Bauhaus or the British love affair with mock-Tudor? Throughout Europe, open-plan living, the fitted kitchen and tubular steel furniture entered the mainstream, while in the US, designers explored the dreams of the American consumer. Featuring Niels Diffrient and Tom Dyckhoff.

3 - Blueprints for War: When nations go to war designers are in the front-line. From the Sten gun made by British toy-makers to the all-wood Mosquito fighter-plane, the stories reveal how ‘good design’ shifts dramatically when survival is at stake. Featuring Desert War veteran Peter Gudgin and designer Michael Graves.

4 - Better Living Through Chemistry: The post-war 50s and 60s offered a world of opportunity with the possibilities of plastic married to liberating lifestyle choices, from seamless plastic chairs to a bed with built-in stereo and cigarette lighter. In Japan, radio came pocket-sized, leading to the revolutionary Walkman. Featuring Sony master designer Teiyu Goto, Alberto Alessi and Stephen Bayley.

5 - Objects of Desire: From the 70s to 90s, designers set the tone for many lives and lifestyles. But as the threat of global warming redefines how we make or break the world, they prove they have a vital role to play. Featuring Philippe Starck, Marc Newson, Jonathan Ive and Stephen Fry.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2010

Year of production

2010

Notes

Broadcast in weekly parts on BBC2 beginning 7/5/2010

Subjects

Design

Keywords

design; product design; social history

Credits

Contributor

Philippe Starck; Stephen Fry

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£19.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

243 minutes

Year

2010

Production Company

Name

BBC Television

Distributor

Name

Acorn Media UK

Email

customerservices@acorndvd.com

Web

http://www.acorndvd.com/ External site opens in new window

Fax

020 7627 250

Address

55 Drury Lane
London
WC2B 5SQ

Notes

Founded in 1997, Acorn specialises in distributing archival television programmes, predominantly licensed from the BBC and ITV. Sale on DVD and Blu-Ray, in Region 2 PAL format, direct and via retail outlets.

 

Available from retail outlets