Designer People

Designer People is a fascinating television series that aired on Ovation in 2008. The show offers a unique blend of art, innovation, and design, taking the audience on a journey through the creative minds of the world's most influential and impactful designers across varied fields. It's an in-depth exploration of the design worlds, revealing how influential designers think, what drives them, and how their work impacts society and culture at large. Moreover, it provides an enriching engagement with elements and ideas that design enthusiasts will find both intriguing and informative.

The show's format is engaging and well-crafted, with each episode devoted to a single designer. Using a mix of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and showcases of the designer’s work, the program aims to offer a comprehensive portrait of its subjects, highlighting their process, inspiration, accomplishments, and impact on the design industry.

Designer People examines a wide breadth of design genres, showcasing diversity within the field, and implicitly emphasizing that design is not limited to any specific area. From fashion design to industrial design, graphic design, and interior design, the series takes viewers into a diversity of creative realms. Thus, every episode offers something new and unique, reflecting the eclectic richness of the design universe.

The series shines light on established designers who are masters in their respective fields. It includes influential personalities like Zandra Rhodes, famous for her innovative textile designs in the world of fashion; Karim Rashid, the industrial designer with a futuristic touch; and the graphic design guru, Stefan Sagmeister, amongst others. It doesn’t just highlight their work, but also dives into their personal journey, delving into their lives, their ideas, and their creative processes. This biographical approach adds depth to the series, painting these designers not merely as professionals, but as fascinating individuals with distinct voices and perspectives on design.

Through thoughtful conversations and in-depth interviews with each subject, the show addresses the breadth and depth of the design process, bringing to light the thought, research, and meticulous craft that goes into every design product, whether it be a chair, a dress, a logo, or an entire room. The designers discuss their inspirations, the obstacles they've had to overcome, and the numerous iterations that their designs have gone through before reaching the final product. This series effectively highlights the creative process, showing that design doesn't magically appear, but is the product of careful thought, inspiration, and innovative execution.

The aesthetic of Designer People could be described as a visual ode to design. As such a visual medium, design shines on television, and this show takes full advantage of the format. The program is beautifully shot, with beautiful cinematographic techniques that emphasize the details, the textures, the scale, and the grandeur of the various designs. There are sequences of incredible time-lapse shots showing the creation process of some designs, adding a sense of drama and dynamism to the series.

On another level, Designer People also explores the broader impact of design on society and culture. It raises questions about how design shapes our lives, our relationships with objects, and how we interact with spaces. It examines how good design can improve lives and how influential design can be the catalyst for cultural and societal shifts.

Furthermore, the series presents design not as a mere aesthetic job but as an intellectual challenge that requires problem-solving skills, innovative thinking, and a profound understanding of human behavior and desires. It highlights design as an integral part of our lives, from the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the devices we use, to the spaces we live or work in.

In summary, Designer People draws back the curtain on the world of design, providing an enchanting, informative, and inspiring view into the work and minds of some of the world's most accomplished designers. It is a series that inspires creativity in its viewers, illuminating the invisible threads that link design to our everyday lives.