Design

Design is all-pervasive in the man-made environment: it helps shape the society in which we live and influences our desires and aspirations. This series examines its impact on diverse and surprising aspects of contemporary life. Six films pivot on portraits of individual designers, but also place them in the context of their rivals and contemporaries. Car design, advertising, environmental design, communications, status symbols, even fantasy are brought into focus. Contributors include Ferdinand Porsche, Muriel Cooper of M.I.T's Media Lab, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Giorgio Armani and special effects man Bran Ferren.