{"id":69946,"date":"2017-05-01T22:42:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T12:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elements.blog-cms.envato.net\/?p=859"},"modified":"2025-11-11T17:24:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T06:24:21","slug":"movies-documentaries-designers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/movies-documentaries-designers","title":{"rendered":"15 Must-Watch Movies and Documentaries for Designers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Design inspiration is everywhere, and film is an excellent source of it. So we&#8217;ve picked out 15 movies and documentaries all creatives&nbsp;should watch.&nbsp;These films&nbsp;celebrate design in all of its forms and glory. They highlight the ways that&nbsp;design shapes our everyday lives and the power it has to bring about social change. They also provide a close look at the lives and creative processes of visionaries across&nbsp;the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn from the innovators who have paved the way before you and the creators that are making waves with their work today. Deepen your art appreciation by learning about the history of&nbsp;typography, or learn about the ever evolving DIY movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#documentary\">Documentaries<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#artist\">Artist Profiles<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Without further ado, here are our picks for must-see films:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"documentary\">Documentaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DYaq2sWTWAA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abstract:&nbsp;The Art of Design&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Abstract: The Art of Design | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DYaq2sWTWAA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Abstract:&nbsp;The Art of Design<\/strong>&nbsp;is Netflix&#8217;s new documentary series. The series&nbsp;profiles&nbsp;eight of the most&nbsp;innovative thinkers working in design.&nbsp;Watch to learn about&nbsp;the creative processes&nbsp;of&nbsp;the leaders in architecture, interior design, fashion, <a href=\"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/photography-trends\">photography<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/best-graphic-design-templates\">graphic design<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/trending-illustration-styles-2020\">illustration<\/a>, and automobile design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;You&#8217;re looking for a moment when you&#8217;re as close to the soul as possible. That&#8217;s what good design is.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=X80kSDxF4rg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Helvetica<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Helvetica Trailer (HD)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X80kSDxF4rg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Directed by Gary Hustwit as part of the documentary design trilogy including &#8216;Objectified&#8217; and &#8216;Urbanized&#8217;, <strong>Helvetica<\/strong> is a&nbsp;documentary&nbsp;about typography and graphic design.&nbsp;This film&nbsp;explores the history of the <a href=\"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/death-of-helvetica-rise-of-the-bespoke-font\">Helvetica typeface<\/a> and the way it&#8217;s shaped the world around us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S9E2D2PaIcI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Objectified<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Objectified trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/S9E2D2PaIcI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Objectified<\/strong>, another film by Gary Hustwit, explores the&nbsp;extent that&nbsp;the design of everyday&nbsp;objects affects us. The film showcases the&nbsp;process of designing these&nbsp;objects&nbsp;and it profiles&nbsp;the graphic designers that create them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uilcaXYnluU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Design and Thinking<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Design &amp; Thinking Official Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uilcaXYnluU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Design and Thinking<\/strong> is a documentary that examines&nbsp;the relationship between design and business.&nbsp;It&nbsp;shows how&nbsp;creative minds and business professionals can&nbsp;work collaboratively and strategically to create&nbsp;social change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hLfvmiB4edI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Art &amp; Copy<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"ART &amp; COPY Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hLfvmiB4edI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Art &amp; Copy<\/strong>&nbsp;is a documentary about the advertising industry in the United States. The film tells&nbsp;the story of the creative mavericks behind some of the most famous ad campaigns of all time like &#8220;Just Do It&#8221; and &#8220;I Want My MTV.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oHJBdDSTbLw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exit Through the Gift Shop<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"&quot;Exit Through The Gift Shop&quot; - Official Trailer [HD]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oHJBdDSTbLw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Exit Through the Gift Shop<\/strong>&nbsp;is a documentary directed by renowned street artist, Banksy. The film provides an inside look into street art culture and&nbsp;follows the&nbsp;movers and shakers of the industry, who are breaking the rules to produce brilliant works of art around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JyRAHKTy6hI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beautiful Losers&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Beautiful Losers film trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JyRAHKTy6hI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Beautiful Losers&nbsp;<\/strong>is about the&nbsp;D.I.Y. movement in the 1990s. During this time artists were&nbsp;drawing inspiration from subcultures like skateboarding,&nbsp;graffiti, punk rock&nbsp;and&nbsp;hip-hop. The film includes a&nbsp;series of interviews with the artistic pioneers of the movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>8.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mklywR7TQxs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maker<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Maker trailer - A documentary on the Maker Movement\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mklywR7TQxs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Maker<\/strong> is a documentary about the maker movement in the US. The movie highlights the work and stories of the inventors, <a href=\"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/indigenous-designers-and-artists\">designers<\/a> and engineers driving the&nbsp;modern DIY movement. These makers are more than mere hobbyists. They&#8217;re using their passion and creativity to impact&nbsp;our culture and economic atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>9.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wJltcT7DH7g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lemonade<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Lemonade Movie Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wJltcT7DH7g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you do when life hands you lemons? You make lemonade, of course! This film shares the story of 16 creative&nbsp;professionals who lost their jobs and were&nbsp;forced to get creative about their own lives. It&#8217;s a&nbsp;documentary&nbsp;about following your dreams and making the most out of any&nbsp;situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"artist\"><strong>Artist Profile<\/strong>s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>10.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YXS6Aby5AUg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cutie and The Boxer<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Cutie And The Boxer Official Trailer (2013) - Painting Documentary HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YXS6Aby5AUg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cutie and The Boxer<\/strong> follows famed&nbsp;boxing painter, Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. It&#8217;s a&nbsp;moving and inspirational piece about love and art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>11.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0MYFOzP6Xns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY - Official Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0MYFOzP6Xns?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This film\u00a0documents the life and work of the unapologetic, courageous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.envato.com\/blog\/how-do-you-say-envato-in-chinese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese<\/a> artist and activist, Ai Weiwei. The movie follows the artist as\u00a0he prepares for a museum exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>12.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NYqiLJBXbss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bill Cunningham New York&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Bill Cunningham New York Trailer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NYqiLJBXbss?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Bill Cunningham is basically synonymous with street style.&nbsp;This film provides a close look into the life of the long time&nbsp;<em>New York Times<\/em> fashion photographer, whose work put street style on the map. Hear from Bill&#8217;s friends and subjects including Anna Wintour, about what makes his work so special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>13.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Fo8jwJ_2l0c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iris<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Iris Official Trailer 1 (2015) - Iris Apfel Documentary HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Fo8jwJ_2l0c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Iris<\/strong> is a documentary about fashion icon, Iris Apfel. The film illustrates&nbsp;how she influenced the fashion and interior design world with her&nbsp;effervescent spirit and style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>14.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=a5WFRy9X8N4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drew: The Man Behind the Poster<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Drew: The Man Behind the Poster Official Trailer 1 (2013) - Documentary HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a5WFRy9X8N4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Drew: The Man Behind the Poster<\/strong> is a documentary about&nbsp;legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan. It highlights the&nbsp;impact his artwork had on the film industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>15.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=a2t7MD3YeF4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Design Is One: The Vignellis<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Design Is One: The Vignellis Official Trailer 1 (2013) - Documentary HD\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a2t7MD3YeF4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This documentary profiles two of the world&#8217;s most influential designers, Lella and Massimo&nbsp;Vignellis. These creative collaborators designed the New York subway singage and&nbsp;American Airlines&nbsp;and Bloomingdales logos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more resources for designers, stay tuned on the <a href=\"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\">Elements Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These films celebrate design in all of its forms and glory, while highlighting the ways that design shapes our everyday lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":77403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elements.envato.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}