In the last issue, we have covered quite a lot on the idea of Design Thinking, and its significance to us. The UX Lab also host several showings of related films. On Apr. 29th, the UX Lab invited the director of the documentary Design & Thinking, Mu-Ming Tsai, and the team’s art director, Iris Lai, to share their experience of film-making with us, face to face!
▲(Left) Creative Director, Iris Lai. (Right) Director, Mu-Ming Tsai
A year after graduating from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA, Tsai and Lai decided to start their own design company, Muris. Tsai mentioned that the film was made in a very unconventional way of using their resources and manpower. They recruited the members of the Taiwan design center San Fransisco branch, Y. S. Yang and Y. S. Huang, who had positive feedback towards the project, and were on board soon after. Through the Taiwan design center’s network of artists and designers, the team was able to collect enough material for the film, and sprang into action almost right away. There, in that tiny office in San Francisco, the four put their heads together and started “design thinking”.
▲At the Taiwan creativity center, San Francisco branch, four individuals are brainstorming away.
Kickstarter is the biggest for-profit company dedicated to support film, game, music, art, design and technology innovations by locating active and willing sponsors through promoting central ideas of all big and small projects. The film Design & Thinking is the first attempt to take a deeper looker into Design Thinking using a documentary. Because of its uniqueness, it garners much attention and support on Kickstarter. This phenomenon allowed Tsai and Lai to raise enough money to finish the production.
▲Results of the successful funding raising for the documentary Design & Thinking shown on Kickstarter.
The necessities of making the film, namely the equipment, has been reduced to a single suitcase. Whether flying to New York, or being in San Francisco, they needed no more than carrying that suitcase. This notion of “light-handed” production is indeed a trend belonging to the liberal society. However, how to make it pop, is where the question lies.
The soundtrack was recorded by a Hollywood music producer, Haim Mazar. He actively contacted them via Kickstarter, expressing his interest to join the project. Mazar also hired the Steven Spielberg Movies by Soundtrack & Theme Orchestra for the recording. Moreover, Mazar noted that he was very honored to be a part of the team. Platforms like Kickstarter give more creative thinkers an opportunity to realize their dreams.
▲The director reviewing the soundtracks with music producer Haim Mazar.
▲Attendees of the event
The team opted not to show the documentary in classic theaters, but rather applied to have their film available in organizations around the world. Consequently, both young and traditional companies requested to have Design & Thinking shown to their employees.
▲Design & Thinking has been shown almost all around the world.
The film not only demonstrated the will of the production team. It was also a statement for branding and designs, and as a result, they actually “designed” their own trademark logos and made souvenirs for their supporters. Everything they did, they did it themselves, and from scratch. So, why do big and fancy corporations get sucker punched by humble entrepreneurs who come up with ideas in their garages? It all comes down to the heart! Those will bear the spirit of adventure and innovation would never been beaten, and that’s a fact.
▲Director Mu-Ming Tsai elaborates on the saying that had the most influence on him.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Although Tsai mentioned that this was quoted from Abraham Lincoln, it has been his own personal motto ever since he decided to go down this road. Today, he shares this spirit with all of us, and hopes that we might be inspired, too.
Source:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/designandthinking/design-and-thinking-a-documentary?ref=livehttp://www.designthinkingmovie.com/blog/?attachment_id=367