Due for release in early 2009, the site for Objectified went live today previewing issues discussed in the film. Type fans will already be familiar with the format from Hustwit's film Helvetica which debuted to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the typeface.

The term objectified has two meanings. One is 'to be treated with the status of a mere object.' But the other is 'something abstract expressed in a concrete form,' as in the way a sculpture objectifies an artist's thoughts. It's the act of transforming creative thought into a tangible object, which is what designers in this film do every day.

Objectified features: Paola Antonelli (Museum of Modern Art, New York) Chris Bangle (BMW Group, Munich) Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec (Paris) Andrew Blauvelt (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis) Anthony Dunne (London) Naoto Fukasawa (Tokyo) IDEO (Palo Alto) Jonathan Ive (Apple, California) Hella Jongerius (Rotterdam) Marc Newson (London/Paris) Fiona Raby (London) Dieter Rams (Kronberg, Germany) Karim Rashid (New York) Alice Rawsthorn (International Herald Tribune) Rob Walker (New York Times Magazine) and more participants TBA www.objectifiedfilm.com