Design documentaries appropriate three ideas from documentary film for discovery research. The idea that film is like reality focuses on embracing the diversity and ambiguity of everyday life in the research. Through film language and aesthetics these ambiguities, and the perspectives developed during the research, can be expressed. The idea that films are conversations between perspectives is used by design documentaries to create conversations in design processes. Together, these ideas empower discovery research to communicate stories in new ways, and also to tell new stories.
The films Drift and Swim were made to explore opportunities for smart textiles in two situations: wandering through a city and swimming lanes. Researchers, engineers, designers and artists collaborated in discovery research by making design documentaries, using the three documentary film ideas related to reality, language and conversation. Storage and Clutter in the Home uses these ideas as well, to investigate how people store things at home. All three films seek inspiration in everyday life and explore opportunities for computer technology disappearing into objects, clothing and architecture around us.
