Netflix makes some darn good drama shows, but it’s the company’s forthcoming documentary series that really has us interested. Called Abstract: The Art of Design, it’s an 8-part series about visionary designers, set to arrive on February 10.
Despite not featuring Apple (at least, based on what we’ve seen in the trailer), it certainly looks the kind of factual programming that would be of interest to Cult of Mac readers.
Check out the trailer below.
The series is produced by Wired‘s departing editor-in-chief Scott Dadich, who — in a Wired editorial — writes that he has been working on it for the “past couple of years.” Specifically, he notes that the designers in the show will represent a broad range of industries “architecture to illustration, cars to typography.”
With the possible exception of illustration, all of these are things which have shaped Apple’s design aesthetic over the years. Jony Ive originally wanted to be car designer, before changing course, while Steve Jobs was heavily influenced by typography (remember the big deal fonts were on the original Mac?) and architecture (as I wrote here).
In other words, while you probably won’t get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of any Apple products in this documentary, it still looks like a fascinating glimpse at a philosophy that has helped shape Apple at every level.
If you are looking for a design documentary that does include Jony Ive, I’d recommend Gary Hustwit’s 2009 film Objectified.
