Extreme by Design is an inspiring documentary that features students from the Stanford Design School's esteemed d. school as they set out to solve social problems faced by communities around the world. The film follows these students as they work on various design projects throughout the course of a semester, culminating in a final presentation to a panel of experts.
The documentary begins with an introduction to each of the students and their individual backgrounds. We meet people from all walks of life, including engineers, social activists, and artists, who have all come together in pursuit of a common goal: using design to create positive change in the world.
Throughout the film, we see the students tackle a range of challenges, from improving sanitation conditions in impoverished communities to helping farmers in Kenya increase their crop yields. One project focuses on developing affordable prosthetic limbs for amputees in India, while another works to improve access to clean water in Cambodia.
The film uses a combination of interviews with the students, footage of them working in the d. school's design studio, and scenes of them interacting with members of the communities they're trying to help. We get a feel for the challenges and roadblocks they face, as well as the creative solutions they come up with to overcome them.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Extreme by Design is its emphasis on the design thinking process, which guides the students' work throughout the semester. Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves empathizing with the people affected by a problem, defining the problem itself, ideating potential solutions, prototyping those solutions, and testing them in the real world.
We see the students use this process in action as they work on their various projects. Watching them empathize with people they've never met, brainstorm creative ideas, and build prototypes that could one day change people's lives is both fascinating and inspiring.
Another compelling element of the film is the way it shows how design has the power to bring people together. Throughout the semester, the students work closely with community members from around the world, collaborating on solutions that are tailored to each unique situation.
By the end of the film, we see the students present their final projects to a panel of experts, explaining the design thinking process they used and the impact their work has had. The projects vary in their levels of success, but each one is a testament to the power of design to make a positive impact on people's lives.
Overall, Extreme by Design is a compelling documentary that showcases the power of design thinking to create positive change in the world. Through its focus on the students' unique projects and experiences, the film demonstrates how creativity, empathy, and collaboration can all be harnessed to solve complex social problems. Whether you're interested in design, social activism, or simply want to be inspired by the potential of human ingenuity, this is a documentary that's well worth watching.
Extreme by Design is a documentary with a runtime of 57 minutes.
It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1.
