Posted: April 10, 2026
9 design documentaries worth watching
Nine documentaries about design, creativity and craft that are genuinely worth your time, covering graphic design, typography, urban planning, advertising and indie game development.
Image credit:
1. Abstract: The Art of Design
A look beyond blueprints and computers into the art and science of design, spotlighting designers from a range of disciplines whose work shapes our everyday world.
2. Objectified
A feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with the manufactured objects around us and the people who design them.
3. Helvetica
An exploration of typography, graphic design and global visual culture told through one of the world’s most recognised typefaces.
4. Art & Copy
An inside look at the creative minds behind some of the most iconic advertising campaigns ever made, including “Just Do It” and “Got Milk.”
5. Design Disruptors (InVision)
An InVision documentary exploring how design-driven companies are reshaping entire industries, featuring designers and product leaders from Netflix, Twitter, Airbnb and more.
6. Urbanized
A documentary about the design of cities, exploring the strategies and challenges behind urban design through conversations with architects, planners, policymakers and thinkers from around the world.
7. Tim’s Vermeer
Inventor Tim Jenison sets out to understand the painting techniques used by Dutch master Johannes Vermeer, with fascinating results.
8. Apex: The Story of the Hypercar
A look at a new class of exotic sports cars engineered to push the boundaries of what’s physically possible on four wheels.
9. Indie Game: The Movie
A documentary following indie game developers as they create games and share their work, and themselves, with the world.
Let's collaborate
If this sounds like the way you like to work, get in contact to tell me a little about yourself and your project and I'd be happy to help. Send me an email at hello@richmcnabb.com.