Open – Design Week Frankfurt RheinMain

What Are People For: Design Philosophy by Patrick Whitney

As part of Open – Design Week Frankfurt RheinMain, What Are People For: Design Philosophy by Patrick Whitney celebrates its world premiere – attended in person by Patrick Whitney, director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, Rams, Eno), and producer Ashley Lukasik. In addition to the premiere, further screenings and talks with the three protagonists are planned. A special highlight is the Sunday double feature, paired with Hustwit's cinematic portrait of designer Dieter Rams.

Produced by Murmur Ring, the documentary explores the work and enduring influence of Patrick Whitney – one of the pioneers of human-centered and systemic design. At its core lies Whitney's conviction that design is far more than product or aesthetics: it is a means of addressing society's most complex challenges – from public health and education to governance and economic development.

Through conversations with Whitney and leading figures from politics, business, and academia, the film shows how Whitney helped redefine design – as a framework for making institutions, systems, and decision-making processes more humane, transparent, and better aligned with people's actual needs. Filmed during Whitney's design projects in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, British Columbia, India, and Hong Kong, it brings together voices such as Ashish Jha and Jim Hackett, and presents democracy itself as a design challenge.

The project also includes a companion book designed by Rick Valicenti, recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award, whose groundbreaking work has helped shape contemporary graphic design practice. Together, film and book serve both as a portrait of a visionary thinker and as a timely reflection on the role design can play in shaping a more just and participatory future.

Saturday, 06.06.2026
19:30: Premiere with talk with Patrick Whitney, Gary Hustwit and Ashley Lukasik

Sunday, 07.06.2026
16:30: Screening with talk
18:30: Screening with Gary Hustwits portrait about Dieter Rams

Ashley Lukasik, Executive Producer; Gary Hustwit, Director and Producer; André Nogueira, Co-Producer; Rick Valicenti, Graphic Designer