I
always tell people that I didn’t choose my profession; it chose me. But it is the only one for me because I live in what feels like a “Looney Tunes” cartoon of design characters. I walk out the door in the morning and imagine the mailbox waving hello to me and the traffic lights saying, “Hey! Come on, it’s time to cross.” I daydream in this way because objects are fundamental to our lives. Not everyone needs to join me, but it is vital to reflect on our environments.
Understanding design on a deeper plane—how things are made, where they come from, where they’re going to go afterwards, who got involved—not only enriches life but also gives citizens the power to demand better. We should seek improvement in everything, from vehicles to infrastructure to the interfaces of ATMs.
All of the objects in “Pirouette: Turning Points in Design,” from electronics to furniture to symbols, represent a moment of change. They were created in the last century or so, and most will be universally recognizable. Some transformed behaviors or evolved typologies; others improved ergonomics for all by focusing on accessibility, and many are tied to advances in manufacturing processes. The majority were drawn from MoMA’s permanent collection, with two of the current exceptions, the Monobloc chair and Crocs, featured here. Like this pair of examples, many are humble masterpieces—not as revolutionary as the Sony Walkman or Macintosh 128K, but important nonetheless.
Admittedly, design exhibitions tend to present as many pieces as possible. As curators, we look over our shoulders at art exhibitions, which always seem to have the luxury of space and attention. I decided this time that I wanted to show fewer objects. I want people to focus on one design at a time and, through it, to re-enter the world.
—As told to James Haldane
Monobloc Chair (1950s). Affordable, stackable and notably unpatented, these chairs, made by injecting hot plastic into a metal mold at high pressure, are the quintessential mass-market product. Globally ubiquitous, they’re a societal mirror for our attitudes to consumption. In some regions, they’re considered disposable, while in others, they’re cherished and even repaired.
M&M’s (late 1930s). It’s an uncomfortable truth that conflict prompts innovation. Forrest Mars—the first “M”—visited Spain during its Civil War and saw chocolates issued to soldiers in hard sugar coatings to prevent melting. He developed his own version in pellet form and brought them to William F. R. Murrie, president of the Hershey Chocolate Corporation and, ultimately, the second “M.”
Flat-Bottomed Paper Bag (1870s–80s). Margaret E. Knight, one of the first women to obtain a U.S. patent, understood the power of incremental improvement. She designed a new machine to produce standardized paper bags with greater strength.
Bic Cristal Ballpoint Pen (1950). Some designs are so impeccable you don’t even notice them. In 1945, entrepreneur Marcel Bich purchased the rights to inventor László Bíró’s original design, later substituting in an exactingly manufactured stainless-steel ball to create the world’s bestselling pen, now essentially unchanged for 75 years.
Rainbow Flag (1978). Embodying design as a unifying symbol for social justice, a hand-dyed version of activist Gilbert Baker’s flag was unfurled at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978.
Post-it Note (circa 1977). While experimenting with aerospace adhesives, Spencer Silver, a research scientist for 3M, created a glue that did not stick permanently. Years later, his colleague Art Fry used the recipe to create reusable bookmarks.
Moka Express (1933). The Great Depression threw Italy into crisis, but the finest industrial design often comes from moments of need. Using aluminum’s thermal conductivity, the Moka enabled Italians to make coffee inexpensively at home.
Crocs Sandals (2002). Originally marketed as a slip-resistant boating shoe, Crocs have polarized aesthetic opinion while spawning a series of fashion collaborations. Yet the utility and comfort that they provide people working in hygienic or humid environments, from nurses to chefs, is perhaps their greatest social contribution.
