Field Trip 3

Design in Our Lives: The Museum of Modern Art

            In our second visit to the MoMa a basic understanding of ergonomics was definitely important. Things we take for granted in our lives today such as calculators, pots and pans, vases and even the furniture we have in our homes all are designed with a scientific discipline called ergonomics. Ergonomics can also be referred to as human factors; designers must take into consideration these factors to have a final result useful to humans. By doing so they can prevent strenuous injuries and also they can take into consideration developing designs to meet the special needs of individuals.

            In walking through the Architecture & Designs exhibit, it was impressive to see the development of things as basic as a calculator which had over the years been revamped to meet our needs. I saw items that to me were high functioning and others that were low functioning. Then there some items that were high functionality, but it was only because they had been adapted to present time. For example, the Corning glass works frying pan from 1942 was made of glass and steel. Still used today and very high functioning, however today we have frying pans that are non-stick and that the handles are not made of glass preventing severe burns and accidents. It was also interesting to see the calculator which is still high functioning, but instead of physically carrying one with you, cell phones and computers have them built in for our convenience. While I personally still have one in my office, it is not the size of any of the ones on display. The very first one looked liked a cash register. The infamous turntable has become almost obsolete; with today’s technology DJ’s literally work with a laptop and most people download music into their ipods, computers, laptops and even phones...space saving being the high function of our decade. Yet, to have an antique record player is a luxury which even in 2012 can be appreciated.

            There was an exhibit that I found to be low functioning, it was the Tuttono piece. This design consisted of an all in storage, living room and slide out bed. Depending on an individual’s height, weight and needs this is not necessary today; aside from the fact that one can get hurt in the process of going up to the couch, or sliding out the bed. In addition there is not a sense of privacy. I felt that the mini kitchen also fell into my low functioning category, being made of wood made it an extreme hazard. An impressive piece was the Lomak keyboard made for individuals who are quadriplegic or those who have multiple sclerosis. I was touched to see how ergonomics were present 100% in this piece. Truly taking into consideration people with such special needs, yet providing them with the facility to enjoy what some may take for granted left me speechless. Last, but not least was the Foreclosure exhibit. After walking through the Architecture & Designs you saw how ergonomics plays a huge role in developing vast neighborhoods within our society. While none of the ideas have been built, they all looked liked “robot” cities and I felt that they lacked warmth. I believe that something has to be done to prevent so many people from losing their homes yet I’m not entirely onboard with what I saw. For example, the Cisneros approach to have smaller units as affordable housing with amenities almost seems like grouping people within the same socio-economic levels, isn’t this just a fancy way to have people live in projects? I believe there should be a balance, and more discussions on these living developments have to take place.

Corning Glass Works USA Established 1851

Frying pan 1942

Borosilicate glass and steel

Mario Bellini

Accounting & Inventory Machine 1973

Tuttono

Internotredici Associati

Italian 1970-1983

Lomak light operated mouse and keyboard

Haythornthwaite Andrew 1944

Foreclose

Bungalow Shuffle (Cisneros)