Everyday Marvels
from the guide Made for Living: Objects of Design in MoMA's Collection

Most of the objects that we use in our daily lives have been designed by someone. Many, we take for granted. This lesson examines some small but revolutionary objects that have changed the way we interact with the world around us, including the Band-Aid, M&M's candies, and Post-It Notes.

Take a Seat: Exploring Chair Design
from the guide Made for Living: Objects of Design in MoMA's Collection

The history of the chair goes back two thousand years. Although its style and design have changed, its core function has remained the same. In its many different shapes and forms, a chair is an object that "seats" us. This lesson explores a selection of chairs from MoMA's collection (which includes over 350) through the lenses of inspiration, innovation, and materials.

Simple Machines
from the guide Made for Living: Objects of Design in MoMA's Collection

The 1934 exhibition of design objects Machine Art surprised Museum audiences by including a three-story display of machine-made objects such as springs, laboratory appliances, tools, and furniture. The objects were placed on pedestals, just like sculptures. This lesson introduces students to design objects in MoMA's collection that are also simple machines, and looks at how these innovative machine-made objects make people's lives easier.

Exploring the Design Process: The Work of Charles and Ray Eames
from the guide Made for Living: Objects of Design in MoMA's Collection

Charles Eames, trained as an architect, and Ray Kaiser, trained as a painter, met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, in Bloomfield, Michigan. They married, and over the course of their life together, these creative visionaries designed furniture, films, exhibitions, toys, graphics, and interiors. In addition to their design work, they served as ambassadors and consultants to businesses and governments (nationally and internationally) about the role and impact of design in modern life. This lesson explores the Eameses' design philosophy as it was applied to three types of objects.

Design That Makes a Difference: Focus on Shelters and Water
from the guide Made for Living: Objects of Design in MoMA's Collection

This lesson focuses on how designers respond to severe environmental conditions to alleviate human hardship. It examines three different types of temporary shelters and discusses how designers have responded to specific environmental factors. It then presents three innovative designs that help people access, filter, and carry water.

Materials and Process: Plastics
from the guide Made for Living: Objects of Design in MoMA's Collection

Polymer chemistry developed over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The new materials that resulted, called plastics, can be combined and formed into films, fibers, and objects through chemical and mechanical processes such as extrusion, blow molding, and injection. The development of plastics made it possible to create lighter, more durable, and more affordable consumer products. Today's plastics are not only sturdy and resilient but, in some cases, beautiful. This lesson explores the impact of plastics on modern design.