We were asked to research about objects, materials, or processes that related with passed/ past. I interpreted this assignment as researching objects that re-live second lives successfully. The objects that I collected for this assignment were manufactured, used, thrown away, rejected, and transformed into something new. In my opinion, this act of recycling is bringing something from the past to present, and not only does this save the earth, but also, it reflects people's tendency of wanting to stay in the past. The first two examples are the furniture made out of old bikes. Use of innovative material allows the form of the furniture to be interesting and unique. The table top lighting is made out of old Vespa that used to roam around Europe. By introducing this form language of motorcycle to table top lighting, it established a queer but friendly look. Also Ipods are cheaper and easier to buy a new one than to try to fix it. However, someone figured out how to reuse it as an external hard drive. (and the gum packaging is an option). It's a humorous way of reusing products that can no longer function. My last example is cassette tapes that used to be mass produced before. This enormous amount of plastic products became obsolete and were no longer needed by people. Even though these cassettes are not doing anything but displaying their looks, this is one of the million ways of reducing plastic waste.
Invention of a light bulb has changed our daily lives, and has affected humanity greatly. Ever since the light bulb was invented, people including designers have tried various different ways to use this invention effectively. One of the ways to develop this invention is to invent different ways to interact with it. First of all, there is a conventional way of turning light on and off: light switch. However, this limited the lighting to only two levels of light; either on or off. That was when dimmer was invented. Dimmer allowed the users to adjust the right amount of light. Also, to eliminate the inconvenience of always having to walk to the light switch, Clapper was invented. This allowed the users to control the light without having to touch the light switch at all. Wherever you were in the room, you were in control of the lighting. Also, there are more artistic ways of approaching this issue. Some designers designed lighting evoking users to interact with the lighting differently and in unusual ways. Those designs make interaction with the lighting extra joyful and interesting then mundane and meaningless. 
Functionalism was a movement in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Functionalists advocated, “architecture should be stripped of all ornamentation so as to allow its structure to express its function or purpose.” Danish functionalism derived from the German Bauhaus Movement, yet much more long lived than Bauhaus.
Late 19th century, the first industrial design trends appeared in Europe and the United States. In Germany, the Bauhaus school was established in 1919, combining art and technology with functionality and a simple idiom. Danish industrial designers were inspired by Bauhaus and their definition of functionalism. Therefore, the Danish post-war furniture during 1940’s and 1950’s valued these three characters: focus on the user, respect of materials, and attention to details. However, Danish design differentiated its functionalism from Bauhaus’; Danish functionalism is “Organic” which was very different from the often strict and dogmatic idiom of Bauhaus.
The rallying cry behind Danish designs in the 1940s and '50s continued to be "form follows function." Danish designers elevated the concept of functionalism to a new level, basing their designs wholly on the human body, and all its infinite needs and variations. "A chair is only finished when someone sits in it," said Wegner, summing up the era's design ethic with his signature simplicity.
The timeless allure of Danish design has ensured its enduring success. Danish furniture, from Jacobsen's stylishly simple chairs to Wegner's rounded, organic furniture is still displayed in design showrooms across the globe as the picture of modernity.
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