What insights did you gain about this product and how the perception of the artifact has changed over its history.
First of all, I didn’t expect this little chair to have to go through 77 steps. And finally the sturdiness of the chair was beyond my expectations. From the beginning, when the chair served the navy in the war, it was found to have commercial value and was gradually turned into a work of art. Now the chair can be seen as a way of protecting the planet because it is strong enough that customers don’t need to buy more chairs, reducing the waste of materials. There is a point here that I think is a big issue facing society now. Should there be a crackdown on counterfeit products. Because first of all, as a company that innovates products, counterfeit products on the market can discourage them from innovating. Moreover, counterfeit products are not able to produce products of the same quality as the real ones due to their unskilled craftsmanship, which also goes against the environmental values of the products. But protecting innovation also gives a degree of class to this product. Only the rich can enjoy these products, the poor cannot afford to buy them.
What surprised you about this product.
I didn’t expect this chair to cost so much. But it’s reasonable because it’s hard enough. And I think because the product was designed for the government in the first place, the designers didn’t think about saving costs. It was more about how to make the product tougher.
Find another artifact that has followed a similar path by deviating from some of its original intent.
Originally designed as a simple tool for holding papers together, it has since become an iconic symbol for things like unity, solidarity, and creativity. In recent years, it has been used in various forms of art and design, and has even been reimagined as a fashion accessory. Despite its original intended use being practical and mundane, the paper clip has taken on a much broader cultural significance.