The clothes chair and 15 other objects designed for new behaviours

We live in smaller spaces, sharing them between people and different species, we move, save, and try to protect ourselves from excessive connectivity: what objects have emerged from this lifestyle change?

Life in our everyday spaces is a dynamic phenomenon, permeable to changes in society and our values. Take, for instance, the always-connected existence and the accelerated pace that defines contemporary life: it’s inevitable that the objects around us are influenced by these trends, changing form to adapt to this new ecosystem.

But how do these new types of objects come into existence? And which emerging behaviors do they reflect? It’s difficult to give a definitive answer. Yet, in compiling this small survey of objects that, over the past quarter-century, have transformed in both form and function, some recurring themes stand out more than others. The first is mobility. With our lives less tethered to fixed locations, portability has become a key value, simplifying our routines, while multifunctionality allows us to do more with less.

Doing more with less also means grappling with the shrinking size of our homes, especially in urban environments. The cleverness of objects becomes a significant added value, enabling a puzzle-like adaptability that is never punitive but instead imbued with a sense of playful satisfaction. Indeed, our living spaces seem to transcend the formalism imposed by certain conventions—like etiquette or class expectations regarding hospitality—turning objects into tools that embody casualness, irony, and the element of surprise.

In a world overwhelmed with stimuli, the flip side of the coin is introspection: some objects enable a kind of mental retreat, shielding us from the fatigue of hyperconnectivity. In a world increasingly burdened by the climate crisis, the methods of sustainable production are also changing. Our adaptation in this area is likely too slow, but some objects already seem poised to embed sustainability into their new genetic code. They remind us that, in some cases, changing form is not just a stylistic whim but a necessity.

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