Over the last weekend, I went to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I was there to look at some chairs – it’s one of my favorite things to do. My favorite chair that day was the Royal Festival Hall Lounge Chair by Robin Day.

It wasn’t that the chair was my favorite aesthetically. This chair was my favorite because I noticed some footprints around it. The white exhibition platform, on which many chairs were displayed, was spotless, except for around this chair, where I could see many footprints. The footprints told a short story – someone had stepped up onto the platform, turned around to position themselves, and sat on the chair. (Before being yelled at by the security guard, probably.)

Of course this is a violation of museum etiquette. You are “not supposed to” touch things that are on platforms. Yet I couldn’t help but to think that this chair had done the job it was designed for perfectly – it had beckoned a person to sit on it.

I didn’t see any other footprints around other chairs. Maybe this one did its job the best?