Simplicity versus simplicity?The Bauhaus, meaning building house, was the most influential art school that combined fine arts and craftsmanship into one. The Bauhaus was a modernist movement founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius in Weimar. However, the Memphis Group was a postmodernist movement. Founded by Ettore Sottsass, the Memphis Group was a group of Italian designers and architects. Founded in Milan in 1981, the group challenged the perception of "good design" through ornamental pieces. The movements were both equally different in how they approached design, yet with the same intent for social change. The Bauhaus and Memphis Group movements have had a huge influence on the world of design. These movements had a particular purpose, as well as being influenced by other art movements, they were able to create their own unique movement. The English arts and crafts movement, modernism and constructivism were the main influences of the Bauhaus. Walter Gropius' idea was to fuse these influences, to make them the reigning principles of form and function. The idea that design is a service to the public and the belief in the perfection and efficiency of geometry. [1] Gropius' aim was then to bring together artists and craftsmen, to address technological developments. It was clear that technology was the future and with the use of machines it offered the opportunity to mass produce beautiful products for everyday use. The Bauhaus embraced the machine aesthetic as artists began creating prototypes for industrial production, designs were based on simple geometric shapes and primary colors. These designs had to be mass-produced using modern technology and had to be available to all people. [2]In general, the Bauhaus is considered "anti-German". [15] In 1933 the Gestapo closed the Berlin school. Staff and students left Berlin continuing to spread Bauhaus concepts to other countries, most fleeing to America where Bauhaus artists were more successful in spreading their designs. Unlike the Bauhaus, the Memphis Group had no political involvement with the movement. However the Memphis Group was conceived as a fad and a form of "political" statement that intended to shake the foundations of the design world, in order to break down the barriers between upper and lower class designs. Sottass had decided to disband the group by 1988. [16] Although the Bauhaus school lasted only fourteen years, there is no doubt that the Bauhaus and Memphis group movements left their mark on the world of design, having an enormous impact on world art today.