Design Museum

Photo of a large board with USER written on it, mid-transition to DESIGNER. Photo of a large board with USER written on it, mid-transition to DESIGNER.
Photo by me, I miss these scrolly advertising boards.

A museum covering contemporary design housed in the former Commonwealth Institute building, which is a bit of a design icon in its own right.

To be honest, having seen pictures of the Design Museum’s grand entrance hall before visiting I was a tiny bit disappointed - I expected there to be more to see.

The permanent Designer Maker User exhibition was quite fun but to me it felt like many of the objects on display were chosen to evoke oh I had one of those! comments and nostalgia rather than to teach me anything profound about design.

Much of the rest of the space inside is dedicated to seminar rooms so the exhibitions also tend to be fairly small. Worth seeing, but they won’t take the whole day.

Free - some paid exhibitions

designmuseum.org
View of the roof of the museum from inside the atrium. View of the roof of the museum from inside the atrium.
The walkways around the atrium offer great views.
Close-up of some objects mounted on a wall, with a caption by someone called Barry about playing Snake on their phone Close-up of some objects mounted on a wall, with a caption by someone called Barry about playing Snake on their phone
Miscellany on a wall. Thanks for the insight, Barry.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions Relaxed Opening Hours

Visitors can enjoy quieter galleries, touch some of the objects, and use sensory maps and large print guides to make things easier to understand.

Free

Wes Anderson: The Archives

Visitors can see props, drawings and behind-the-scenes designs from Wes Anderson’s films, showing how his style and themes have grown over thirty years.

£19.69

Until

Design Cinema

PLATFORM: Simone Brewster

The display shows Simone Brewster’s bold use of form, colour and everyday materials, giving a close look at how her designs shape daily life and culture.

Free

Begins

Design