As the first of its kind, the Design Museum is a great achievement – founded in 1989 by Sir Terence Conran, the museum was previously based by the River Thames until moving to its current Kensington High Street site in 2016. Set slightly back from the street, next to Holland Park, the museum is located in Kensington’s cultural quarter and is free to enter.
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| Image courtesy of Jack Young on Unsplash. |
Upon entry, I’m faced with a large, almost empty atrium. Aside from groups of tourists, school trips and staff members, there’s really not much to see. There’s a gift shop (overpriced, of course) and a help desk at which you can purchase tickets to the paid exhibitions – there are a fair few of them but, arguably, the main attraction is the museum’s permanent display: Designer, Maker, User.
The exhibition begins with the Designer section – the first element worth noting is the detailed timeline showing the majority of landmark dates from 1759 (the opening of the first modern factory) all the way up to 2012 (the new industrial revolution). We then move on to learn about transport design – with a display dedicated entirely to Transport for London – and then enter the User section where, to be brutally honest, nothing is working. Any element of interactivity is out of order – not so good for an exhibition dedicated almost entirely to the designing, making and using of such products. The Maker section is slightly better in the sense that you’re taken almost on a journey throughout time (without the actual time machine, of course) to learn about the evolution of technology – from old school record players and cameras to today’s Apple Watch and iPhones. To complete the experience, there’s an opportunity to apply what you’ve learnt at the ‘Design a…’ station – perhaps the most interactive part of the exhibition, but definitely targeted more towards younger visitors or perhaps school trips.
The museum is modern and while it may look strange to some, the design is simple but effective – at least in the atrium. The displays within the Designer, Maker, User exhibition are bold, colourful and most definitely appealing to the eye and the exhibition itself covers a wide range of topics with a clear, cohesive layout – particularly in the Maker section.
The museum has so much potential. It could be great, but it just isn’t. Yes, it does act as a good introduction to the world of design but not so much for those who have zero knowledge at all about the topic. The exhibition rightly focuses on design and the visual appearance of such, but this means that the rest – the content – is rejected. There’s the opportunity to learn a lot but, unless your concentration levels are ridiculously high, you probably won’t be able to read the overly cluttered boxes of information printed on the walls. The interactive elements don’t work, and it’s a general disappointment. The potential is there, but the reality is that it’s uninspiring.
In a city that boasts so many wonderful museums and attractions, it is a great achievement to have one focused entirely on design but, at the same time, in a city that boasts such museums, the Designer, Maker, User exhibition is simply underwhelming. And, as the main display in the museum, it’s not a great advertisement – no matter how good it could be.
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