The Design Museum on London’s Southbank is a mecca for creative thinking and innovation in the capital. The ivory white, minimalistic building is home to some of the best exhibitions the city has to offer and this month the museum is dusting down its archive collection to create a space that celebrates pure design.
Moulton Bike, Circa 1960
‘This is Design,’ catalogues the importance of design and examines its impact on the modern world. The exhibition uses four main themes to guide you through the products on show: Identity, Manufacturing Innovations, the Digital Revolution and Lifecycle. ‘Identity’ for example, states that:
‘if our possessions help contribute to a sense of identity, then design is the language through which the message is expressed.’
A quintessential British telephone box and another British classic, the Mary Quant mini dress, serve to highlight the truth of this statement.
A large road sign directing you to Nottingham is at the centre and creates a big impact on the secluded white space. It’s the sawn in half Austin Seven Mini and the Workstation Clipper SC-1, which add surprise and intrigue to the exhibition though.
The space offers an eclectic mix of products you would find in everyday life: a hairdryer, a Henry Hoover, a Singer Sewing Machine, and a camera are all brought into focus in terms of the impact they have had on our lives.
It’s the perfect place to be inspired and create your very own archetype. A must see for all, especially budding designers.
Candlestick Telephone, Circa 1920
Anglepoise Lamp Type 1227, Designed in 1934
Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinnear, Road Signage, 1965
All Images courtesy of The Design Museum
The exhibition runs from 24 August – 22 January 2012.
For more information, visit the museum’s website here.
Tags: design museum, mary quant, moulton bike, this is design
