Design Museum
The Design Museum is a London-based registered charity founded in 1989, operating as the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design. It serves the public, schools, corporate clients, and international museum partners through ticketed exhibitions, free displays, learning programmes, retail, venue hire, and touring exhibitions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Design Museum does
The Design Museum is a London-based registered charity (charity number 800630) and operates as the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design, founded in 1989 by Sir Terence Conran and relocated in 2016 to a landmark Grade II* building on Kensington High Street. The museum operates as a multifaceted cultural institution serving general public visitors, schools and educational institutions, corporate event clients, patrons and donors, and international museum partners. Its offering comprises rotating temporary exhibitions (including Wes Anderson: The Archives, NIGO: From Japan with Love, and PLATFORM series), a permanent collection display (Designer Maker User), free displays (Future Observatory research showcases and garden installations), an MA programme in Curating Contemporary Design delivered with Kingston University, the Design Ventura school competition, and Design Museum Academy workshops.
The museum's revenue model blends earned income and charitable funding across ten distinct streams: paid exhibition tickets, membership subscriptions, three physical plus online retail shops, venue hire for corporate events and weddings, food and beverage through Design Kitchen and Design Cafe, donations and patron support via the Design Circle programme, learning programmes, international touring exhibitions, publishing, and a recently developed Environmental Impact consultancy for UK museums. Pricing ranges from free permanent collection access to paid temporary exhibitions, concession rates for NHS workers, seniors, disabled visitors, and students, and annual membership tiers (e.g., Access Membership at £45). Underlying digital infrastructure includes a Digitickets ticketing platform and a website built by Fabrique with technical partner Q42. The institution is led by Director and CEO Tim Marlow OBE and governed by a board of trustees chaired by Stuart Roden, with senior leadership drawn from the V&A, Royal Academy of Arts, and Tate.
Design Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Museum
- Legal name
- The Design Museum
- Website
- https://designmuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Design Museum is a London-based registered charity founded in 1989, operating as the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design. It serves the public, schools, corporate clients, and international museum partners through ticketed exhibitions, free displays, learning programmes, retail, venue hire, and touring exhibitions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Museum Services
- NAICS
- Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Museums (THAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG), History, Heritage & Museum-Focused Study Tours (THAKAGAN)
Keywords
Where Design Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Exhibition Tickets: Revenue from paid temporary exhibitions; general museum entry and permanent collection displays are free
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership tiers providing unlimited exhibition entry, discounts, and exclusive events
- Retail Shop: Three physical shops and online store selling design-inspired merchandise, gifts, and products
- Venue Hire: Corporate events, weddings, parties, and business training held in museum spaces
- Food and Beverage: Design Kitchen and Design Cafe serving ethically sourced drinks and snacks
- Donations and Charitable Support: Registered charity relying on patrons, corporate partners, and individual donors; Design Circle patrons programme
- Learning Programmes: Workshops, talks, Design Camps for children, MA programme partnership with Kingston University, Design Ventura competition
- Touring Exhibitions: International touring of exhibitions to other venues and institutions
- Publishing: Books and exhibition catalogues published since 2015
- Consultancy Services: Environmental Impact consultancy for institutions around the UK
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Student ticket for universities and higher education |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Student ticket for primary, secondary, further education and college |
| Subscription | Annual | Access Membership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Concession tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard student ticket (16+ in full-time education) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels7 records
Design Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Design Museum operates a physical museum in Kensington, London, presenting rotating temporary exhibitions (e.g., Wes Anderson: The Archives, NIGO: From Japan with Love) alongside free permanent and temporary displays documenting contemporary design. It also delivers educational and learning programmes, a retail shop (three locations plus online), cafes and restaurant facilities, venue hire for events, research through the Future Observatory programme, and touring exhibitions licensed to international institutions.
Product overview
The Design Museum operates as a multifaceted museum offering a unified portfolio of exhibitions, displays, learning programmes, and visitor facilities. The core offering comprises rotating temporary exhibitions (such as Wes Anderson: The Archives, NIGO: From Japan with Love, and PLATFORM: Simone Brewster), a permanent collection display (Designer Maker User), and free displays including Future Observatory research showcases and garden installations. The museum extends its mission through educational offerings including an MA programme in partnership with Kingston University, Design Ventura school competition, and Design Museum Academy workshops. Supporting visitor services include the Design Museum Shop (three locations plus online), Design Kitchen and Design Cafe dining facilities, and Venue Hire for events. The institution also produces publications and operates touring exhibition programmes internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Designer Maker User (Permanent Collection Display) The museum's permanent collection display presenting iconic designs from product to transport, suitable for families, school groups, and design enthusiasts. Free to visit.
- Wes Anderson: The Archives Ticketed retrospective exhibition of Wes Anderson's film archive, produced in collaboration with la Cinémathèque française, running until 16 August 2026.
- NIGO: From Japan with Love Ticketed major exhibition showcasing Japanese designer and creative director NIGO's multifaceted creative work, from street style to music, alongside vintage objects and traditional crafts.
- PLATFORM: Simone Brewster Free annual display in the PLATFORM series dedicated to showcasing contemporary design practice, presenting designer Simone Brewster's work in jewellery, furniture, and public architecture.
- Dwellings, Rehomed Garden display featuring birdhouses by innovative London designers exploring themes of more-than-human design and urban biodiversity.
- The Nest Inclusive sensory-friendly seating structure in the Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden, designed for people with dementia and their carers, crafted from natural and recycled materials.
- Future Observatory: Tools for Transition Free display showcasing UK research projects driving change in housing, healthcare, local planning, and resource management, curated by Future Observatory.
- Future Observatory: The Stone Demonstrator Off-site low-carbon construction prototype at Earl's Court Development site demonstrating pre-tensioned stone building techniques with 70% lower carbon emissions than reinforced concrete.
- Touring Exhibitions International touring programme that licenses curated Design Museum exhibitions to museums and cultural institutions worldwide.
- Design Museum Shop Three retail locations inside the museum plus an online store offering curated design gifts, books, prints, and products; proceeds support the museum as a charity.
- Design Kitchen and Design Cafe On-site cafe and restaurant serving ethically sourced drinks, snacks, and meals; the Design Kitchen space was designed by Matthew Williamson with views to Holland Park.
- Venue Hire Event spaces available for hire for weddings, parties, conferences, and corporate events; revenue supports the museum's charitable mission.
- MA Curating Contemporary Design Postgraduate MA programme in Curating Contemporary Design delivered in partnership with Kingston University since 2015.
- Design Museum Academy Educational programming including Design Camps for children aged 7-14, adult learning workshops, and Design for Business courses.
- Design Ventura Annual design and enterprise competition for secondary school students (years 9-11) supported by industry professionals and focused on sustainable design principles.
- Design Researchers in Residence Annual residency programme (Future Observatory) exploring geological landscapes and their relationships to the green transition, in partnership with AHRC.
- Environmental Impact Consultancy Environmental Impact consultancy service delivered to museums and galleries across the UK, including Art Fund's Going Places programme and the MAGNET touring exhibition partnership.
- Design Museum Publishing Publishing programme producing books and exhibition catalogues encompassing all elements of design, operating since 2015.
- Design Museum Membership Annual subscription membership tiers providing unlimited exhibition entry, discounts in shop/cafes, and exclusive events; supports the museum as a registered charity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Millions of visitors welcomed since 2016 relocation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Museum
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Design Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Design Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring (MAGNET)majorPartnership with MAGNET project to work with 12 museums and galleries throughout 2025-2026 to support exhibition touring
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)corePartnership with UKRI AHRC for Future Observatory national research programme for the green transition; also funds Future Observatory Journal and Design Researchers in Residence programme
- Kingston UniversitycorePartnership since 2015 for MA Curating Contemporary Design programme, one of the world's foremost postgraduate programmes for design curators, taught by leading academics, curators and designers
- Art FundmajorPartnership with Art Fund and The Exhibitions Group to develop touring exhibition toolkit in 2024; worked with 22 organisations as part of Art Fund's Going Places programme in 2024
- Computer RoomminorResearch-oriented design collective collaborating on Dwellings project and Dwellings, Rehomed exhibition, originally conceived in 2024
- Flock TogetherminorBird-watching collective that brings creativity to nature, collaborated on Dwellings, Rehomed exhibition
- la Cinémathèque françaisemajorCo-produced the Wes Anderson: The Archives exhibition, the first retrospective devoted to Anderson's distinctive cinematic output
- Opportunity Kensington Business Improvement DistrictminorPartnership supporting the Growing Together project with guidance and energy
- GroupworkmajorArchitecture practice that designed the Stone Demonstrator with engineers Webb Yates and Arup
- Webb Yates EngineersmajorEngineering partner for Stone Demonstrator structural design
- ArupmajorEngineering partner for Stone Demonstrator project
- University College London (UCL)majorUCL engineers developed guide to designing stone structures led by Professor Wendel Sebastian, funded by Future Observatory
- Dementia AdventureminorCharity providing research, outreach and support for The Nest project design informed by their expertise
- Age UKminorCharity whose research informed the design of The Nest inclusive sensory-friendly structure
- Kingston School of ArtminorFoundation students at Kingston School of Art designed and built The Nest structure
- Royal College of ArtminorCollaborated on activities programme for The Nest project alongside Kingston University MA students
- Hackney HerbalminorDeveloped activities programme for people with dementia and their carers as part of The Nest project
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Design Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Customer concentration
Design Museum social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Museum compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Design Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Design Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Design Museum
What does Design Museum do?
The Design Museum operates a physical museum in Kensington, London, presenting rotating temporary exhibitions (e.g., Wes Anderson: The Archives, NIGO: From Japan with Love) alongside free permanent and temporary displays documenting contemporary design. It also delivers educational and learning programmes, a retail shop (three locations plus online), cafes and restaurant facilities, venue hire for events, research through the Future Observatory programme, and touring exhibitions licensed to international institutions.
Is Design Museum a public or private company?
Design Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Museum founded?
Design Museum was founded in 1989. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Design Museum based?
Design Museum is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Design Museum make money?
Ten revenue lines are on record. Exhibition Tickets are the primary driver. The others are membership Subscriptions, retail Shop, venue Hire, food and Beverage, donations and Charitable Support, learning Programmes, touring Exhibitions, publishing and consultancy Services.
Does Design Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Museum.
What industry is Design Museum in?
Design Museum's product category is Cultural Museum Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAA, Art Museums, with a secondary code of THAHAAAG, Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums). Its NAICS code is 71211.