Design Museum

Cultural Museum Servicesdesignmuseum.org

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

Contemporary design museum
Museum exhibitions displays
Design education programmes
Museum venue hire
Design research consultancy

Where Design Museum is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

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 offering

Core 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 profile

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Design Museum technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Design Museum partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring (MAGNET)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with MAGNET project to work with 12 museums and galleries throughout 2025-2026 to support exhibition touring
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership 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 UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership 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 FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 RoomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch-oriented design collective collaborating on Dwellings project and Dwellings, Rehomed exhibition, originally conceived in 2024
Flock TogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBird-watching collective that brings creativity to nature, collaborated on Dwellings, Rehomed exhibition
la Cinémathèque françaisemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced the Wes Anderson: The Archives exhibition, the first retrospective devoted to Anderson's distinctive cinematic output
Opportunity Kensington Business Improvement DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the Growing Together project with guidance and energy
GroupworkmajorTechnology or IntegrationArchitecture practice that designed the Stone Demonstrator with engineers Webb Yates and Arup
Webb Yates EngineersmajorTechnology or IntegrationEngineering partner for Stone Demonstrator structural design
ArupmajorTechnology or IntegrationEngineering partner for Stone Demonstrator project
University College London (UCL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCL engineers developed guide to designing stone structures led by Professor Wendel Sebastian, funded by Future Observatory
Dementia AdventureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity providing research, outreach and support for The Nest project design informed by their expertise
Age UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity whose research informed the design of The Nest inclusive sensory-friendly structure
Kingston School of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation students at Kingston School of Art designed and built The Nest structure
Royal College of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on activities programme for The Nest project alongside Kingston University MA students
Hackney HerbalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped 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 assessment

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

Design Museum compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance3 records

Design Museum financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Design Museum leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Design Museum funding detail

Funding detail

Funding 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 investment

M&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?

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.