Design Tasmania
Design Tasmania is a not-for-profit design centre founded in 1976 in Launceston, Tasmania, operating the country's only museum collection of contemporary Tasmanian wood design alongside exhibitions, a Shopify-powered retail store, membership programs, and education initiatives serving Tasmanian designer-makers, collectors, and the general public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersLaunceston, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Design Tasmania does
Design Tasmania is a not-for-profit design centre founded in 1976 and headquartered at the corner of Brisbane and Tamar streets in Launceston's City Park, Tasmania, Australia. Operating as Design Tasmania Ltd, the organisation runs three interconnected pillars: the Wood Collection — an evolving museum-quality collection of 80+ pieces of contemporary Tasmanian wood design established in 1991 and described as the only such collection in Australia; a rotating Exhibitions Program showcasing Tasmanian designers across ceramics, furniture, jewellery, textiles and woodwork; and the Design Tasmania Store, a retail outlet (physical and online via Shopify) for Tasmanian designer-made objects. Supporting programmes include Education Packs for schools, Functions and venue hire, the Fellows and Members program (with tiers from $199 to $2,000 annually), the Designer Members program for the 100+ Tasmanian designer-maker community, 3D Matterport virtual tours, and the annual Tasmania Makes initiative.
The business model is a diversified not-for-profit funding stack. Recurring revenue derives from retail sales (transaction fees), membership and fellowship subscriptions, tax-deductible donations and bequests, venue hire, and multi-year operational grants from Creative Australia (Australian Government) and Arts Tasmania, with additional philanthropic support from The Ian Potter Foundation, the Australia Council for the Arts, and Regional Arts Northern Tasmania. The go-to-market motion is community-led: the organisation reaches audiences through physical galleries (65,000+ annual visitors), a global Shopify storefront, an active Facebook presence, email newsletters, exhibition openings and donor events, and partnerships with national design fairs (Melbourne Design Fair) and international showcases (London Craft Week 2021).
Technology is deliberately lean and commodity: Shopify for e-commerce, Google Analytics for site analytics, PayPal and RoyalPay for payments, and Matterport for 3D virtual tours. Headcount is small — approximately 2.5 FTE staff plus volunteers — under the leadership of CEO Travis Tiddy (appointed 2024) and Artistic Director Michelle Boyde, with governance by a board chaired by Megan Perkins. The organisation serves a vertical segmentation: Tasmanian designer-makers (primary segment seeking exhibition, professional development and market access), design collectors and patrons, the general public, and corporate event clients.
Design Tasmania firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Tasmania
- Legal name
- Design Tasmania Ltd
- Website
- https://designtasmania.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Design Tasmania is a not-for-profit design centre founded in 1976 in Launceston, Tasmania, operating the country's only museum collection of contemporary Tasmanian wood design alongside exhibitions, a Shopify-powered retail store, membership programs, and education initiatives serving Tasmanian designer-makers, collectors, and the general public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Tasmania industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Design Centre & Cultural Services
- SIC
- Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where Design Tasmania is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Launceston
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Tasmania business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Retail Sales: Design Tasmania operates a retail store (both physical and online) selling Tasmanian designer-made objects, furniture, ceramics, jewellery and crafts. The store offers products from represented designers and makers.
- Membership and Fellowship Programs: Fellowship program from $199-$2000 annually with benefits including director's luncheons, donor dinners, complimentary catalogues, reciprocal museum memberships, invitations to openings, and 10% store discount.
- Donations and Bequests: Tax-deductible donations accepted, with all contributions over $2 being tax deductible. Bequest program available for supporters.
- Government and Private Grants: Multi-year funding from Creative Australia and Arts Tasmania; additional support from foundations such as The Ian Potter Foundation and Regional Arts Northern Tasmania.
- Venue Hire and Functions: Design Tasmania delivers events and functions with Tasmanian hospitality, hiring out venue space to aligned proposals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Fellows Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Design Tasmania product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Tasmania is a not-for-profit design centre operating a museum-quality Wood Collection of contemporary Tasmanian wood design, a rotating exhibitions program, and a retail store featuring Tasmanian designer-made objects (furniture, ceramics, jewellery, and craft). It supports Tasmanian designers through professional development programs, fellowships, and venue hire services, with all activities backed by government grants, private foundation support, donations, and earned retail revenue.
Product overview
Design Tasmania operates as a not-for-profit design centre offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include the Wood Collection (established 1991), a museum-quality collection of over 80 pieces of contemporary Tasmanian wood design; rotating Exhibitions showcasing local designers and makers; and the Design Tasmania Store for retail sales of Tasmanian craft and design products. Supporting services include Education Packs for students, Functions & Events venue hire, Fellows & Members and Designer Members programs providing networking and professional development, 3D Virtual Tours for remote access, and the Tasmania Makes initiative supporting emerging Tasmanian designer-makers. The MAKERS Book and individual Wood Collection pieces like the XO Chair represent featured sub-products sold through the organization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Design Tasmania Wood Collection: An evolving collection of contemporary Tasmanian wood design, established in 1991. It is the only museum collection of its type in Australia, showcasing Tasmanian wood designers and makers.
- Design Tasmania Store
- Fellows Program
- Tasmania Makes
Products and services
- Design Tasmania Wood Collection An evolving museum collection of contemporary Tasmanian wood design, the only museum collection of its type in Australia, showcasing over 80 pieces of furniture, lighting and objects that champion Tasmania's unique position in the global design industry.
- Exhibitions Program Rotating exhibitions showcasing Tasmanian designers and makers across various disciplines including ceramics, furniture, jewellery, textiles, and woodwork. Features both solo and group exhibitions throughout the year for visitors and design enthusiasts.
- Design Tasmania Store Retail store featuring work by Tasmanian designers and makers, including jewellery, ceramics, furniture, and craft objects, available both in-store and online through the Shopify-powered e-commerce platform.
- Education Packs Learning resources designed for students to accompany exhibitions and the Wood Collection, suitable for classroom use, home learning, or as accompaniment to on-site experiences.
- Functions & Events Venue hire and event hosting services for functions, with Tasmanian hospitality. The venue is available for aligned events that meet Design Tasmania's Vision, Mission and Values.
- Fellows & Members Program Membership program offering benefits including Director's Luncheons, Donor Dinners, complimentary exhibition catalogues, reciprocal museum memberships, VIP event access, store discounts, and privileged Wood Collection tours, with annual contributions from $199 to $2000.
- Designer Members Program Professional membership for Tasmanian designers offering VIP event access, networking opportunities, professional development workshops (Design Lab), and reciprocal benefits at participating museums and galleries.
- Tasmania Makes Annual initiative for Tasmanian designer-makers to expand their practice and gain recognition. Selected outcomes are showcased at Design Tasmania and may be included in Melbourne Design Fair presentations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 65,000+ visitors annually to Design Tasmania galleries
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Tasmania
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Design Tasmania technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Design Tasmania partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- HydrowoodminorTasmanian sustainable timber company partnered with Design Tasmania for ReCoil exhibition at London Craft Week 2021, providing reclaimed Hydrowood timber for Brodie Neill's table.
- Tasmanian GovernmentminorPartnered with Design Tasmania for ReCoil exhibition at London Craft Week 2021 to showcase Tasmanian design internationally.
- Lark DistilleryminorTasmanian whisky distillery partnered with Design Tasmania for ReCoil exhibition at London Craft Week 2021.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform powering Design Tasmania's online store, enabling global sales of Tasmanian designer products.
- Melbourne Design FaircoreAnnual national design fair where Design Tasmania showcases Tasmanian designers, participating in both 2022 and 2023.
- Participating Museums and Art GalleriesminorReciprocal membership benefits offered to Design Tasmania Fellows at participating museums and galleries nationally.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Design Tasmania competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: US Smithsonian-affiliated design museum with a permanent design collection, exhibitions, and education programs. Closest international parallel to Design Tasmania's museum-collection-plus-education model, albeit at substantially larger scale.
- Heide Museum of Modern Art: Victorian museum combining modern art exhibitions with design-adjacent programming and a retail/garden venue. Comparable to Design Tasmania in blending exhibitions, venue hire and design programming for design-curious audiences, though art-focused rather than craft-focused.
- National Gallery of Victoria: Australia's largest art museum, with significant applied design, furniture and decorative arts holdings. Comparable to Design Tasmania in curatorial mission around design objects, but operates at institutional scale far beyond a regional not-for-profit design centre.
- Design Museum (London): UK's leading museum of contemporary design and architecture, with permanent and temporary exhibitions plus a design-focused retail operation. Comparable to Design Tasmania's combination of collection, exhibitions and design-focused store, though at global-museum scale.
- Powerhouse Museum: Major Sydney-based museum with a significant applied arts and design collection and exhibition program. Operates in the same design-museum category as Design Tasmania's Wood Collection activities, but at much larger scale and broader thematic scope.
Direct peers
- JamFactory: South Australian government-supported design and craft centre with studios, retail shops, exhibitions and a furniture/object collection focus. Closest direct analogue to Design Tasmania as a state-level craft/design centre with maker-development programs and shop-based revenue.
- Australian Design Centre: Australia's national design centre (Sydney-based, formed from the merger of Object Gallery and Craft Australia), focused on exhibitions, retail and advocacy for contemporary Australian design. Highly comparable not-for-profit mission, exhibition/retail model, and design-maker support programs to Design Tasmania.
- Craft Australia: National body supporting contemporary craft and design practice, advocacy and sector development. Comparable to Design Tasmania in mission (championing Australian makers) and audience (designers, collectors, institutions), though operating nationally rather than regionally.
Others
- London Craft Week: Annual international craft and design event where Design Tasmania has presented work (ReCoil, 2021). Comparable as a platform for showcasing contemporary craft/design to international audiences, and a partnership channel rather than direct competitor.
Regional players
- Craft Victoria: Victorian state-based craft organization supporting makers through exhibitions, retail and professional development. Comparable in scope and model to Design Tasmania but operating in a different Australian state, with overlapping curatorial and retail activities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Tasmania social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Tasmania financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Tasmania leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Design Tasmania funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Tasmania 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 Tasmania
What does Design Tasmania do?
Design Tasmania is a not-for-profit design centre operating a museum-quality Wood Collection of contemporary Tasmanian wood design, a rotating exhibitions program, and a retail store featuring Tasmanian designer-made objects (furniture, ceramics, jewellery, and craft). It supports Tasmanian designers through professional development programs, fellowships, and venue hire services, with all activities backed by government grants, private foundation support, donations, and earned retail revenue.
Is Design Tasmania a public or private company?
Design Tasmania is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Tasmania founded?
Design Tasmania was founded in 1976. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Design Tasmania based?
Design Tasmania is headquartered in Launceston, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Design Tasmania make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership and Fellowship Programs, donations and Bequests, government and Private Grants and venue Hire and Functions.
Who are Design Tasmania's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Heide Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Design Museum (London) and Powerhouse Museum. Direct peers are JamFactory, Australian Design Centre and Craft Australia. London Craft Week is listed as an others. Craft Victoria is listed as a regional player.
Does Design Tasmania have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Tasmania.
What industry is Design Tasmania in?
Design Tasmania's product category is Design Centre & Cultural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAL, Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAM, Industrial/Product & Furniture Design. Its SIC code is 5712.