06 / Modern and contemporary product, graphic, fashion, industrial and architectural design
The Design Museum
Everyday objects and big ideas in a distinctive Kensington building.
Opening details
The café and shop areas are being refurbished. A pop-up shop operates on Level G, and the Design Kitchen remains on Level 2..
Published date exception: 2026-10-13, closed. Confirm the museum calendar before visiting.
Check official hours before visiting.
In this guide
Start with the familiar
The Design Museum works well when you want to understand why ordinary things look and behave as they do. Designer Maker User, the permanent collection display on Level 2, brings together twentieth- and twenty-first-century design through the people who imagine, produce and use it.
Road signs, domestic objects and communication technology are useful places to begin. Their familiarity is the point: design decisions are embedded in things you may use without noticing them.
Ask what a different shape, material or interface would change.
Follow an object from idea to use
The three-part display gives the visit a practical structure. The designer’s intention, the manufacturer’s choices and the user’s habits do not always align.
Comparing those roles can be more revealing than treating every object as an isolated icon.
Give the atrium and roof a look as you move between levels. The building makes a strong architectural frame for a museum about designed environments, but the collection can still be a compact visit rather than a whole-day commitment.
Add one exhibition
Es Devlin: Other Worlds runs from 2 October 2026 to 4 April 2027. It explores a practice moving between stage design, sculpture, music and light, with archive material and installations.
The published adult price starts at £17.09; entry uses timed slots.
The exhibition is a separate ticketed choice from Designer Maker User. Allow longer if you combine both, and note the full-museum closure on 13 October before arranging a visit.
Last reviewed: . Check the museum’s website for current hours and ticket prices.
Location
Walking directions3D shows approximate buildings where map data includes heights. Map privacy.
Use two fingers to move or pinch the map on a touch screen; one finger scrolls the page. In full screen, drag to move. Use plus and minus to zoom. Arrow keys move the map; zero fits all stops. Escape closes the preview or full screen.
Swipe or scroll to see more.
