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With just two months until More Than Human opens, we’re excited to announce £5 student tickets for this groundbreaking exhibition 🌍 More than Human will bring together art, science and radical thinking to ask how design can help our planet thrive by shifting its focus beyond human needs. These £5 student tickets will be available throughout the exhibition’s full run, with the hope of inspiring the next generation of designers, makers and thought-leaders to consider new ways of working in harmony with the natural world. More Than Human opens on 11 July 2025 - tap the link in bio to book your tickets.

#ArchitectureFriday | Few buildings capture the imagination like the Arènes de Picasso in Noisy-le-Grand, France - a bold and surreal landmark of postmodern design. Unveiled in 1985 and designed by Spanish-French architect Manuel Núñez Yanowsky, this striking complex was part of France’s ambitious ville nouvelle ('new town') initiative - a radical effort to rethink suburban living in the post-war era. At its core are 540 social housing units, a secondary school, and shops - but it’s the architecture that steals the spotlight. Two colossal concrete discs, each about 50 metres in diameter, anchor the complex. Hovering over the courtyards like alien spacecraft, they’ve earned nicknames like the eyes of the city and flying saucers. Inspired by Roman amphitheatres yet defiantly futuristic, the design fuses classical form with a utopian vision of urban life. Though once controversial, the Arènes de Picasso is now recognised as a landmark of European architectural heritage, and a vivid reminder that social housing can be both functional and fantastical. 📸 1: @dec_michal, 2+3: @lanasator

'The water has a cleansing process. I can let go and totally be me' 🏊‍♀️ A glimpse at photographer @madeleinewaller's photo series East London Swimmers. In this series, Waller reveals the hidden world of the dedicated swimmers at @london_fields_lido. See her work on display as part of Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style, open until 17 August 2025. Book now via the link in bio. 📸 Madeleine Waller

Last chance to step inside #TheWorldOfTimBurton ⏳ The clock is ticking - this unmissable exhibition closes 26 May. Don't miss your chance to explore the filmmaker’s world through an exploration of the design of his unique aesthetic. Tap the link in bio to book your visit. @kellyhood14, @athenaglamourette, @em.draycott, @gillianxhenderson, lenamarx8

Happy birthday to designer @johnpawson - the visionary behind the transformation of the Design Museum 🏛️ Pawson made a landmark of post-war British architecture on Kensington High Street ready for its new role as the world’s leading museum devoted to contemporary design. When the Design Museum relocated to its new home in the former Commonwealth Institute, Pawson was tasked with an ambitious challenge: to bring the 1960s modernist structure into the 21st century, preserving its iconic hyperbolic paraboloid roof while reimagining the interiors to house a world-class museum. Opening in 2016, the building was transformed to become fit for a new era - a space that is light-filled, functional and respectful of the original architecture. Pawson’s design preserved the building’s unique spatial drama, while bringing in his signature minimalism, clarity and attention to proportion. A pioneer of minimalist design, Pawson has spent over four decades refining an architectural language that emphasises simplicity and stillness. His portfolio includes everything from private residences to monasteries, hotels, galleries and stores - all united by a focus on light, material and the emotional experience of space. 📸 1,3,5: Rob Harris, 2: Luke Hayes, 4: Hufton + Crow

#DesignOfTheWeek | Since the 1950s, the Etch A Sketch has inspired generations of artists, designers and doodlers with its satisfyingly simple magic ✨ Invented by French electrician André Cassagnes, the original prototype was called L'Écran Magique (The Magic Screen). Drawing on his background in electrostatics, Cassagnes developed a unique mechanical toy that used aluminium powder and internal styluses to create line drawings without any ink, lead or loose parts. The Etch A Sketch made its debut at the 1959 International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, but it initially failed to attract much interest. That changed when The Ohio Art Company recognised its potential and acquired the rights in 1960. Backed by one of the earliest televised toy advertising campaigns, the Etch A Sketch quickly became a best-seller and a cultural icon. Its innovative design allowed users to draw both straight and curved lines using two simple knobs - and with a quick shake, the screen would magically reset, ready for another masterpiece. 📷 @princessetch

Big things are happening at the Design Museum this May 🙌   #TheWorldOfTimBurton is in its final weeks, and there’s plenty more to explore while you’re here, including Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style 🏊 Plan your visit at designmuseum.org

#DesignDestinations | For decades, Palm Springs has been the sun-soaked epicentre of Desert Modernism 🌴 As early as 1938, notable architects such as Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, Bill Cody, E. Stewart Williams, William Krisel and Donald Wexler have brought their fresh vision to the city, and their buildings have undoubtedly contributed to making Palm Springs a major destination attracting people from all over the world. In Palm Springs, desert modernism is defined by clean lines, flat roofs, subdued exterior tones and expansive outdoor living areas. The style also embraces natural materials like wood and stone, creating a seamless connection between the buildings and surrounding landscapes. Palm Springs boasts one of the world’s most extensive collections of preserved mid-century modern buildings, including iconic landmarks such as Kaufmann House and Parker Palm Springs. The city is also home to design celebrations like Modernism Week, where architecture enthusiasts can gather to explore the city's rich design heritage. 📸 @modtraveler

#ArchitectureFriday | Step into the dreamlike world of Dune through Carlo Scarpa’s hauntingly beautiful masterpiece, Tomba Brion ☁️ Commissioned in the 1970s by Onorina Brion in memory of her husband, Giuseppe Brion, founder of iconic electronics brand @brionvega, this visionary funerary complex became Scarpa’s most personal and poetic work. Originally intended as a small family tomb, the project grew in scope when a larger plot was secured, allowing Scarpa to expand the design into an immersive, contemplative space - part architecture, part landscape, part spiritual experience. His L-shaped addition to the nearby cemetery in San Vito d'Altivole became a postmodern landmark, blending Brutalist materials with delicate symbolism. Crafted largely in concrete and mosaic, it’s filled with evocative details: interlocking rings at the entrance symbolising eternal love; water features that reflect the sky; and twin graves tilted gently toward one another - a tender tribute to lifelong connection. In Dune: Part Two (2024), director Denis Villeneuve reimagined Tomba Brion as the Imperial Palace on the planet Kaitain, capturing its stark serenity and otherworldly grandeur on screen. 📷 @duncan.gibbs

🎬 TICKETS NOW ON SALE 🎬 Opening on 21 November 2025, Wes Anderson: The Archives is one of our most anticipated exhibitions of the year - and tickets are now available. This landmark retrospective is the first major museum exhibition devoted to Wes Anderson’s extensive and distinctive cinematic output. It is a collaboration between @cinemathequefr in Paris and the Design Museum - and with Wes Anderson himself. There will be over 600 objects on display collectively illustrating Anderson’s meticulous craft of filmmaking, including original storyboards, polaroids, sketches, and famed costumes worn by much-loved characters to stop-motion puppets, miniature models, paintings, props, and even Anderson’s handwritten notebooks. With unprecedented access to Anderson’s extensive archives, this will be the very first time the majority of these objects have been publicly displayed in Britain. Wes Anderson: The Archives opens on 21 November 2025 - tap the link in bio to book your tickets.

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Do you have a FRAKTA bag at home? 🛍️ Chances are, you do. With a new @ikea opening in London, let’s unpack the story behind that instantly recognisable blue tote. The FRAKTA was born in the 1980s when IKEA’s founder and his assistant noticed that most customers were juggling items in their hands on the way to the checkout. The fix was a roomy, reusable bag you could sling over your shoulder or hook onto a trolley. The first versions were bright yellow and available to buy and borrow in-store, but that caused confusion as no one could tell who had paid for their bag. The solution was a brand-new version in blue: the FRAKTA, sold only at the tills. Since then, millions have been sold around the world. They've carried everything from flat-pack wardrobes to family laundry. In New York, they even helped dog owners get around a public transport rule requiring pups to be in a bag - cue FRAKTAs with holes cut out for the legs. More than just a bag, the FRAKTA is a symbol of IKEA’s democratic design ethos: practical, affordable - and surprisingly stylish. How do you use yours? 📸 1: Nate Rosen, 2: @agneshjalart / Ruth Alvarado

#DesignOfTheWeek | @stellamccartney and @adidas’ design for @teamgb athletes merged high performance with contemporary fashion🩱 Created for the London 2012 Olympics, this diving swimsuit features bonded seams to improve hydrodynamics and enhanced compression to support a diver's muscles. Also essential to the design of Olympic uniforms is representation of the national flag. In this design, McCartney deconstructed the Union Jack into an abstracted modern look. See this design IRL as part of Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style, until 17 August 2025. Tap the link in bio to book your ticket.

An unmistakable icon of London’s skyline, the Gherkin officially opened #OnThisDay in 2004 🥒 Designed by @fosterandpartners, 30 St Mary Axe - better known as the Gherkin - blends elements of structural expressionism, neo-futurism, and post-modernism. Construction wrapped in December 2003, and the building opened to the public the following year. Rising 180 metres with 41 floors, the Gherkin was built on the site of the former Baltic Exchange, which was destroyed in an IRA bombing in 1992. Its striking curved form - covered by 24,000 square metres of glass, roughly the size of five football pitches - helped reshape the modern London skyline. Nicknamed ‘the Gherkin’ for its resemblance to the pickled vegetable, the building houses retail spaces and a public plaza at ground level, topped by a private double-height rooftop viewing gallery and restaurant. Architects Norman Foster and Ken Shuttleworth designed the tower with sustainability at its core. Its aerodynamic shape channels natural light deep into the building and draws in fresh air through spiralling light wells, reducing the need for air conditioning. The distinctive triangulated glazing also helps minimise wind turbulence at street level - an engineering feat for a building of its height. Since opening, the Gherkin has featured in countless films and TV shows, and was awarded the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize in 2004 - cementing its place as one of the world’s most celebrated skyscrapers. 📷 archiadv_

Today is @internationaldesignday, and this year’s theme is #OutlandishOptimism. What does that mean in the context of design? Curator Rebecca Lewin shares how our upcoming exhibition, More than Human, explores bold new ways design can help the planet thrive by shifting its focus beyond human needs 🌎 Watch the full video to hear Rebecca’s take on how optimism can be a powerful tool for change. More than Human opens on 11 July - tap the link in bio to find out more and book your tickets.

Ready to run @londonmarathon? We’ve dug into the museum collection to bring you some cutting-edge trainer designs that’ll have you feeling extra motivated 🏃 1. Flyknit Racer - named one of Time Magazine’s best inventions of 2012, this design was engineered to be 9% lighter than the Nike Zoom Streak 3, famously worn by the top three medallists in the men's marathon at the 2011 World Championships. 2. Air Zoom Alphafly Next% - in November 2019, Kenyan running legend @kipchogeeliud made history in a prototype of these, becoming the first person to run a marathon in under two hours. 3. Nike x Undercover Gyakusou LunarSpeed Lite+ - this was part of a 2010 collaboration with Japanese fashion designer @joniotakahashi, whose collection fused high-performance running gear with cutting-edge design. Which design takes your stride to the next level?

Don’t miss your last chance to experience the landmark exhibition #TheWorldOfTimBurton 🖤 The Design Museum hosts the only UK exhibition, and the final stop in this decade-long global tour spotlighting the creative visionary behind some of the most iconic films of the last 40 years. Catch it before it closes on 26 May - tap the link in bio to grab your tickets (pre-booking is recommended).

Architect I.M. Pei, who was born #OnThisDay in 1917, was the visionary mind behind some of the world’s most iconic buildings 🏛️ Rather than following the ‘form follows function’ principle of design, Pei believed in the modernist foundations of proportion, simplicity and geometry, adding audacious angles and structural daring. The result is a body of work that is instantly recognisable - here are a few examples... 1. Museum of Islamic Art, Doha 2. The Louvre Pyramid, Paris 3. National Gallery of Art – East Building, Washington D.C. Which of his works stands out to you? 📸 @garyfive