London Transport Museum to showcase “everyday design” across London’s public transport

Ab Rogers Design is designing a major London Transport Museum exhibition exploring how design is encountered in everyday journeys across the capital.

The “highly experiential” exhibition will look at how the way we interact with travel design has evolved over the last century and glimpse at its future, according to Ab Rogers, who says: “It will explain the experience of design from the perspective of the traveller, but everything will be tactile. It won’t be locked behind glass cases.”

comfort, security and speed

Rogers says the exhibition is “non-linear” and will look at themes such as “comfort, security and speed” rather than the consecutive touchpoints of a journey.

London’s transport systems are often “seen in utility and uncelebrated” says Rogers. The show looks to reconcile this by looking at the relationship between the “tacticians and practitioners; the designers and commissioners,” he says.

Live design studio

Among the exhibits a live studio will be at work possibly involving TfL and external design consultants working on real briefs.

In another section there will be recognition of designs which haven’t been successful. “While there is pride felt for the logo, the sans serif statements, the tube map and many other things, this is not a propaganda exhibition, it’s an examination of everything,” says Rogers.

The exhibition is set to open on 20 May 2016 and will cover graphics, posters, branding and typography, as well as industrial, textile and ceramic design, architecture, technology and service design.

Designology is part of Transport for London and the London Transport Museum’s Transported by Design season.