Something you should see… Design to Win at the Design Museum

A bad workman blames his tools. But, what if said bad workman is given superhero tools? Does he hone amazing artefacts despite his clumsiness? This is (in a round about way) the crux of the Design Museum’s Olympic-themed show. Designed to Win looks at the interaction between sporting endeavour and advancements in technology; the point human ability is aided by science. Using a variety of media to make its case, the show is undoubtedly going to be an exciting and interactive experience. The exhibition falls just in time to draw in the Olympic fanfare and is nestled at the heart of the action in the Design Museum near the Thames.

Performance enhancing technology is a huge area of research at the moment; you only have to look at Michael Phelps’s swimsuits to see this. Biomimicry, the act of copying nature in science, has been hugely influential in the development of swimming and climbing footwear, while computational fluid dynamics (whatever that is?) is an essential part of any cyclists kit. Add to that Carbon Nanotube Technology, the thing that makes everything light, and you start to realise that the term ‘superhuman’ isn’t just for the silver screen anymore. Designed to Win is sure to be an insightful and essential addition for any Olympic spectator. It will certainly answer questions like, “why are they WEARING that?!” (Words: Laura Thornley)

Designed to Win is on from July 26th to November 18th.  For more info, visit designmuseum.org/exhibitions/future-exhibitions

Laura Thornley

Laura is a writer and journalist working across disciplines. Her background is within the arts, having studied both its history and practice at undergraduate and postgraduate level. If she isn’t digesting the latest in visual culture, she can be found indulging her other passion – seeking out the best grub from around the world.

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