MiM 006 - Museum of Design Atlanta - Atlanta, Georgia

Made in Museums - Travels to Curious Museums

Confession: I love product design.

As a product manager, my world revolves around products and how they’re designed. When I tell people that my day job is a product manager, the usual response is, “What is that?” I’m not even sure my family completely understands it. So I usually just tell people “marketing” when asked. A product manager’s job is to figure out what customers want and then work with the engineering team to develop new products and launch them into the market. However, there is a huge gulf of understanding (or misunderstanding) between concept, launch, and whether a product is successful.

What is “good” design? And how does design affect us in our daily lives? And how can there be a museum about something as subjective as design? What is the difference between design and art?

On this episode I sit down with Laura Flusche, Executive Director, of the Museum of Design Atlanta -- which you’ll also hear referenced as MODA. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, MODA is a museum dedicated to the world of design. Laura defines design as, “a creative process that inspires change, transforms lives and makes the world a better place.” I love the idea of exploring the abstract concept of what design is and then the reality of how we interpret and interact with design every day.

Museum Highlights:

Normally, this is where I include images from the museum’s collection, but we’re changing the format this time. Why the deviation? Reflecting the fluidity of what design is, MODA is unique in that it doesn’t have a permanent collection, but rotates a different exhibit every 3-4 months. So the exhibit they had on display when I visited – Craftivism – closed the week after I was there. The next exhibit Design for Good: Architecture for Everyone will be on display when this episode airs, but if you’re listening to this in the future, there will be an entirely different exhibit on display then. In that spirit, below are some images of the museum and a few from the Craftivism exhibit to give you an idea of the space, but when you visit the Craftivism exhibit will be gone and new one in its place.

Actually this constant change reflects the larger, overarching mission of the museum -- how design impacts the world and inspires change. That story flows through the museum regardless of the specific exhibit on display. In this podcast episode you’ll hear Laura share the stories about the impact of many different exhibits – past, present and future – and on how design affects people’s lives.

The Museum of Design Atlanta gives us a behind-the-scenes look at design, how it affects every person every day, and explores both the functional and aesthetic sides of design. Transforming the intangible, creative world of design into tangible processes and products is incredibly hard, but is so valuable. Understanding the thought process behind design allows us to appreciate what is involved in developing a product, and why some products work and some don’t. The next time you use a product and wonder, “what were they thinking?” – good or bad – well, you’ll have a better answer to that question after listening to this podcast episode and/or visiting MODA. I am so thankful that I found this museum and was able to share their stories with you.

If you’re a museum nerd like me, then add this museum to your “must-see” list and tell them, “I heard about you on the Made in Museums podcast.”

If you love to document your travels to off-the-beaten-path places, then show me where you're heading or where you've been by sharing your stories with me at Made in Museums on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you want to let me know about a curious museum that you’ve visited, and that I should cover on this show, contact me through social media or just send me an email.

Resources:

Museum of Design Atlanta website

Classes and Workshops – if you’re in the Atlanta area, MODA offers a variety of classes, workshops as well as a dedicated workspace with hands-on activities tied to the current exhibit. Professional lectures are always scheduled throughout the year.

In the episode, Laura referenced the next exhibit, Architecture for Good, and the companion book Design for Good: A New Era of Architecture for Everyone by John Cary. If you can’t make it to the museum, but still want to check out the book, here is a link to find out more information.

Want to learn more about how design works? Check out the excellent 99% Invisible podcast.