Everything from the mobile phone in your pocket to the T-shirt you have on or even the font in this text is a result of design. The permanent exhibition Design Stories offers a journey of discovery from the mid-1800s to today with over 500 objects from the museum’s collection. Welcome to a world of design!
Design Stories occupies an entire floor of the museum and features Nordic design objects primarily from the past 150 years. Explore various fields, such as craftsmanship, fashion and product design, and discover the stories behind the objects.
See various color variations of the Ericofon, also known as the Cobra (1956–1983), designed by Hugo Blomberg, Ralph Lysell, and Gösta Thames for LM Ericsson. Photo: Kristin Lidell, Röhsska Museum.
There is a wealth of knowledge to explore through the sketches, material samples, films and interviews on offer, such as why the push button at the pedestrian crossing looks the way it does or how the Ericofon, also known as the Cobra Telephone, got its iconic shape.
Welcome to explore a world of design! Photo: Kristin Lidell, Röhsska Museum.
Objects from the museum’s collection are presented thematically to highlight intriguing connections between different eras and styles. They address aspects of creativity and innovation, consumption and belonging. Why are we drawn to new trends, and how can design help us save time, energy and space?
To offer a richer experience, each theme in the exhibition highlights different materials or types of objects by showcasing a variety of items, such as glass, cabinets or jewellery, offering different windows to the collection.
Objects are designed by people, algorithms and machines. Design can improve user-friendliness, streamline production and spark curiosity. Design can also be a way to express thoughts and ideas, protest injustices, or comment on the prevailing social order. The exhibition explores design by highlighting the diverse range of stories behind objects in the museum’s collection.
Top image: Design Stories, Röhsska Museum. Image credit: Kristin Lidell, Röhsska Museum.
Welcome to explore more about some of the objects in the Design Stories exhibition. What emotions, thoughts, and ideas inspired the design, and can still be seen in its form and expression?
The new book Design Stories – New Perspectives on a Collection takes us on a journey through the significance of design in our lives. Through essays, conversation texts, and photo essays, a range of design-critical issues are discussed, reflecting on both the role of design and the museum in society.
Produced in collaboration with Arvinius + Orfeus Publishing and available for purchase in the museum shop.
To create a space for more perspectives on what design is and can be, we have dedicated an entire room in Design Stories to collaborations. Super Ö – a studio where process and interactivity are at the center.
Hidden designers, unexpected stories, and a new acquisition that holds a special place in the heart. We had a chat with exhibition producer Jessica Andersson Sjögerén, who is leading the project for Röhsska’s new permanent exhibition Design Stories.