The exhibition will celebrate Netflix’s ‘design journey’ since its launch in 1997
Words by Francesca Perry
Streaming services such as Netflix seem to have dominated our leisure time, even more so since the pandemic erupted. As with any all-pervasive cultural phenomenon, it warrants consideration through the design lens; it is, after all, both a service and a product. Enter the Design Museum in London, which has announced it will stage a Netflix-focused exhibition this summer (in partnership with the tech behemoth, naturally).
The free display, opening in August, ‘celebrat[es] Netflix’s design journey’ – lest we forget its very different early days – and takes a look at the key elements of the Netflix experience and how they have evolved over time. Tim Marlow, chief executive and director of the Design Museum, notes that the institution and the streaming and production company have a ‘shared commitment to the craft of storytelling’, which will be explored in the new exhibition.
‘At the Design Museum we bring industry, education and the public together to change the way people think about themselves and the future,’ he adds. ‘Marking 10 years of Netflix in the UK, this upcoming exhibition is an exciting way to show the impact that this global giant has had on the entertainment industry through design.’
‘When something is designed well, it makes life easier, gives us joy and brings people together,’ says Steve Johnson, vice president of design at Netflix. ‘And just like entertainment, design can fundamentally change the way we live our lives.’
The exhibition will accompany various other small and large shows taking place at the Design Museum this summer, including Football: Designing the Beautiful Game (8 April – 29 August 2022) and an exhibition focused on London-based artist/designer Yinka Ilori (dates TBC). More details on what to expect in the Netflix exhibition will be released by the Design Museum in due course.
