Nationalmuseum Jamtli

The exhibition Life Designed – How Design Shapes Thought and Improves Life showcases the rich variety of products created from the 1960s onwards. Commissioning designers for product development became closely linked to the rise of industrialism, and after the Second World War, production accelerated and industrial design became an established profession.
Creating appealing products grew increasingly important, and during the 1960s, Sweden’s economy was booming. A key factor in this success was the high quality of Swedish design. More and more companies engaged designers and industrial designers in their product development and to help build a credible corporate identity.

Design often expressed strong optimism for the future, and resources seemed limitless. Today, we view needs differently, and designing for sustainable development is the major challenge for both manufacturers and designers. They must think in circular processes and view waste and by-products as resources.
New materials and technologies also mean that design can influence our lifestyles—particularly smart design, where objects can communicate with each other or with us.
The exhibition also includes a few examples of projects and ideas currently being developed by design students at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm.
The exhibition features around 200 objects from the collections of the Nationalmuseum. The museum holds an extensive collection of applied arts and design dating from the 16th century to the present, and has been collecting industrial design since the late 1960s.

Themes explored in the exhibition include the space age, the television age, the simplified everyday, working environments, sound, and leisure.
The exhibition is curated by Micael Ernstell and designed by Henrik Widenheim, both from the Nationalmuseum.

The exhibition is on display 16 April 2025 to 15 November 2026.

Also, take the opportunity to visit the art studio, feel the creativity and create your own art work – maybe by inspiration from the exhibition you just visited.

Opening hours see jamtli.com