The Museum of Failure, an exhibition dedicated to showcasing notable failures in innovation, is set to arrive in the UK in spring 2024. Founded by Dr. Samuel West, the museum aims to highlight the lessons learned from missteps and flops in various industries. Dr. West describes Britain as the “spiritual home” of the museum, given its long history of managing inventions with a unique blend of black humor and support for the underdog.
This travelling exhibition contains a diverse collection of failed gadgets, abandoned design experiments, and culinary disasters. Among the notable UK-born exhibits are the Titanic, the Sinclair C5, the NHS’s national IT programme, Dyson’s Zone, Amstrad, The Body Shop, and the contentious political event, Brexit. The museum’s objective is not merely to mock these failures but to foster understanding about ambition, risk, and the valuable lessons embedded in collapse.
Ben Strutt, an innovator who conducts workshops on transforming failure into strategic advantages, believes the museum could significantly alter the narrative surrounding failure. He pointed out that visitors would witness how even the most recognized brands have faced challenges, noting that approximately 42% of all startups fail. Strutt highlighted examples of failures that ultimately paved the way for later successes, such as the Apple Newton, which laid the groundwork for the iPhone, and Google Glass, which influenced augmented reality wearables.
Dr. West emphasized that the museum’s message is about reframing failure as an essential part of innovation and learning. He stated, “If we continue to glorify success and stigmatize failure, we will not be able to experiment with and explore the solutions that we need.” This sentiment is particularly relevant in a landscape where the discussion around failure remains taboo for many, despite the trend of “failing forward” popularized in tech hubs like Silicon Valley.
The insights of Fiona Murden, a psychologist who has explored the topic of failure, complement this discussion. She noted that while celebrating failure can encourage resilience and creativity, it also carries risks. Murden cautioned that framing failure too positively might suggest it is easy or without consequences, potentially downplaying the genuine frustrations and setbacks individuals face, particularly in high-stakes environments.
Cultural differences in attitudes toward failure also play a significant role in how the museum’s message is received. Dr. West recounted an encounter in the Ivory Coast, where a woman expressed her anger at his perspective on failure, highlighting that for many, failure can have dire consequences. He explained that for some, failure can threaten livelihoods and family stability, contrasting sharply with more privileged viewpoints.
The understanding of failure varies widely across cultures. Visitors from China, for instance, attended the museum to laugh at failed Western products, while in South Korea, attendees struggled to grasp the concept of celebrating failure. In the United States, the museum was often seen as humorous, with visitors viewing failures through a narrative of eventual success. Dr. West noted, “In the US, failure is framed in the narrative of success, and so visitors there found the museum funny.”
As the Museum of Failure prepares for its UK debut, the exact venue remains to be confirmed. Dr. West anticipates a more intuitive reception in Britain, where the cultural landscape embraces a darker, more sarcastic sense of humor. He concluded, “The British sense of humor embraces that sarcastic, dark awareness that things can just go horribly wrong.” The museum promises to offer a unique blend of entertainment and education, inviting visitors to reflect on the complexities of innovation and the importance of accepting failure as a part of progress.
