client
science museum
text
short long
entrance desks
Creating a more intentional welcome at the London Science Museum.
In collaboration with Universal Design Studio, we redesigned the entrance area of the Science Museum in London to create a more inviting visitor experience. By rethinking visitor flow and designing two new desks, we helped increase voluntary donations by 80% and guidebook sales by 67%.
Together with Universal Design Studio, we redesigned the entrance area of the Science Museum to create a clearer, more considered visitor experience. The goal was to increase voluntary donations and guidebook sales by improving how people arrived and interacted with the space.
Our approach began with observation. By studying how visitors moved through the area at different times of day, we noticed that the original layout encouraged people to pass through quickly and didn’t create opportunities for engagement. The donation points felt secondary, and staff struggled to connect with visitors during peak times.
We developed two new desks: a Fundraiser Desk and an Information Desk, each designed for clarity, visibility, and interaction.
A new welcome point, the Fundraiser Desk guides visitors through two entrances where staff can greet them and invite donations. Secure collection boxes with glass panels make giving more transparent, while guidebook sales are integrated into the surface, creating one cohesive interaction point.
The circular Information Desk allows for access from all sides, improving flow and visibility. Positioned centrally, it connects intuitively with the rest of the space and strengthens the relationship between entry and orientation.
Both desks are clad in mirror-polished stainless steel, subtly reflecting the environment and lending a sense of permanence and care to the experience. Built in the UK using a mix of CNC precision and hand-finishing, the pieces were carefully dimensioned to pass through the listed entrances of the museum – a small detail, but an important part of the process.
The result is a more open, efficient, and engaging entrance which helps the museum connect with its audience in a meaningful way, while significantly increasing both donations and guidebook engagement.
