Museum of Failure: World of Failed Innovations

Successful innovations always gain recognition but what about those that fall through? The Museum of Failure flips the script, celebrating the missteps that eventually pave the way for success. From technological disasters to bizarre food inventions, the museum collects and exhibits failed products and services from across the globe. With over 200 items already on display, the museum is continuously hunting to add more to its collection.

Blunders into breakthroughs

The Museum of Failure was founded by organizational psychologist Dr. Samuel West, who found inspiration from a visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2016. With the belief that true success comes from learning from our mistakes, he established the museum a year later with the help of The Swedish Innovation Authority (Vinnova). The thought behind this touring exhibition is to highlight the critical role of failure in innovation in different fields such as science, food, technology, and medicine.

This one-of-a-kind museum collects and exhibits failed products and services from across the globe. It has over 200 items, and new artifacts are added every year. Following the onset of COVID-19, the Museum of Failure opened its doors to virtual tours through its website in May 2020. Now, most of its artifacts can be viewed online globally. The museum aims to highlight the importance of learning from failure.

Museum offerings

Each item displayed in the Museum of Failure proves that learning from failure is a stepping stone toward success. Below are some examples of the items on display:

• Synthetic Trachea
• Sony Google TV Remote
• Red Bull Cola
• Apple Newton
• Titanic
• Blackberry Storm
• Life on Venus

The museum offers guided virtual tours of its artifacts. Organizations can also book a remote or in-person workshop with Dr. Samuel West. The museum is also open to those who want to book a small popup museum for events. Since its opening, the Museum of Failure has evolved into a touring exhibition and has been on the go. Having ticked off cities like New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Taipei, Budapest, Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Milan, Jeddah, Seoul, and Bogota, the museum is all set to open in Vienna by the end of October 2024.

YouTube: MOX Museum of Failure Branding film

Photo credit: The images used are owned by the Museum of Failure and have been provided for press usage.