M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, is delighted to present Design Ah! Experience the Wonder of Everyday Design, an interactive, family-friendly Special Exhibition that explores design and its role in everyday actions such as walking, eating, and sitting. Through hands-on games, participatory installations, and immersive audiovisual environments, visitors are encouraged to look closely, try things out, and learn through play. The exhibition concept is based on Design Ah! neo, a well-known children’s educational television programme produced by Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation), and the exhibition is produced by NHK Educational Corporation, NHK Promotion Limited and TOKYO NODE. It sheds light on how design can improve our lives, influence our behaviours, and foster human connections. The presentation at M+ will open to the public at the Main Hall Gallery from Saturday, 27 June 2026, to Sunday, 10 January 2027.

Everyday life unfolds through interactions with many objects, from chopsticks and toothbrushes to buses, traffic lights, and much more. Each item was designed by someone who considered how it would be used and how it could improve daily routines. Design Ah! at M+ invites visitors to see and play with ordinary objects in new and unexpected ways, and to explore how they use their bodies, including their eyes, hands, and feet, to understand the world around them.

The exhibition features twenty-one stations organised around ten daily actions, some of which reference Hong Kong’s visual environment and culinary traditions. Developed through playfulness, ingenuity, and observation, these encounters spark curiosity and create moments of inspiration that will make everyone say ‘Ah!’.

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, says, ‘Design Ah! Experience the Wonder of Everyday Design reflects M+’s ongoing commitment to presenting design as a vital and accessible part of contemporary visual culture and to creating exhibitions that resonate with global audiences. Its playful yet rigorous approach exemplifies how M+ engages families and young audiences in ways that invite wonder and exploration, affirming the museum as a place where curiosity, learning, and shared discovery unfold through thoughtfully curated, experiential encounters.’

Ikko Yokoyama, Senior Curator, Head of Design and Architecture, M+, and Keri Ryan, Associate Director, Learning and Interpretation, M+, say, ‘This exhibition approaches design through what we do every day—how we walk, eat, sit, and engage with the objects around us. By inviting visitors to observe closely, participate actively, and learn through play, Design Ah! reveals the careful thinking embedded in ordinary things. With references to Hong Kong’s context, the exhibition at M+ highlights design as both intuitive and intentional, showing how everyday objects support daily routines while shaping our behaviour, awareness, and connection.’

The exhibition’s general director Taku Satoh, video director Yugo Nakamura, and music director Shuta Hasunuma say, ‘Design is often hidden in plain sight, yet it is deeply connected to everything we do in our daily lives. Through this exhibition, we invite visitors to shift their perspective and rediscover familiar objects, and to recognise the relationships between movement, image, sound, and space. By encouraging playful exploration and sensory engagement, the exhibition reveals, through various actions, rich connections between design, and everyday happiness.’

Organised by M+, Design Ah! Experience the Wonder of Everyday Design is an adaptation of Design Ah! Exhibition neo, organised by NHK Educational Corporation, NHK Promotion Limited, and TOKYO NODE. The presentation at M+ is curated by Ikko Yokoyama, Senior Curator, Head of Design and Architecture, M+; Keri Ryan, Associate Director, Learning and Interpretation, M+; Taku Satoh, general director; Yugo Nakamura, video director; and Shuta Hasunuma, music director.

M+ Facade commission

To complement the exhibition, M+ will present a new commission, M+ Ah!, across the M+ Facade every night from Friday, 26 June to early October 2026. The work, consisting of a series of playful short videos, offers a design-led and distinctive perspective on the ordinary objects and moments of our daily lives. Adapted specifically for Hong Kong from NHK’s television programme Design Ah! neo, the commissioned work reimagines familiar objects and scenes with fresh visual interpretations and newly added elements inspired by the city’s culture.

Public programmes

Throughout the exhibition period, M+ will host a series of public programmes that expand the show’s concept through guided tours and hands-on activities. Design Collection Tours by M+ Guides will feature key design pieces from the M+ Collection and explore their influence on everyday objects and environments. From June to December 2026, Family Days will take place on the last two Sundays of each month, offering drop-in activities for children of all ages and their families, including sensory play, storytelling, and free play sessions inspired by ordinary objects and actions.

Additionally, the Children’s Summer Takeover: Creative Day Camp combines in‑gallery exploration with creative workshops across multiple mediums. Between July and December 2026, the School Programmes, Community and Access Visits and the Inclusive Programme will welcome diverse groups from primary schools, special schools, community centres, and other organisations to engage with the exhibition through interactive activities.

Exhibition merchandise

M+ will launch a special range of merchandise inspired by the exhibition’s playful examination of everyday design. The collection features T-shirts, caps, tote bags, backpacks, key chains, socks, and more—designed to delight visitors in their daily lives. These fun-filled items are available at The M+ Shop and the M+ Online Shop throughout the exhibition period.

Ticketing arrangements

Visitors can access all M+ galleries with a single-price admission ticket. Tickets are HKD 190 for adults and HKD 100 for visitors eligible for concessions*. Kid and Adult Combo Tickets are also available for HKD 250 for one adult and one child (aged 7–11) or HKD 400 for two adults and one child (aged 7–11). M+ Tickets are available for online purchase via the M+ website, WestK website, WestK App, Cityline, China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited, Fliggy, Klook, KKday, and Trip.com. For details, please refer to the M+ website.

*Concession tickets are available for full-time students, children ages seven to eleven, senior citizens ages sixty and above, persons with disabilities and one companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.

M+ Membership

M+ annual membership and patron membership offer an exclusive experience of contemporary visual culture for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. M+ Members can enjoy unlimited admission to all M+ exhibitions by presenting their valid membership card upon entry. They can also enjoy access to the exclusive M+ Lounge with guests, M+ Private Viewings, priority ticket purchasing, and much more. The annual fee for individual membership is HKD 600, and dual membership is HKD 1,000. Young Member and Senior Member annual memberships are available at half price. Family Membership is available with an annual fee of HKD 1,200. Meanwhile, M+ Patrons enjoy unlimited admission to all exhibitions with up to three guests per visit. M+ Members and Patrons can attend exclusive previews to exhibitions prior to public opening, while Patrons receive personal invitations to private events and fifty per cent discounts on additional exhibition tickets. For more information, please visit the M+ website.

About M+

M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. It spans a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, featuring thirty-three galleries alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden, among other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection that includes objects from regions across Asia and beyond. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Chinese contemporary art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.

About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)

WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural hubs in the world and Hong Kong’s new cultural tourism landmark, spanning forty hectares alongside Victoria Harbour. WestK comprises a mix of landmark arts and cultural facilities, including world-class museums M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, intricately designed performing arts venues the Xiqu Centre and Freespace, the eleven-hectare Art Park with a waterfront promenade, and the upcoming WestK Performing Arts Centre.

Hosting over 1,000 exhibitions, performances, programmes, and events each year, WestK provides a vital platform for both emerging and established artists. WestK welcomes more than ten million visitors each year, evolving as the international cultural brand of Hong Kong and strengthening the city’s strategic role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.