Calgary's new 'Museum of Failure' aims to spark creativity
It’s been said no one’s success is complete without failure, but a new international exhibit in Calgary is proving that even some of the most talented innovators had some of the worst ideas for consumers.
The Museum of Failure officially made its Canadian debut when it opened on July 1 at Southcentre Mall, featuring more than 130 displays of failed innovations.
Some of the lowlights include such monumental flops as Google Glass, Colgate beef lasagna, fish-flavoured water, and the E.T. video game.
Calgarians were also able to check out a hula chair aimed at weight loss, an electrical face mask and Jarts – a so-called ‘family-friendly’ lawn dart game – that injured thousands of people.
The museum was originally conceived by psychologist and innovation researcher Dr. Samuel West. Since making its debut in Sweden, the travelling exhibit has visited cities such as Los Angeles, Paris, and Shanghai.
Showpass CEO and Founder, Lucas McCarthy organized the Calgary event and said it provides a unique insight into the risky business of innovation.
“We have all types of failures, everything from commercial failures from a financial perspective, failures from the idea of naming things wildly incorrectly, failures for research and just some genuine incompetence,” he said.
Since making its debut in Sweden, the travelling exhibit has visited cities such as Los Angeles, Paris, and Shanghai.
“But the most interesting part of this museum is that this all started from an idea that someone had for creativity and innovation, and that's really what we wanted to try and highlight: the idea that creativity and innovation may sometimes lead to not successful outcomes.”
Visitors to the museum like the Michelle Beldi couldn’t agree more that some ideas, although foolish at the time, could lead to great business triumphs.
“I think this is absolutely a lot of fun,” she said.
“I'm gonna actually take some of this stuff I learned back to me at work because we're all about innovation so there's some ideas here that I can kind of capitalize on.”
The museum also gave Calgarians the chance to share their own personal failures by writing them down on sticky notes and pasting them on the wall.”
Everything from ‘texting my mother-in-law instead of my wife’, ‘drinking too much tequila,’ and ‘plugging a power bar into itself’ was written down.
Joshua Harrop was amazed at the human element of the exhibits.
“It shows you have to roll with the punches,” he said.
“But honestly don’t ever be afraid to ask for help, know your market because there are ups and downs, your idea is going to change.”
The Museum of Failure is open until the end of August and is located at an exterior entrance on the south side of Southcentre Mall near the Decathlon store.
Hours run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday and tickets can be purchased online at Showpass - The Museum of Failure
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.