The Museum of Design, established in 2005, is the result of collaboration between the Anna Querci Foundation for Design, the Design Degree Programs of the University of Florence, and the Municipality of Calenzano. It is the first museum in Italy dedicated to Italian design. Today, the permanent collection includes about 200 pieces, organized by decade, which highlight the structural, formal, and technological development of key themes in both Italian design and industrial production over more than fifty years.

This collection is not just a simple gathering of objects; it aims to showcase the creativity, evolution, and strategic role that Italian design has always played in our society, emphasizing a timeless sense of style that transcends temporary trends. It provides a typological overview of the changing lifestyles, shaped largely by increasingly advanced technologies and evolving social models in the Western world. In conclusion, it offers a panoramic view of the creative and technical characteristics that have made Italian industrial production renowned worldwide.

The museum also serves as an educational space, a laboratory for the exchange of ideas between students and scholars. To underscore this purpose, in 2012, upon the inauguration of its new location in Calenzano, it added "LAB" to its name.

The collection is constantly evolving and growing through the acquisition of selected, significant pieces by the Foundation.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum regularly offers new initiatives such as showcases, temporary exhibitions, and events focusing on Italian industrial design from 1960 to the present day.