Exhibition designers create displays and fixtures for large exhibitions, shows, corporate clients, museums and art galleries, or libraries. Exhibition designers are specially trained in the art of design and set up and may work solely for a museum or gallery or in a private firm.
   
An exhibit designer is a detail-oriented professional who helps set up, create, maintain, and remove displays for galleries, museums, libraries, tradeshow booths, design sets, exhibitions, and businesses. Their work is important during all stages of the exhibition process.

They may also be a part of the planning and research processes. The role typically involves interactions with many different people, including other exhibition designers, suppliers, contractors, and visitors to the exhibit. These designers are sometimes responsible for coordinating others in the set up of exhibits. 

ANZSCO ID: 511112
   
Alternative names: Exhibit Designer, Display Designer, Museum Display Artist,
  
Specialisations: Garden Exhibitions, Trade Shows, Museums, Galleries, Questacon,

Senior Exhibition Designer: Lead and deliver creative exhibition design concepts, documentation and oversee the production of exhibition layouts, ensuring the designs are appropriate for the display of collections as well as other associated collateral and deliver exceptional experiences for visitors. They also manage and lead a multi-disciplined team of exhibition designers, supporting the capabilities and growth of the team. They maintain collaborative relationships and consult with key stakeholders, to provide design leadership and expedite effective exhibition design from creative concept stage, documentation through to finished product.

Questacon Exhibit - Educating in Science
(Source: Questacon)

Knowledge, skills and attributes

To become an exhibition designer, you would need:

• excellent design and artistic skills
• the ability to think creatively and laterally
• technical drawing skills
• experience with design and 3D modelling software
• the ability to work to strict deadlines.

Design concepts
Exhibition designers develop strong skills in design concepts to help ensure their exhibits are aesthetically appealing and follow best practices. This includes having abilities to create effective concepts and prototypes and learning how to communicate and present these concepts to clients, supervisors, or other interested parties. It also includes integrating innovative design concepts and following structural, artistic, and systematic guidelines for an effective exhibit.

Creativity
Exhibition designers typically can express their creativity in the role. If you wish to develop skills based on creativity, you can practise your abilities and focus on the areas that interest you and those that need improvement. These skills can help you create concepts for displays, implement them effectively, and integrate all stipulations and ideas from others.

Prototyping
As exhibits may be large-scale, it can be beneficial to learn prototyping skills so that you can convey your ideas effectively without the time and resources needed to create a full-size version. This can help you express your ideas and present them to clients or leaders. Prototyping skills can also help you re-create interactive elements of your exhibit and have more accurate budgeting estimates.

 

Showing some prototypes as well as actual size furniture
(Source: Leif.designpark)

Design programs
Having knowledge of different design programs can help you in the brainstorming, prototyping, and instructional aspects of exhibit design. For instance, you can use your skills in design software to create sketches of your ideas. This can also increase your creativity, as you can experiment with different colours, shapes, and lighting to see which aspects demonstrate your ideas best. It can also allow you to visualize different versions of your ideas and to share them with others in the creative process.

Having skills in computer-aided design (CAD) is also very important for this role. This program can assist you in reconfiguring ideas, displaying concepts in 3D, and providing information for material and item creation. It can also help you to confirm that the designs you create are physically realistic and can function in the way you intend.

Relationship building
The role of an exhibition designer typically involves working with many people, including teammates, supervisors, clients, and visitors to the exhibit. Having strong relationship skills can help you interact well with others. This can also help you engage in effective communication to understand the stipulations you're to follow and to accurately explain your concepts. It's also important when interacting with vendors, venue representatives, and other employees needed for exhibit setups, such as electricians and construction specialists.

Marketing
Marketing skills can be beneficial for exhibit designers, as their role might require them to self-promote and market the exhibit they created. These skills enable you to create effective promotional materials and share them with others. For instance, strong marketing skills can help you promote an exhibit online and share information about your exhibit through physical media, such as flyers.

Marketing skills also comprise knowledge of applying effective design principles. They allow you to determine where to place paid advertisements so that as many people as possible view them. They can also help you learn about audience targeting and testing different versions of your advertisements so that you spend money wisely and effectively.

(Source: Chelsea Garden Show)

Duties and Tasks
  
As an exhibition designer, you would:

• design displays and stands for a wide variety of events
• meeting with others to determine exhibition guidelines, timelines, and budgets
• discussing clients' needs and requirements
• present ideas such as plans, computer-generated visuals and 3D models
• discuss with clients and agree on final designs
• produce design documentation
• handle orders for supplies
• oversee the construction of exhibition components
• consulting with others on exhibit construction
• acting as the main point of contact for any display and exhibit challenges
• creating and brainstorming exhibit ideas
• presenting ideas and determining the plans for moving forward
• creating prototypes of design elements
• delivering exhibit components to the venue
• interacting with clients to ensure satisfaction
• leading groups of other designers and supporting employees involved in the exhibit process
• creating documentation of design, ideas, instructions, and any related information, such as materials budgets
• working with other specialists in setting up various aspects of the design, such as lighting
• creating promotional materials for the exhibit
• evaluating the exhibit and receiving feedback on effectiveness and design
• creating sketches of design ideas
• ensuring the maintenance of safety requirements
• overseeing exhibit construction to meet mobility requirements
• ensuring spectators can move effectively through or pass by the exhibit
• signing off on the final version of the design before public access
• oversee assembly and installation at the exhibition venue.

(Source: Drive)

Working conditions

You would work standard business hours, but you may need to work extra or flexible hours to meet deadlines when events are being staged.

You are likely to be studio- or office-based, but would usually also visit clients or exhibition sites. In some jobs you may need to travel extensively. This also means that you may travel between your main workstation and the venue of the event. This role is often full-time with regular business hours, but it may involve weekends or evenings and overtime hours to meet deadlines. You can conduct most of this work indoors, but some exhibitions may be outdoors. As the role involves manoeuvring and adjusting physical components, it's important to have physical strength and stamina to complete your duties and avoid injury.
   
As an exhibit designer, you may have various work environments depending on your employer and the focus of your work. For instance, you're likely to have a combination of independent and collaborative work. You may work independently at your own desk while conceptualizing design elements and then meet with the team to brainstorm and delegate tasks. You may also access the exhibit site independently to make assessments and then work with others to implement the design ideas.

  
Tools and technologies

(Source: Arts Management & Technology Laboratory)

Visitors’ criticisms demand a shift from passive, encyclopaedic exhibitions with curatorial authority, to ones that engage visitors and place them at the centre of focus. This has ignited a change in approaches to exhibition design. One of them is the employment of immersive approaches together with strong storytelling, which can create memorable experiences and redefine the visitor experience.

Museums are adopting computer technology as a new medium and an opportunity to create immersive experiences. In these situations, electronic systems enable viewers to control and manipulate different media types, such as light, sound, video, and computer graphics, generating dynamic interactive content.

(Source: Architizer)

5 Technologies that enhance museum experience

• 3D Scanning: captures an object’s exact shape and size as a digital 3D file, which can be manipulated on the computer or exported out as a 3D reproduction. With sophisticated 3D scanning technology, it is now possible to create extremely precise reproductions of artworks with detailed textures of brushstrokes and colors. This innovation can help museum visitors experience collections through tactile interactions with artwork.
• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) - helps people know about the exhibition before coming physically to the exhibition
• Beacons: are a location-based technology in the form of small wireless sensor. When a visitor walks in proximity of a beacon with their Bluetooth-enabled devices like a smart phone, the beacon automatically sends messages and content to the visitors’ devices.
• Telepresence Robots: can be a convenient tool for conducting digital museum tours for visitors that are home-bound.
• Projection mapping technology: is a projection technology that turns a non-flat object or landscape into a display surface for video projection. This technology has been used on building facades to temporarily change the appearances of historic buildings in an artistic way, Projection mapping is generally used for outdoor installations, but it can also be used to enhance visitor experiences with museum collections

(Source: Questacon)

Education and training/entrance requirements

To become an exhibition designer you usually have to complete a VET qualification in design, visual arts, or scenery and set construction.

You can also become an exhibition designer by completing a degree in design, visual arts, fine arts, creative arts, technical production or visual communication. Working as an exhibit designer may require a bachelor's in fine arts or visual arts, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, or drafting. If you prefer to pursue a diploma program, you can choose one that focuses on theatre, exhibit, or clothing design. Developing your skills with additional courses focused on illustration, lighting and costuming, props, or illustration can also help you qualify for more roles in the field.
   
To get into these courses you usually need to gain your senior secondary school certificate or equivalent. English, visual arts and design would be appropriate subjects to study prior to university.

Skills can also be gained on the job through extensive experience in the industry.
    
You can also improve your chances of an employer hiring you by creating a professional portfolio to display your most impressive work. If you're just beginning your career, you can include concepts and prototypes rather than photos and records of your previous work. If you're more experienced, be sure to organize your portfolio in a way that effectively demonstrates the range of your skills and your most impressive abilities.

  
Employment Opportunities
   
Overall employment of exhibition designers is projected to decline.

This is a small occupation, and more modular options are now available for exhibition setup, leading to less demand for bespoke designs.

Did You Know? Jing-Ling Chua, Senior Exhibition Designer CAMEO NGA - So you want my arts job: Exhibition Designer 4 October 2020 As Senior Exhibition Designer for the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), Jing-Ling Chua has contributed to over 30 exhibitions for the NGA, including major exhibitions as diverse as Fred Williams: Infinite Horizons, Roy Lichtenstein: Pop Remix, Myth+Magic: Art of the Sepik River and Cartier: The Exhibition. In 2019 Chua was part of the Venice Biennale Professional Development Program as an Emerging Arts Professionals. She also fosters her passion for architecture and graphic design through personal projects, including co-founding Hester art magazine, an online platform for artists, writers and curators to publish original art writing. She is currently working on the Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now which will span 4300 square metres of National Gallery floor space. How would you describe what you do? Exhibition Designers plan the visitor flow, key sightlines, and transitions between gallery spaces to subtly craft a dialogue between the art and the visitor. We understand the spatial environment of a gallery, its architectural opportunities – and limitations – while carefully considering how a visitor interacts with the works of art within this context. What do you need to be an exhibition designer? Creativity and a keen eye for colour, materiality, and space. You also need technical drawing skills and the ability to convey design concepts through models, drawings or 3D renders. Being a good listener helps, as we take on board the specialist needs of the exhibition team and give them form to shape the experience of the visitor. Walking around NGA How did you get your start in this career – what was your first job? After studying architecture and working for a local building company, I enrolled in a Graduate Diploma in Museums and Collections at the Australian National University. As part of my coursework, I managed to secure an internship with the NGA’s Exhibition Design team. I would come in for two days a week across three months and was able to absorb inner workings of the gallery. We were installing an exhibition called Soft Sculpture at the time. There was such variety in scale and mediums of the works, from Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa huge vinyl inflatable Clear lotus flower, 2009 to Eva Hesse’s monumental suspended work Contingent,1969. I got a glimpse into the wonderfully collaborative nature of installing an exhibition – witnessing all of these highly specialised NGA experts coming together on the gallery floor. How collaborative is this job? Extremely! I’m constantly liaising with team members through all phases of the design process. In the concept stage we take cues from the curator’s vision for the show as well as artist, lender and conservation requirements. During the design development stage, I prepare design document drawings, floor plans, physical models and 3D renders for approval from the executive staff. Refurb periods involve managing builders and painters. With prototype (Source: Medium) Then the most rewarding part of the job is the install period, when you get to see the works of art in person, can appreciate their magnitude and see the design take shape with the help of exhibition coordinators, installers, conservators and registrars. Another truly rewarding part of my job is the opportunity to connect directly with artists to better understand their intention for their work. I aim to be sensitive to the artist needs, bringing my experience and knowledge of the galleries as physical spaces to find suitable design outcomes. For the upcoming Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now exhibition I’ve been fortunate to work with many incredible artists including Barbara Campbell, Janet Laurence, Mikala Dwyer and Micky Allan to discuss the location and form of their works. Tell us about some of the early process in exhibition design Of the 390+ works within Know My Name, careful consideration goes into where to place each work within the 23 gallery spaces. I’ve been designing exhibitions at the Gallery for over a decade and have become quite familiar with Colin Madigan’s building, however I’m still discovering new vistas, punctuations and rhythms in the architecture. For this exhibition, after researching the works and understanding their installation requirements, I began by intuitively placing the large-scale and more complicated works at key sightlines and strategic points within the layout. This allowed me to ensure there is variety in the experience as you move through the exhibition and control the pace. What’s an average week like? I’m always juggling a few projects on the go, focusing most of my time on allocated temporary exhibitions, whilst managing the permanent collection and touring exhibition changeovers. No two weeks are the same and that’s what keeps the job interesting. Fortunately, I’m not stuck behind a desk all week. This week I have come in before hours to oversee a signwriter update signage related to the recently opened Art Store; moved pallets of exhibition furniture from the art dock to the exhibition space; looked at works of art in the conservation lab to discuss display solutions; and spent time in the galleries with the curators to advise on the placement of works. What’s the most common misconception about being an Exhibition Designer? The role is much more than simply selecting paint colours as a backdrop. Also, art is not just paintings on a wall. One of the principal aims of the Know My Name exhibition is to demonstrate how women artists have challenged material hierarchies and ideas of high and low art. Some examples of artists within the exhibition working in diverse media include: Mirka Mora’s hand-painted fabric dolls fashioned from her children’s bedsheets, right through to Justene Williams’ Given that/You put a spell on/mine uterus (2014) which includes a ute, a fridge and neon lights. In an interview for your job, what would you be looking for in an Exhibition Designer? A highly creative designer who can synthesise complex concepts from a brief and use engaging and innovative design ideas to present them. What’s changing in Exhibition Design today? Over the past half-century, exhibition design for museums and galleries has evolved from being predominantly collection-focused to now – much more visitor-centred experiences. Advances in interactive technology and lighting are also guiding immersive experiences in the museums sphere. I’m passionate about questioning and rethinking the design process to maximise environmental sustainability throughout our practices – and embedding them into the profession. Building and installing temporary exhibitions don’t need to use large amounts of construction materials that are difficult to recycle. Clever design thinking, material selection, reuse and modularity are important steps in the right direction for our field. (Source: NGA) Can you share with us the impact of the COVID pandemic on the Know My Name exhibition design? COVID-19 meant that the Gallery’s exhibition program had to be adjusted, and this made new gallery spaces available for the Know My Name exhibition. We were able to increase the footprint of the show to 4300m2 which was very exciting. We worked closely with the curatorial team to rethink what was possible. We shifted from working collaboratively using a physical model to connecting via Skype from our respective homes, with me screen sharing my software Vectorworks to prepare the layout and elevations virtually. These drawings were then shared to teams across the Gallery to guide their work. To encourage social distancing, the layout is intentionally open, and I had to remove any elements that visitors would touch from the exhibition. One important moment in the exhibition is inspired by the seventeenth-century displays of Paris Salons where works of art were stacked floor to ceiling — we have a 12m wide x 6m high salon hang dedicated to portraiture. iPads or large format pick-up card labels were no longer suitable to convey the information for the 60 works on this wall, so now I plan on having a large wall label and the opportunity for visitors to download the exhibition labels onto their own device during their visit. Jing working alongside Exhibition Designer Georgina Whigham to place works in the scale model   How many artists, mediums and works of art are included in this exhibition? The exhibition spans 23 galleries, includes over 170 artists and contains over 390 works of art drawn from the National Gallery’s collection and private and public collections from across Australia. The exhibition encompasses works from 1900 to now, which utilise a range of materials including The Westbury Quilt 1900 by Misses Hampson; Frances (Budden) Phoenix’s doilies and embroideries; Thanakupi’s ceramics; Ewa Pachuka’s sprawling sculpture Landscape and Bodies 1972 made from crocheted hemp and sisal; Vivienne Binns’ Tower of Babel 1989–2014 comprising almost 100 individual dioramas; Esme Timbery’s installation Shellworked Slippers 2008 and r e a’s Resistance 1996 textile flag. What have been some of the unique challenges in designing this show? Justene Williams’ immersive installation Given that/You put a spell on/mine uterus 2014 uses found objects drawn from the Australian suburban vernacular, including a Ford Falcon ute, fluorescent lights, a bar fridge and a BBQ. We quickly realised the Gallery’s freight lift is not long enough to accommodate the ute, and so have been speaking with Justene about getting it cut in half in order to get it into the Gallery and reassembling the work within the space. There are several works in Know My Name that involve suspended elements. Across the galleries, ceiling heights varying from 2.8m to 12m high, with some spaces having extremely limited rigging points. In these instances, the design is informed by the architecture. We have to think creati­­vely working with an engineer to determine a suitable hanging system and ensure the work can be installed in a safe way. Describe the collaborative relationship with the curators Know My Name is co-curated by Deborah Hart and Elspeth Pitt, assisted by Yvette Dal Pozzo. The curators and I responded to the need to redesign the exhibition in a short time frame by mobilising our creativity and passion to progress the project. We navigated the uncertainty of the situation by being incredibly supportive of each other during such a challenging time. The increased gallery space allowed us to introduce large scale works by Kathy Temin, Mikala Dwyer and Simryn Gill. Communication was key and working from home allowed for longer, more intensive design sessions. ‘Working with Jing has been an incredible experience. She effortlessly marries pragmatism with creativity, allowing for a design which is feasible to execute as well as ambitious and dynamic. Within Know My Name, we are constantly looking to women who have worked collaboratively and inspired each other across generations. What is so lovely about this project is that collaboration is something we are both representing and also experiencing as a team. Jing has been an integral member of the exhibition team and has made this ambitious project come to life. ‘The circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic meant that we had to develop the exhibition while socially distancing and working from home. We Skyped and screenshared from our laptops most days to imagine and shape the exhibition design. This would not have been possible without Jing as we trialled many different combinations in each gallery, working with objects which were scaled down in digitally rendered versions of our gallery spaces.’ Curators Deborah Hart, Elspeth Pitt and Yvette Dal Pozzo Describe the collaborative relationship with artists It’s such a privilege and so rewarding to connect directly with artists to better understand their intention for their work. I aim to be sensitive to the artist needs, bringing my experience and knowledge of the galleries as physical spaces to find suitable design outcomes. We’ve been fortunate to have many artists including Barbara Campbell, Janet Laurence, and Micky Allan visit the Gallery to discuss the location and form of their works. We are collaborating with Micky to design a zone within the exhibition that emulates her 1978 exhibition A Live-in Show performance, in which she disrupted the typical gallery experience and transformed the gallery into a domestic space where visitors could make themselves at home. We are working with Micky to select furniture pieces together, and the carpeted room will be populated with collection works of art by Micky and her contemporaries as well as items from Micky’s home. ‘Jing strives to create the atmosphere of the works that are to be exhibited in the space and honour their particular nature and dynamic. She made a masterful adaption of the Live-In space for Covid needs.’ Artist Micky Allan Tell us about some of the some of the extraordinary works of art you are accommodating in the exhibition. What are some of their specific needs? Visitors start the exhibition with a room containing 12 works dedicated to the ancestral story of the Seven Sisters, including a new major commission from the Tjanpi Desert Weavers. This work contains seven life-sized woven figures, sitting under a colourful, suspended dome structure that glistens with lights to mimic the night sky. The dome is over 4m wide and will arrive in eight pieces. Georgina works specifically to design the space for the Tjanpi Desert Weaver commission Mikala Dwyer’s Square Cloud Compound 2010 requires at least a 14m x 14m room with a minimum height of 4.5 metres. A circle of 10 poles surround a colourful tent structure that are suspended from the ceiling using an assortment of pre-stretched black and tan Razzamatazz stockings. Simryn Gill’s Forking tongues 1992 involves cutlery and chillies meticulously placed in a 6m diameter spiral on the gallery floor. The lender has asked we source the dried chillies, which we will freeze for several weeks pre-install to ensure no insects travel into the Gallery with them. Jing designing the unique installation of Mikala Dwyer’s Square Cloud Compound 2010 Tell us about the collaboration with Gemma Smith. What special impact does this unique partnership have on the exhibition as a whole? The Gallery has commissioned painter Gemma Smith to devise a colour palette for the Know My Name exhibition walls. Gemma’s concept explores the palest end of the colour spectrum with an emphasis on subtlety. With such a diverse range of works of art within the exhibition, this thoughtful concept complemented the exhibition perfectly. Gemma is a talented colourist and provided a beautiful hand painted A4 card with 15 colours to start. I used this as a springboard to select Dulux paint samples which we painted out on larger panels. Holding up the large swatch boards within the gallery lighting revealed which colours were suitable or needed to be reduced to half or quarter strength. We continued this process until we selected our final colours. Working with Gemma has been like travelling through these familiar galleries with a fresh set of eyes. Her innovative perspective encouraged me to think more critically about the progression of colours on the walls and how to generate ‘rules’ for the way these colours intersect. Jing and Georgina are working with the colour swatches and wall palette proposed by artist Gemma Smith ‘What is interesting about them is that the colours are still active but barely discernible… This approach will reward attentive viewing, slowing down the experience of art, encouraging visitors to pay more attention’. Artist Gemma Smith Is there a particular aspect of the exhibition you are looking forward to experiencing once the exhibition is installed? I’m looking forward to walking through this comprehensive exhibition which occupies almost half of the Level 1 galleries and appreciating its scale. There has been a history of gender imbalance in many art galleries around the world. This exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate great women artists and appreciate their perspective on the world. (Source: NGA)

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Materials sourced from
Jobs & Skills WA [Set Designer ];
CareerHQ [Set Designer; Exhibition Designer; ]
Target Jobs UK [Set Designer; ]
Indeed CA [Exhibit Designer; ]
Taylor & Francis Online [Immersive Exhibitions; ]
NGA [Senior Exhibition Designer; ]
Architizer [Interactive Museums Technological Exhibition Design; ]
Good Universities Guide [Set Designer; ]

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