Exhibition designers are creative professionals who design the layout and assemble the furnishings and other components that make up a display or exhibition in a public setting. The exhibition designer creates visual displays that may be used at conventions or trade shows. Exhibition design is also utilized to create displays in the lobbies of office buildings, art galleries, and museums.
As with any creative career, the exhibition designer tends to have the ability to create a visual display that will draw attention and be pleasing to the eye. The created exhibitions come about by employing the use of color, texture, placement and scale to create a setting that helps to attract and hold attention long enough for the purpose behind the exhibition to be achieved. In order to accomplish the desired result, the exhibition designer will make use of many different types of materials.
Because exhibitions are used in many different settings, a talented exhibition designer will access both the physical setting for the exhibition and the intended purpose for the display. For example, if the designer is called upon to create a display at a trade show that will call attention to a specific product, he or she will find creative ways to use elements that have some relevance to the product. This may include incorporating the color scheme of the packaging into the display as well as visual images that have to do with the uses for the product. The arrangement of the display may entice anyone attending the trade show to actually step into the exhibition area and interact with the components of the display in some manner.
The typical exhibition designer is involved in every phase of the creation process. Beginning with the creation of a basic design plan, the designer will also work with clients to determine the colors and materials that will be used in the final design. It is not unusual for the designer to evaluate and order the materials and components for the final design, and also oversee the assembly and setup of the components. In some cases, the exhibition designer may also be involved in the selection of the exact location of the display on the conference floor.
An exhibition designer may be part of a larger team of professionals that create designs for clients upon request. Designers may also function as freelance professionals who work directly with clients to create displays for specific events. Some exhibition designers are permanent employees of businesses who routinely create new displays for use in corporate headquarters and for use at trade shows and conventions where the company interacts with existing and prospective clients.
