Exhibition DesignerAn exhibition/display designer organises the design and decoration of exhibitions and display stands. They base designs around the client's ideas of how it should look and take responsibility for researching the information that the client wants to relate.
They must create a stand that works aesthetically as well as practically, working creatively to get the information across and communicate positive messages about the brand whilst meeting practical limitations such as space, size and budget.
Winning contracts, thinking of a concept for products and overseeing the design and build of the exhibition are all part of the job.
Typical work activities
The work involved will vary according to specific roles and employers. However, typical work activities include:
- liaising with clients to discuss concepts;
- discussing concepts with the design team and finalising the proposal to put to the client;
- developing a genuine understanding of your company, brand, products and your needs and objectives, along with the motivations behind the buying decisions of your customers;
- working on quotes - having got the design brief and concept the costs need to be calculated to make sure the project is financially viable;
- gathering product information from the client;
- creating initial design sketches and computer-generated three-dimensional visuals and prototypes;
- working on a variety of design work, graphic design and artwork for different displays and exhibitions;
- taking financial responsibility for a project in terms of meeting budget constraints;
- attending meetings to discuss the status of current projects and to be briefed on new projects;
- responding to e-mails and telephone calls from clients, answering technical questions;
- liaising with the workshop manager to ensure the project is running to schedule, meeting the client's requirements and is within the assigned budget;
- handling production orders for materials and site services, eg electronics;
- meeting with suppliers to brief them on the job;
- travelling across Europe and the UK to visit clients;
- transporting displays to exhibition sites, and installing and dismantling exhibition displays.
Your role may also include project management and taking responsibility for aspects such as:
- furniture, stock-panel, lighting and rig rental or hire;
- pre-event marketing;
- packaging and delivery;
- storage.
Salaries depend on the size of the company or the type of job for freelance designers.
- Typical starting salaries are likely to be between £18,000 and £20,000 per year (salary data collected Jan 04).
- Earning potential is essentially limitless according to how hard you are willing to work, who you work for, and so forth.
- One example of the upper salary ranges within the field would be a creative director or design manager working in a large company in London who could typically expect to earn around £100,000 per year (salary data collected Jan 04).
- Working hours vary according to the size of the company you work for. Larger companies are more likely to employ people to fulfil specific roles and have more employees to ensure work deadlines are met, so hours are more likely to be between nine and five. In smaller companies, although working hours are generally governed by the EU working time directive, it is usual for employees to sign disclaimers to work overtime. Hours can be from seven in the morning to seven in the evening daily.
- In smaller companies your role is unlikely to be solely design specific. You will probably be involved in, or oversee, other aspects of the project including installation at the exhibition site, which means it is common to work at weekends.
- The work can be stressful as lead times and deadlines are often tight.
- Self-employment is common.
- Travel within a working day, absence from home at night and overseas work or travel are all common.
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