Description
Design museum, gallery, and trade show exhibits and interpretive environments. Collaborate with curators and stakeholders to translate content into spatial, graphic, and interactive experiences. Research, develop concepts and specifications, and oversee budgeting, fabrication, installation, and quality to meet audience, conservation, safety, and accessibility requirements.
- • Audit objects and collections to plan display methods, mounts, and casework.
- • Source or coordinate acquisition of artifacts, graphics, AV, and interactive components.
- • Create concept sketches, floor plans, elevations, and detailed drawings for exhibits.
- • Partner with clients, curators, and staff to define goals, themes, content, schedule, budget, and materials.
- • Estimate exhibit costs for design, fabrication, installation, AV, and rentals.
- • Develop exhibit designs based on content briefs, research, audience insights, site conditions, and budgets.
- • Direct and coordinate fabrication, finishing, and installation to meet design, budget, and timeline requirements.
- • Inspect installations for compliance with specifications and operation of lighting, AV, and interactives.
- • Plan for space, circulation, accessibility, building codes, and safety requirements.
- • Submit design packages for review and approval, revising for budget or fabrication constraints.
- • Produce renderings, material specifications, and diagrams for lighting, AV, and interactives.
- • Select and specify casework, hardware, fasteners, and building materials suited to conservation needs.
- • Collaborate with lighting, AV, and media teams to integrate systems with the exhibit.
- • Research historical, cultural, and stylistic references to inform interpretation and visual language.
- • Design window and interior displays and event installations for public spaces as needed.
- • Plan and manage deinstallation and removal of exhibits and graphics.
- • Specify furniture, mounts, display fixtures, graphics, and tactile elements.
- • Coordinate with conservators on environmental controls, materials off-gassing, and light levels.
- • Lead design staff and vendors to produce drawings, graphics, models, and animations.
- • Conduct walkthroughs and prototyping to ensure exhibits support visitor flow and usability.
- • Build physical mockups and 3D models to test layouts and interactions.
- • Review curatorial narratives and content inventories to determine spatial and design needs.
- • Attend design reviews, coordination meetings, and site visits to align stakeholders.
- • Hire and manage fabricators and specialty contractors for exhibit structures.
- • Develop supporting materials such as wayfinding, labels, brochures, and promotional graphics.
- • Integrate security and object-protection systems into layouts and casework.
- • Coordinate crating, shipping, and on-site setup of off-site fabricated components.
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Related Pathways
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
