Description 

Split Rock Studios has an immediate need (due to business growth) for an additional Exhibit Designer to join our exhibit design and fabrication services team. Share your expertise, keen interest, and love of exhibit design with us!

The Exhibit Designer expresses the content, themes, and goals of the exhibition in all 3D media. Position reports to the Design Manager/Creative Director.

Work closely with the developer, graphic designer, and client to create a seamless visitor experience that meets the client’s goals and objectives. Produce drawings that communicate design intent and describe how the exhibition is organized in a space — its shape, dimensions, materials, and general construction.

Areas of Responsibility and Specifics

Sales and marketing

• Brainstorm creative ideas and approaches for major proposals, as needed.
• Participate in phone and in-person interviews with prospective clients, as needed.

Conceptual/schematic design

• With the developer, conduct a start-up meeting with the client and stakeholders to determine storylines, themes, and goals of the exhibition.
• Create bubble plan that places major exhibit areas on floor plan, based on exhibit priorities and hierarchy.
• With the developer, brainstorm ideas, interactives, and best media to express exhibit topics and content, being cognizant of audience, goals, client, SRS build needs, and budget.
• Create concept sketches or renderings of major exhibit areas or ideas, coded to the development documents.
• Create a floor plan with an accurate footprint of exhibit areas, coded to the development documents.
• Work with the graphic designer and developer to develop a graphic approach to the exhibition.
• Prototype mechanical and audio-visual interactives and participate in evaluation process, as needed (for major projects).
• Start to develop a “look book” that expresses the visual approach to the exhibition (styles of illustration, murals, etc). This may be an internal document and will develop into the design development reference package.
• Ensure good customer service: that the client is being heard and responded to regarding the design.

Design development

• Prepare elevation drawings of all exhibits, including size, material usage, and layout. These should be based on client feedback and should reflect budget realities. The drawings may also include traffic flow, ADA requirements, or other details as required.
• Refine floor plan that shows all exhibits and location in the physical space.
• Prepare materials, finish, and color samples.
• Prepare a lighting and reflected ceiling plan, as required.
• Prepare an electrical and data plan, as required.
• Compile spec sheets for off-the-shelf components.
• In conjunction with the graphic designer, create overview artifact layouts. Design specialty mounts or shelving as needed.
• With the developer, create a props list, with sources.
• Create graphic elevations that show locations and sizes of all graphics.
• With the developer, compile art fabrication reference package, showing species, colors, styles, time of day, reference photos, and other details for all original artwork and specialty components.

Pre-production

• Hand off reference package to project manager for art fab; participate in start-up meeting for CAD and fabrication.
• Advise and respond to CAD design questions, as needed.
• Should also be capable in Vectorworks and FormZ.

Fabrication and close-out

• Monitor art fabrication and shop build for quality control and design intent.
• Create graphic elevations that show locations and real sizes of all graphics, to provide to installation crew.
• Place final artifact in case, as needed.
• Focus final lighting, as needed.

Other Requirements

The exhibit designer travels to site to present to the client throughout the design process. They may also be required to travel during installation.

The exhibit designer must be comfortable facilitating and leading meetings with a variety of stakeholders. Designers are also often required to present at sales interviews or for prospective clients.

You are totally on board with every project being a collaborative team effort. You are also willing to support other designers with their work as needed.

Experience and Interest in Exhibit Design

With your drive, passion, educational foundation, and ability to learn quickly, we anticipate a minimum level of 3-5 years of experience to start in this position. With your background in a museum, zoo, or exhibit design or trade show firm, you will be able to start on day one without a large learning curve in the world of interpretive design. i.e. You can hit the ground running!

You enjoy long-term projects that can take months, a year, or more to complete. You’re accountable for the ideas, details, and outcomes. And you are highly motivated to do this type of work.

About the Company

Split Rock Studios specializes in creating natural and cultural history exhibits for museums, interpretive centers, aquariums, zoos, and political institutions. From coast to coast, our team of museum experts brings stories to life. Our clients trust and enjoy our design process because it’s collaborative, creative, and organized. From exhibit designers and project managers in our front office to artists and woodworkers in our shop, Split Rock Studios brings together the full range of museum exhibit design and fabrication services under one roof.

Of special note: Split Rock Studios is now an employee-owned business known as an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).

How to Apply

Send a pdf including your letter of interest and salary requirement, your resume, and your portfolio samples or link that include at least 3 examples of exhibit design (with your role identified) to heather@soladayolson.com.