Hiring An Exhibit Designer: The online dating approach

Thursday, July 3, 2014 2:40 PM by Jason Cox in Professional and Industry Tips


Wanted: Exhibit Designer

You have spent the last four to ten years fundraising for new exhibits. You’ve written so many grant proposals your head is swimming. Finally, the time has come!  You have the green light to start designing your exhibit space.

So what do you do now?  I imagine choosing a design firm is a rather daunting task. You may be wondering, “Where do I start?” or “What are the qualifications I should look for in a firm?

What if you thought of the process like dating? What if you actually looked at what to ask like an online dating profile? Think about it…

  • Marital status Is the firm you are looking at involved in multiple relationships currently? How many relationships in the past have ended badly?  Find out who the firm has been dating and how they did or are doing.  If they are juggling several projects at once, will they give your project the attention it deserves? Do they have the infrastructure to manage multiple projects well?

  • Age How old or how long has the firm been in the game?

  • Height and weight How big is the firm you are considering?  Are they a well-known firm in the industry with multiple offices worldwide or are they a smaller firm with a specific specialization?

  • Body type Are you attracted to their body of work?  Have they designed exhibits that you find sexy and engaging?

  • Income Has the firm handled projects with similar budgets to yours? How many times did they meet that budget?

  • Education What are the accomplishments of the firm?  What types of projects have they designed and what exactly was their role in those projects?  What awards, if any, have they won?

  • Religion What is the firm’s mission?  Do they stand by it and live it?  Does it match your beliefs and expectations?

  • Smoking/drinking/drugs Yes please…When checking references, ask about any habits the firm might have that you may not like.  For instance, how to they communication? Did they pop in now and then with tidbits of information or did they hold weekly checks ins and provide consistent status reports?  Did they include the client in the process throughout the project or did they simply get the information then design the final product without much further input? Did they consult and guide or dictate? Which style of management do you prefer?

  • Children How experienced is the staff?

  • Pets – Typically, a firm with pets is more laid back and a bit more casual. Do you want suits and ties or khakis and Merrells?

  • Medical issues Is the firm financially stable?  Do they have questionable references that leave you asking more questions?  What is the rate of turnover in the firm?

  • Sexual orientation Ummmm…Not even going to try this one…

In the end, you will find several qualified firms out there to choose from.  What I think it boils down to is the relationship.  How well do you connect with the firm’s team members you will be involved with for several months?

Online dating for exhibit firms. Maybe it’s not so daunting after all. Did I miss any questions you might ask? Let me know in the comments below.

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