Overview

This Standard is about designing exhibitions or displays. Many organisations do not have an exhibition design department and will rely on those who know the space to help layout the exhibition. This is primarily for creative or cultural organisations but could be used by any organisation that prepares exhibitions or displays. It includes considering access to exhibitions or displays for those with special needs.

It includes evaluating the success of previous designs, researching possible designs, selecting designs that best present contents and associated information and meet security, environmental, health and safety and accessibility requirements, specifying materials and producing mock ups.

This standard is for anyone who designs exhibitions or displays.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. evaluate relevant information about the success of designs for previous exhibition or displays
  2. obtain reliable information about budget, available resources, contents to be exhibited, the space to be used and user requirements
  3. research possible designs that meet the requirements of exhibitions or displays
  4. evaluate possible designs and select designs that best present contents and associated information
  5. ensure chosen designs will enable maximum access from as broad a range of people as possible
  6. ensure chosen designs will ensure the environmental and security requirements of contents in accordance with organisational procedures
  7. ensure chosen designs will comply with health and safety requirements
  8. ensure chosen designs will minimize disruption caused to other areas of the organisation
  9. agree chosen designs with appropriate people
  10. select and specify suitable materials for construction
  11. use appropriate techniques to make mock-ups of chosen designs
  12. brief anyone involved with design work with sufficient information for them to carry out their required role
  13. put in place appropriate mechanisms to gather feedback from colleagues and the public to evaluate the success of designs

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand:                       

  1. how to select and source appropriate materials, technologies and other resources
  2. facility requirements
  3. sources of information about requirements including those working in visitor services, operations, project management, collections and curating
  4. information about display requirements and audience flow and movement that will impact on designs
  5. techniques of design layout
  6. the potential problems encountered by visitors with mobility, hearing, sight impairment, autism spectrum disorder or specific learning difficulties
  7. the different strategies available to maximise access to the exhibition for visitors with special needs
  8. why it is important that access considerations are included in the design
  9. current and emerging methods of presenting information about contents that maximise access and engagement
  10. security and environmental requirements of content and how to ensure they are met through design
  11. the range of viable construction materials and their benefits and disadvantages for designs and for exhibitions or displays
  12. who needs to agree designs
  13. how to identify the skills needed for producing designs and mock ups
  14. the information needed by others involved and how to create a brief
  15. how to produce mock-up designs
  16. how to commission work from others including those external to the organisation
  17. what can be done to minimize disruption caused by exhibitions or displays
  18. how to create a risk assessment
  19. the health and safety regulations that should be met
  20. mechanisms to gather feedback from colleagues and visitors and who is responsible for implementing them