Museum Design

Museum designers design and prepare plans for museum exhibitions in consultation with commissioning departments.

They ensure the delivery and maintenance of high-quality exhibitions, displays, graphics and other 2D/3D design to provide a positive experience for a wide range of museum visitors.

The work may also involve managing and delivering the museum's programme of temporary exhibitions. This role will often be part of the work undertaken by an exhibition/display designer.

Typical activities include: researching and planning different types of exhibitions; ensuring all exhibitions and displays have a definite link to the museum's other collections and overall theme; ensuring the design meets the brief and the budget; travelling to other galleries and museums to find exhibitions to buy in; ensuring exhibitions, whether bought in or curated in-house, are of the right size and quality.

Other duties include: liaising with curatorial staff to produce outline plans (to specification) and supporting material, such as catalogues; working with members from other areas of the museum, such as marketing, education, conservation, front of house and, most crucially, the curator; liaising with graphics and other designers, audio visual and animatronics experts, graphic video producers and multimedia specialists, even actors, to create a sensory experience for the visitor; using custom-built software packages; and ensuring opening deadlines are met.

Newly-qualified designers earn around £15,000 a year. Experienced designers can earn between £20,000 and £40,000.

Freelance designers are likely to be paid a fee for each exhibition.

You may be able to enter museum design at junior assistant level. It will be an advantage if you have interest and ability in areas such as computer aided design (CAD) and photography.

For both courses and jobs you would need to show evidence of your design ability, so you should put together a portfolio of your art and design work before applying either for work or training.

Many employers will expect you to have a formal qualification. The British Display Society (BDS) offers vocational qualifications including the Advanced Diploma in Exhibition Design and a range of design certificates. See the BDS website for details.

At higher education level you can complete degrees, HNDs and foundation degrees in design-related subjects.

Degrees in exhibition design are available at a limited number of universities. Other relevant subjects include spatial design, interior design, three dimensional (3D) design and graphic design. To look for colleges and universities offering art and design foundation courses, foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees use the course search on this site. Entry requirements for courses may vary, so you should check with colleges and universities for their specific requirements.

If you do not have formal qualifications you may be considered if you can show exceptional talent through your portfolio and experience.