20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You’ll split time between drawing plans, building or supervising set construction, and meeting clients. Expect mornings at the studio making sketches, scale models, or technical drawings in AutoCAD or Revit. Afternoons often go to the shop or site to check construction, safety, and materials like wood, steel or plastics.
You’ll also revise designs after client feedback, update schedules in Excel, and inspect finished exhibits. Some days are heavy on hands-on building; other days are mostly presentations and paperwork.
Start with Autodesk AutoCAD for 2D technical drawings and layouts, then learn Revit for architectural models. Adobe Illustrator helps for presentation boards and concepts, and SolidWorks is useful if you’ll design complex fabricated parts.
Also know Microsoft Excel and Office for schedules and budgets, and Adobe Acrobat for sharing plans. Employers often list these systems on job posts, so being able to open, edit, and export files in them matters.
You make full-size pieces in a shop or supervise carpenters and metalworkers. Work uses wood, steel, aluminium and plastics; you follow technical drawings from AutoCAD or SolidWorks and check fits against scale models or Revit views.
You’ll also test hardware and mobile electrical systems safely under supervision, follow machine and ergonomic practices, and do final site assembly and inspection to ensure the exhibit matches the design.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 10,630 people were employed as exhibit designers. The median annual wage is $75,240. The lowest 10% earn around $41,750 and the top 10% earn about $135,410. BLS is the source for these figures.
Pay varies by location, employer type (museum, studio, film), and whether you freelance or work full-time. Expect trade-shop and site work to affect hourly vs salary pay patterns.
Study design, architecture, theatre tech, or industrial design programs that teach AutoCAD, Revit, model-making, and materials. Take shop classes to learn safe machine use, woodworking and metalwork, and practice making scale models and scenic elements.
Build a portfolio with sketches, Revit or CAD plans, photos of shop work, and a short PDF presentation made in Illustrator or Acrobat. Intern at a museum, exhibit studio, or theatre to see timelines, client presentations, and construction up close.
They overlap: both create visual spaces and use drawings, models, and construction. Exhibit designers focus on museums, trade shows, and displays—longer-term, often interactive installations—and must plan for public safety and durable materials.
Film and theatre set designers focus on storytelling for specific productions with camera or sightline needs; they often work to tighter timeframes and temporary builds. Tools overlap (AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks), but the audience, lifespan, and technical requirements differ.
Get practical with technical drawing: learn AutoCAD for 2D plans and Revit for 3D models. Practice making scale models and shop work with wood and basic metal; safe machine use and ergonomic practice are essential.
Learn to present: prepare clear client boards in Illustrator and PDFs, and manage basic project schedules in Excel. Those four things—CAD/Revit, model/shop work, presentation files, and schedule tracking—are the fastest way to be useful on real projects.