Don’t forget the small exhibition designers

Apart from all the kerfuffle so far, the millennium project is stirring up an interesting hornet’s nest. As most of the large, well established exhibition design companies are becoming absorbed into its grand circle, a shortage of other designers to do the myriad unrelated “lesser” projects spawned by the Heritage Lottery Fund is becoming apparent.

One way of addressing this problem is to remember that not all the good museum and exhibition designers are employed by the big companies. There are many small one-, two- or three-person bands, as well as networks of designers who are highly professional and accessible through the Museum and Exhibition Design Group Design Register.

Since the merging a few years ago of the Group of Designers in Museums and the Exhibition Forum into the M&EDG, this group has established a database, a design register with over 100 subscribers so far. This register is maintained through the offices of the Natural History Museum and the group’s deputy chair, Gordon Rankmore (Tel: 0171-938 9394; fax: 0171-938 9371).

The data on the Design Register can be accessed through skill, geographic location or suitability. The specialities of members of the group on the register are listed under the headings of 3D design, graphics, research, feasibility studies, project management, interpretative planning, technical skills, concept design, writing skills, preparation of briefs and finally special effects and audio/visual.

Giles Velarde

Giles Velarde Associates

East Sussex, TN35 4EF

See News, page 4