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Career Exploration

Set and Exhibit Designers

Also called: Display Coordinator, Exhibit Designer, Scenic Designer, Set Designer

What they do:

Design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.

On the job, you would:
  • Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
  • Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
  • Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.
On the job, you'll need:

Arts and Humanities

  • music, dance, visual arts, drama, or sculpture
  • history and archeology

Engineering and Technology

  • design
  • computers and electronics

Communications

  • multimedia

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods

  • manufacture and distribution of products

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Verbal

  • listen and understand what people say
  • read and understand what is written

Ideas and Logic

  • come up with lots of ideas
  • create new and original ideas

Artistic

People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Initiative
  • Innovation

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk Revit
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Video creation and editing software

  • Adobe After Effects
  • Autodesk 3ds Max

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Median Annual Salary: $59,990

Education

Bachelor's degree or master's degree is usually needed.