For Successful Exhibits, You Must Put in the Time
For Successful Exhibits, You Must Put in the Time
March 24, 2015 by Taylor Studios
Clients are often surprised by how much of their time it takes to complete a design-build interpretive exhibit project. Most clients have their heart in the project and want to be involved, but underestimate they need to devote to it. In a way, it’s like building a home. You still have to do your day job, but you also have to hire contractors, pick colors, choose the faucets, decide on the flooring, meet with those helping you, manage the budget, and more. It takes a lot of time and involvement to ensure you get what you want and unlike building a home, you must involve stakeholders, gain buy-in, and secure approvals from others.
Things to Consider
A good project manager and account executive will help you think about the project schedule, the time you need to set aside for reviews and information gathering, and the most ideal timeframe for your project. Hiring an experienced firm who can navigate common pitfalls and plan proactively will save you time, money, and stress. Here are some of the things you may consider as part of your scope of work if you are creating new experiences, exhibits, plans, or only a few new graphics:
This is not an exhaustive list of what will consume your time during the creative process, but it should give you an idea of why and how much of your time an exhibit project will take. Below is an estimate we created of the hours a client might expect to spend on a million dollar design/build project.
How Much Time Should you Set Aside?
The following information details the responsibilities and approximate hours the client’s project manager and/or project team should anticipate allocating for this project. These hours are estimates only and may vary based on the number of people on the client project team and their efficiency.
Task Weeks**Weekly*
Tasks 1
Onsite Meeting 2**Research Support 3**Book Review 4**Subtotal**Design Phase Schematic Design 21 Weeks300702080470Design Development 25185502580340Pre-Production 19200502040310Design Phase Subtotal 65**685**170**65**200**1,120** Production Phase Final Graphic Design 1930025040365Exhibit Fabrication 381504000190Exhibit Installation 1080150095Production Phase Subtotal 48**530**80**0**40**650**Total 113**1,215**250**65**240**1,770**
1* Hours include, but are not limited to, conference calls, RFI responses, website post reviews, and minor approvals, hours assume the following hours per week by phase: SD 16, DD 8, PP 12, FGD 16, EF 4, EI 8.
2** Hours will vary based on number of people at each onsite meeting; hours assume four client project team members.
3** Hours are for client project team members to assist the client project manager in answering project questions and/or assisting with additional specialized research for the Taylor Studios design team.
4** Hours assume four client project team members will review and comment on all book deliverables.
Have you considered the number of hours you must invest in your exhibit project?