The Kind of Designer a Curator Wants to Work With [The Selfish Edition]

Hello. I am a curator at a small art museum (if you look at the back issues, you will probably understand what kind of person I am).

Last time, even though I started by saying, "It's fun to work with designers!", the story ended before I even got to finding a designer.

So, here is the continuation.

Let's assume you have somehow found a designer who fits your budget. This is where the real work begins.

Let's say we are commissioning the design for exhibition publicity materials—let's keep it simple and say a flyer and a poster.

In the first meeting with the designer, I (the curator) explain the overview, goals, concept, and theme of the exhibition. Then, I show them photos of the representative works to be displayed. I also share a vague image of the design I have in mind. For example, "Since this is a lively exhibition with various types of works, I want it to feel fun and glamorous," or "This is a retrospective of the artist, so I want a calm, slightly more formal atmosphere." I also share candidates for the work to be used as the main visual.

Then, I provide the materials. The basic exhibition information (title, dates, museum details, etc.), the text for the exhibition overview to be included on the flyer (something like a greeting), image data of the works to be used, and the museum's logo and map data, etc.

This is where the differences between designers immediately become apparent.

(1) They listen to what I have to say and produce a design proposal that follows the image I conveyed.

(2) They listen to what I have to say, but ultimately produce a design proposal that strongly reflects their own style.

(3) They not only listen to what I have to say, but also ask follow-up questions during the meeting to dig deeper into the core message of the exhibition. Based on that, they produce a design proposal.

The type of person I want to work with again is definitely type (3).

(1) produces something close to my image, so it's not bad, but since I am not a design professional, to be honest, I don't think what I'm saying is necessarily the correct answer. If it's just about neatly designing what I said, I can do it to some extent if I take the time (I know the basics of Adobe). It might seem like they are thinking, "Hey, I did exactly what you said!" Sorry, I'm a selfish curator.

(2) is, well... I don't dislike being surprised by a "So that's how you approached it!" moment, but sometimes they impose their own style too much, and it doesn't match the image of the exhibition. Like, "This isn't the pop atmosphere I was going for this time."

With type (3), you can tell at the meeting stage that "Oh, this person is different."

I usually think I have a solid image of the exhibition, but when the designer asks various questions like, "Why did you choose this work as a candidate for the main visual?", "Are you trying to show the unexpected side of the artist this time? Or the classic side?", or "What kind of audience are you expecting?", I find myself answering, "Well, let's see..." and the resolution of what should be conveyed in the exhibition gradually increases.

This ability to engage in dialogue, or perhaps the ability to ask questions—someone who tries to find the answer together with me, someone who doesn't mind the effort of aligning our images—often leads to a smoother process thereafter.

Also, if I may be allowed one more indulgence, I highly welcome people who have the ability to make proposals.

Curators are often thought to be people with good taste, but as I said earlier, curators are not design professionals. My knowledge of design common sense and printing is nowhere near that of a professional. Therefore, if I only think within the limits of a curator's design repertoire, the things that can be created are naturally limited.

That is why I am very happy to work with a designer who does not get trapped by my limited repertoire and offers suggestions like the following.

"How much is the printing budget? Oh, I see. Well, that means we have some room to be a bit particular about the paper. We could go with a paper that has a nice texture to match the comforting image of the artwork."

"It would be really effective to use a special spot color for the title this time. What do you think? It would increase the printing costs a bit, though. How about we balance it out by using a more cost-effective paper? I know some papers that don't look cheap at all."

"Instead of a standard A4 flyer, why don't we use a gatefold design to present it like this?"

Yes, it is truly appreciated when they suggest new approaches that I wouldn't have thought of with my limited repertoire. Of course, I'd be in trouble if they suggested things that were impossible or ignored the budget, so I do ask for realistic proposals.

When I can work with a designer like this, my own repertoire expands, which then proves useful for the next project and the one after that.

And so, working with a designer who does great work like this makes the meetings themselves creative and truly enjoyable.