How to hire set and exhibit designers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets. • Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements. • Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations. • Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting. • Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed. • Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements. • Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary. • Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking, writing and active learning skills • Working knowledge of fine arts, design, computers and electronics and building and construction • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $36.17 an hour ($75,240 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for set and exhibit designers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What set and exhibit designers do
- Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets.
- Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
- Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
- Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.
- Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
- Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
- Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary.
- Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for set and exhibit designers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
- Job outlook: +1.4% over ten years, little or no change · about 2,200 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay set and exhibit designers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $105,030 |
| Florida | $60,750 |
See set and exhibit designers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Graphic Designers
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
- Art Directors
- Craft Artists
- Commercial and Industrial Designers
- Museum Technicians and Conservators
- Interior Designers
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
- Fashion Designers
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.