As the creative director at Star, Justin Dworak represents his passion for design through all elements of his work, including the generous amount of time he spends volunteering for the Bemidji State University (BSU) Exhibit Design Program. As a BSU graduate, Dworak believes in giving back to the program that helped make his successful.
Dworak’s reverence for design is best demonstrated by his fifteen years of dedication to Star and the exhibit design industry.
What does it mean to be recognized as Designer of the Year?
It’s a tremendous compliment to be nominated let alone win. There exists a great amount of creative talent in our industry, which makes me humbled and honored to be a part of that fraternity. I’m also fortunate to be surrounded and supported by an amazing team of designers and individuals who influence and inspire me on a daily basis.
What is your overall goal when you are designing an exhibit?
Personally, the design must be objective-driven and have purpose. This is not only for my clients, but also for their audiences. Getting very clear, agreed-upon objectives from my client up front is a critical first step to any successful design. Without it you’re left with just pretty art.
What are the major challenges that exhibit designers face?
As with everything else in life, there is a shorter amount of time to conceive, develop and create our vision for the client. Our society of instant gratification has created an expectation of perfection with unrealistic terms. The pressure exerted on designers, exhibit managers and marketing managers to get answers and find creative ways to develop multiple solutions quickly and at low cost is very intense.
What current trends do you see in the exhibit design industry?
In the last few years, I have seen exhibit design and face-to-face marketing open the doors to offer new and invigorating perspectives. This outlook tells me our clients are seeking greater results than in the past. For designers, this has pushed us to source a new palette of tools including unique materials and methods to achieve impactful results.
The role of a designer continues to evolve. It has been identified that involving creative individuals earlier in the process brings significant value to the project. Therefore, we no longer just design but, rather, we use our creative energy to wear the hats of the account executive, manager and any other roles integral to the client experience.
What new products are affecting exhibit design?
The marketplace has gone toward marketing more prepackaged or all-inclusive solutions for creative departments and designers to incorporate into their repertoire. This has helped create efficiencies both with cost and time. Many more furniture suppliers are incorporating solutions for the marketplace as well, allowing more choices for purchase or rental at a variety of price points.
Are there any common misconceptions about the exhibit design process?
The biggest misconception that I confront revolves around renderings. Designers often get asked to magically create renderings as if doing so doesn’t take any time or thought. The design process is commonly misunderstood and thus can be underestimated and undervalued. A rendering or any sort of visual can’t take place without design or creative thought, which takes time. Renderings are a byproduct of the design process.
How has technology affected exhibit design?
Technology has magnified the different ways we can reach our audiences with key messages. It has almost become an expectation that some sort of technology will now be incorporated into each design. Although technology can be a great tool for enhancing the experience, it also can be detrimental to the brand if the content is weak.
What design project have you enjoyed working on the most?
The most rewarding projects materialize when the client is fully committed to honest collaboration and is willing to openly share information with me and my design team. When that happens, the end results of those design projects tend to be the most successful. Honestly, given the opportunity to take complex projects and figure out how to simplify the answers through design is extremely gratifying.
What is it about exhibit design that keeps you excited about working in this industry?
I have been in this industry a long time. As my tenure grows, so do my interests. At this point in my career, what I value the most is the constant exposure to a variety of industries, businesses and cultures. The inspiration born of this kind of exposure widens my scope of possibility and keeps me excited in my role at Star. It also enriches my life on a personal level. It is this dynamic that keeps my role as a creative director fresh and new.
