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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • September 2014 • 89 EXHIBIT & DISPLAY " I've made money only inadvertently while following my passions." —David Jensen, international exhibition designer D. Jensen & Associates Ltd. (DJA) is a company of exhibit designers, planners and graphic artists who for the past 37 years have been involved in the research, planning and design of exhibits for museums, science centers, trade shows, world expositions, cultural institutions and government agencies. Their work has included local, national, and international projects for all types of exhibitions, specializing in exhibits with cul- tural, historical, environmental or scientific themes. I recently interviewed David Jensen, the founder of DJA, to discover his secrets. Here are a few of the key points he related to me. Teamwork "A key tenet of our philosophy is that a successful project starts with teamwork. Working as a team with the client and all parties concerned to ensure that appro- priate goals, responsibilities and priorities are established in the beginning and maintained throughout the project is of utmost importance. We feel that this spirit of inter- action and cooperation is key to the successful devel- opment of a concept, a design process and, eventually, buildings and exhibits. The client is always the boss, our goal is to achieve their goals, not to impose our values on their project." Integration "We strive to emphasize the relationships between different disciplines, and between people, their cul- ture and their environment. We take the time to listen to their stories. Working with communities and with specialists in various fields, we bring together diverse perspectives, themes, and points of view to tell a much richer story. A number of projects have involved local artists and craftsmen to help make the connections between culture, history, and art." Emphasis on People "We like to emphasize the more 'human' aspect of the material we are presenting. We have found that this 'people' emphasis helps the viewer relate better to the material on view. We want people to appreciate the world around them and be aware of other values. It's time well spent to tell meaningful stories." Exhibit design firm shares perspective on elements needed for a great display B y D u A N e F A S T Duane Fast is a Vancouver, Canada-based Interpretive Graphics Consultant with 30 years experience as GM of Artcra Display Graphics Inc., an international manufacturer of interpretive graphics and exhibits. D I S P L A y D e S I G N Exhibit Design Secrets