Show, Event & Exhibition Design
I like taking a blank canvas or a tight venue footprint and turning it into a living, breathing experience. Because of my background in lighting, video, and general live production, I don't just design things to look good on paper; I design them with a real-world understanding of how the kit actually gets rigged, powered, patched, and operated on site.
Whether it’s a bespoke exhibition stand, a corporate experiential project, or a full-scale outdoor festival footprint, I bridge the gap between technical drafting and visual storytelling.
The Tech Toolkit
Different parts of a project need different tools, so I use a mix of industry-standard software depending on whether I'm planning logistics or prepping visuals:
- Vectorworks & AutoCAD: My go-to tools for to-scale technical drafting, architectural venue planning, rigging layouts, and master site infrastructure.
- WYSIWYG & Capture: Perfect for 3D lighting pre-visualisation, rendering beams, pre-programming shows, and proving concepts before anyone hits site.
- Adobe Illustrator: Great for taking raw technical CAD data and translating it into clean, polished graphic maps and clear public guides.
Case Study: Windsor & Eton Pride
For Windsor & Eton Pride, the goal was to craft a site layout that hit every single operational requirement while remaining open, safe, and welcoming for the local LGBTQIA+ and ally communities.
I took a two-stage approach to the site design:
- The To-Scale Plan (Vectorworks): First, the entire event footprint was drafted to scale in Vectorworks. This covered all the essential heavy lifting: stage locations, trader pitches, power runs, crowd control barriers, emergency access routes, and accessible areas to keep the site safe and fully compliant.
- The Public Map (Adobe Illustrator): Once the technical CAD layout was locked, I exported the vector data directly into Illustrator. From there, I stripped back the raw architectural linework and transformed it into a clear, visually polished site map for the public, artists, and event staff to navigate the grounds on the day.
Want to See More?
You can check out some of my technical site plans, stage renderings, and exhibition layouts in the PDF linked on this site. I’ll also be continually dropping new CAD work, render previews, and case studies here as time goes on.