Case studies: Senior designer: David

David has a degree in fine art from the University of Central Lancashire. Having gained a broad base of design experience in the UK and in the USA he now runs his own design studio. His career illustrates the importance of breadth and versatility for a successful design career.

After graduation, my early career included spells working in exhibition design and theatre set design, and in animation for film studios in the United States. With that range of experience behind me I set up my own design studio, Quarry Fold Studio (QFS), in Lancashire. I do work in exhibition and conference design, architectural design, interior design and graphic design, and also undertake public art commissions. Exhibition and display design clients have included Hewlett Packard, Honeywell, Cieffe, Bunzl and the Dorchester Hotel group. We are also niche specialists in design work for theme park attractions and I've worked extensively with the Liseberg theme park in Gothenburg, Sweden, providing a full range of services including master planning, 3D design, ride development, exhibitions, landscape and interior design.

I would say that my career and my business both show the importance of multi-skilling and versatility for a successful career in exhibition and related design fields, as do the range of skills and backgrounds of the team at QFS. The four-person team comprises a further fine artist, a graphic designer, an animation artist and an engineer.

My advice for graduates entering exhibition and related design careers is reflected in the qualities I look for in new recruits to QFS: show passion and vision for design and have as broad a portfolio of skills and experience as possible - from the latest technologies (video, 3D, animation) to traditional art skills (drawing skills, spatial awareness) to hands-on, practical know-how (know what a piece of plywood does).

Word of mouth recommendations and networks are really important both for designers looking for work and for studios looking to win commissions. To stay successful it's also vital to keep up your personal development. All of the designers at QFS have trained or are self-taught in a range of new technologies including 3D modelling and animation packages such as LightWave and Cinema 4D, and video editing software such as Adobe Premiere.

To sum up, be as broad-based and prolific a designer as you can be, keep refreshing your skills and use your networks.