Trade Show Design and the Art of Imperfection

Trade show design can become long and drawn out if you cannot let go of some small details.

Trade show design is not an easy task, and trade show booths are certainly not easy projects to finalize. We understand that as well as anyone else – what we do is more than fabrication; there are the elements of art and design that play an equal role in our work. Thus, there is the desire to achieve perfection – creators are especially prone to this. We have been following Mel White’s articles on the Classic Exhibits blog, and found a post that touches on this subject. In the article White quotes Seth Godin, the marketing darling of the moment. Check out the article here: www.classicexhibits.com

Trade Show Design Imperfection

We wanted to address the topic of perfection, because it can create obstacles in projects, especially large scale ones like trade show design. Striving for perfection can lead to extended time frames and over-extended budget, among other strains on a project’s original scope. It may be difficult to “let go,” but often the scope of the project requires it. We, as artists and designers, must practice “letting go.” In Seth Godin’s brief paragraph about perfection, he reminds us that improvements on an original design are essential. Versions, iterations, and editions, all of these build upon a foundation that is in its own way perfect.

Keep this in mind the next time you are working on a project. “Perfection” may never be truly achieved, when each iteration is better than the last because of new technology, new information, peer reviews, and other activities that lead to improvement.