Today's culture seems to frown on the use of make-believe and hesitates to create detailed mockups and spend time on walkthroughs. Unfortunately, this reluctance has led to many an unwieldy, unattractive, and ineffective trade show display. Virtually all of them would have been adapted and maximized for success had the companies spent time on a mock up or trial run. Most companies have come to realize that there is value in a slow, analytical design process; those same companies are now realizing just how valuable the addition of mock ups, trial runs, and other preparatory exercises can be to actual convention performance.

What Are We Imagining?

There are many different kinds of make-believe that will help with trade show exhibit design. The first is perhaps the most simple: imagining that you're a visitor at the convention. You walk through the trade show display with the eyes of a visitor, seeing what they see and being more aware of faults and shortcomings as a result.

You can also imagine that you're a visitor interacting with your staff. This is an incredible training tool for new staff members, and allows you virtually unprecedented control over their training process. Plus, it's a great way to make them feel less nervous on their first day because they'll have some idea of what to expect.

Finally, you can imagine that you're seeing the real trade show exhibit, when in fact it's being presented in mock-up form. The mockup itself shouldn't be imagined; it should be on a piece of paper, in a computer, or even a small scale model.

The Visitor Trade Show Display Walkthrough

Every designer tries to imagine their unit from the perspective of someone visiting it for the first time. Some are more successful than others, but almost everyone slips up at one point. It's just too difficult to maintain a constant viewpoint that is so foreign, and it's easy not to notice when you lose it. Doing a mental walkthrough offers a small chunk of time where you have nothing to do but focus in on the mindset of the attendee. You're more likely to notice your mind wandering, and thus be more likely to provide the best feedback from the best perspective.

The Staff Training Make-Believe Game

Companies have long used the hypothetical situation as a training tool. This use of make-believe just extends it a bit, creating a scenario where a new staff member interacts with other personnel who are pretending to be clients. The key to making this really successful is to never drop the charade. It must feel as though they are at the trade show exhibit. If possible, bring in people who hardly know the new trainee or trainees to heighten the sense of realism.

Obtaining A Correct Mental Image

Blueprints and renderings are a vital tool for design. They're not exactly make-believe; instead, they help correct any discrepancies between what is imagined and what should be. Without these, companies would be much more likely to produce a trade show display that doesn't answer visitor questions and misses the mark overall. Mockups ensure that every element of the design and production team is on the same page, and helps prevent other errors of communication and design.

Using make-believe to enhance your trade show exhibit is not an expensive process. It's not time consuming, and it's generally pretty enjoyable. If you're not inclined to jump into it fully, use a few of these tips for your next trade show display and see the results. If you're like many companies, you may well find make-believe well worth it.