Dear Chris, I worked for four years as an in-house graphic designer for a large historical society. Our institution had three graphic designers on staff; one worked with the exhibitions department on exhibits-related publications, one was a book designer and I worked in the Public Information department doing everything from annual reports to brochures to newsletters. I think they now use more freelance design than they did then. Though I left that position four years ago to pursue a Museum Studies degree, I suggest you can improve your chances of working in or with a museum- 1. Make sure your portfolio includes samples in one and two color work. Museum publication budgets are often modest and flashy four-color samples are nice, but outside the price range for many institutions. Even large museums with decent publication budgets use a lot of one and two color work. 2. Demonstrate an ability to design interesting newsletters. 3. Learn as much as you can about production management. I spent about three times as much time managing printing and pre-press as I did designing. A good production manager can find cost-efficient solutions to printing problems and keep projects on schedule. 4. Learn to listen to your clients. Most people don't realize how much research (in the form of interviewing the client but also in understanding the subject material) is involved in strong design. If you understand the underlying concepts of the material communicated, your design will be much more effective. Sounds self evident, but... 5. Be aware of both the museum's present and their desired image. You absolutely must be sure that the design reflects the image the museum wants to communicate to the public. When I used to look at student portfolios, they sometimes were filled with work that didn't project the image my institution was interested in communicating. The visuals were often very good, but they hadn't done any research to find out what we wanted our audience to think or feel about us. So they'd present things that had an inappropriate look. Be sure that you demonstrate a range of styles in your book, and make the styles match the subject matter and client. 6. Don't get upset if the client doesn't understand graphic design or what goes into it. Part of the designer's job is educating the client, and it's often very difficult and frustrating. Patience. Feel free to contact me off list if you have questions. Best wishes- Andrea Mugnier Former Graphic Designer, Minnesota Historical Society/Present Graduate Student, John F. Kennedy University A [log in to unmask]