EXHIBITION DESIGN EXPERIENCE
Inclusive and engaging design solutions
‘… hats off to the exhibition designers, for this is an exciting design.
From the moment you enter, it’s like walking into a story …’
Theresa Thompson, Timeless Travels Arts’ Correspondent
‘The amazing Ashmolean has done it again’
Stephen Fry
Special exhibition, lead designer (2D and 3D)
Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth and Reality, Ashmolean Museum, 2023
3 Legged Duck Design background?
Clare Flynn’s Museum Exhibition Design career spans over two decades designing engaging and impactful exhibitions, permanent displays and public spaces. She has been lead on many critically acclaimed projects. Namely, the Ashmolean Museum’s Egypt galleries redevelopment (£5m) in 2011, and more recently the 2019 blockbuster, Last Supper in Pompeii which was described by The Daily Mail’s Alistair Sooke as ‘deftly designed’.
Clare was appointed at the Ashmolean Museum in 2008 to work on the £61m redevelopment – an incredible project to be involved in. She continued at the Ashmolean for 11 years eventually becoming Senior Exhibition Designer and, since 2019 has freelanced continuing to work on projects at the Ashmolean and elsewhere.
What can 3 Legged Duck Design do for you?
Clare is experienced with leading and overseeing as Principal Designer (2D and 3D) on large scale projects.
She has collaborated with numerous talented freelance creatives and manufacturers who deliver high standards, are a pleasure to work with and are team players who like to push boundaries and keep abreast of new technologies. Areas of expertise include Graphic Design (including experience with bilingual Welsh), Lighting Design, Interior Design, Illustration, AV Design and Development, Print Production and Installation, and Build.
Clare is equally happy working independently on smaller briefs to deliver all aspects of the design (2D and 3D).
3 Legged Duck is also a museum inspired home shop selling antiques, vintage and retro. See our quirky stock online.
Special exhibition, lead design (2D and 3D):
Last Supper in Pompeii, Ashmolean Museum, 2019
Permanent galleries redevelopment, lead designer (2D and 3D):
Egypt galleries, Ashmolean Museum, 2011/12, £5m+
Permanent gallery redevelopment, lead designer (2D and 3D):
The Ashmolean Story, Ashmolean Museum, 2017
Permanent galleries redevelopment, principal designer (2D and 3D):
Rome and Early Italy galleries, Ashmolean Museum, 2025, £550k
Museum public area redevelopment, lead designer (2D and 3D):
Welcome space, Ashmolean Museum, 2015
Special exhibition, lead designer (2D and 3D):
Owning the Past: The Making of Iraq, Ashmolean Museum, 2020
Special exhibition, lead designer (2D and 3D):
Andy Warhol, Ashmolean Museum, 2016
Special exhibition, lead designer (2D and 3D):
Storms, War and Shipwrecks, Ashmolean Museum, 2016
Special exhibition, lead designer (2D and 3D):
America’s Cool Modernism, Ashmolean Museum, 2018
EXHIBITION DESIGN CV
2003–2004 Volunteer Graphic Designer/Exhibition Assistant, Hove Museum and Art Gallery
2004–2008 Exhibitions Officer/Designer, Southampton City Council Heritage Services
2008–2019 Senior Exhibition Designer (promoted in July 2018), Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology, University of Oxford.
2022–2023 Exhibition Designer, Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales).
From July 2019 Freelance Senior Exhibition Designer, interpretive design solutions in museum spaces, educational settings and public spaces.
Redevelopment Projects Lead designer unless otherwise stated
2008/9 Museum redevelopment (£60m+), Ashmolean Museum, in-house Exhibition Designer
2011 Egypt galleries redevelopment (£5m+), Ashmolean Museum
2014 Redisplay of permanent Music and Tapestry gallery, Ashmolean Museum
2014 Redisplay of permanent Greece gallery, Ashmolean Museum
2015 Redevelopment of Welcome Space, Ashmolean Museum
2017 Redisplay of permanent Ashmolean Story gallery, Ashmolean Museum, Finalist Best Permanent Exhibition, M&H Awards 2018
2023–2025 Principal Designer, Rome and Early Italy permanent galleries, Ashmolean Museum
Special Exhibitions Lead designer
2010 Pre-Raphaelites and Italy, Ashmolean Museum
2013 Xu Bing, Ashmolean Museum
2013 Stradivarius, Ashmolean Museum
2013/14 Francis Bacon/Henry Moore, Ashmolean Museum
2014 Cezanne and the Modern, Ashmolean Museum
2014 Discovering Tutankhamun, Ashmolean Museum
2016 Andy Warhol, Ashmolean Museum
2016 Storms, War and Shipwrecks, Ashmolean Museum
2018 America’s Cool Modernism, Ashmolean Museum
2019 Last Supper in Pompeii, Ashmolean Museum
‘… it requires skill and imagination to stage an exhibition this absorbing and dramatic. Throughout, the mis-en-scene is deftly designed, without ever feeling naff …’ Alastair Sooke, Art Critic, The Daily Telegraph
2019 Wall Displays, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
2019/20 Owning the Past, The Making of Iraq, Ashmolean Museum. Curator and community led content.
2020 Celebrating Women at Mansfield, Mansfield College, University of Oxford
2021/22 Ali Kazim: Suspended in Time, Ashmolean Museum
2022/23 Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth and Reality, Ashmolean Museum. ‘The amazing Ashmolean has done it again’ Stephen Fry
2023 Artes Mundi Contemporary Art Prize, Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales)
2023 Mansfield-Ruddock Art Prize, Mansfield College, University of Oxford
Public Speaking, Awards, Published and Exhibited Work
Jan 2006 Talk to the Friends of Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, ‘BC: Southampton’s Prehistoric Past’ exhibition
Jan–March 2008 Special exhibition displaying own artwork
‘Etch-a-sketch’ based artwork. Salisbury Museum and Art Gallery, Wiltshire
May 2017 Finalist Best Permanent Exhibition, M&H Awards 2018, ‘The Ashmolean Story’ gallery
Jun 2018 Design blog for the University of Oxford
America’s Cool Modernism exhibition. Read blog here
Oct 2018 Training day for Further Education students, Ashmolean Museum Short talk on America’s Cool Modernism Exhibition
Feb/March 2020 Two hour long talks to museum professionals for South East Museums Development Programme (SEMDP)
‘Keeping It Simple- Practical Tips for Producing Displays In-house and on a Limited Budget and the Benefits of Working with a Designer’.
Testimonials (SEMDP Training Day)
‘I really enjoyed your talk about exhibition design and implementation’
‘I have had quite a few people say to me that they enjoyed your talk and your creative passion’
- Creating inclusive and engaging museum design solutions. Developing interpretive content and design elements. Endeavouring to question everything and create the unexpected
- Working with project limitations, function whilst adhering to building/health and safety regulations
- Compile and manage design costings including value engineering and demonstrating cost savings when required
- Planning and managing concurrent project tasks ensuring the design is produced within the set budget
- Dealing with the exhibition production process with project management and acting on issues to ensure deadlines are met
- Carrying out research of the exhibition subject matter and an in-depth understanding of object environmental needs and mounting requirements
- Working with Education professionals ensuring displays are relevant to local communities and the National Curriculum
- Dealing with the tendering, appointment and briefing of design and production services
- Dealing with production and delivery of in-house and external design. Overseeing the quality of work and scheduling of contractors and freelancers- architects, build contractors, 2D and 3D designers and other specialist services bespoke to a project
- Working with a wide range of staffing resources and working closely with a variety of consultants and curators/artists/academics
- Producing scheme designs to presentation standard and creating detailed plans and technical drawings for build
- Knowledge of build structures. Sourcing appropriate finishes and materials.
- Expert in typography, graphic layouts, printing techniques and large format image production
- Understanding effective branding and the importance of consistent messaging
- Monitoring the production process. Supervising the installation of designs
- An influential and skilled communicator- able to communicate with both non-specialists and specialists in design and interpretation related topics
- Supplying information in a concise, coherent and organised manner. Presenting to executive team level in a board room environment
- Carrying out design review, documenting and sharing results and applying outcomes
- Fluent with Vectorworks 2D environment. Experience with Vectorworks 3D
- Competent with SketchUp
- Fluent with Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator
- Conversant with Microsoft Office Suite
