The show you are going to sell at will decided the biggest determining factor about your booth display~ size. The show I am selling at, the booth space is 8 feet by 5 feet… pretty small.  Although this booth size is small, all the basic design rules still apply. What are the “rules” you ask?  Proportion and scale, balance, contrast, colors and textures, rhythm, and harmony. This is one place where my interior architecture background comes in hand, or it might hinder- not sure yet.

Rule number one: Proportion and Scale: it’s very important to take into consideration the size and space of your booth. I don’t think it would be wise to deign a booth that can not change to accommodate different booth sizes.  For this show, my booth is tiny, so I will not be using a table that takes up the entire space, I will probably use a small table, some kind a shelving unit and maybe a taller cafe type table.

Rule number two: Balance: for this I think the only way to go is asymmetrical balance. That is, balancing items for sale visually.  This is hard to explain, visually when you look at your booth, if you have balance you eye will glance over everything, and the space will feel and look “balanced.”

Rule number three: Contrast: contrast in the space creates visual interest through color, size, texture, etc. It’s important when creating a booth that this contrast is still balanced and the the contrast between your items and your booth are not that great.

Rule number four: Colors and textures: color is a bit tricky, you will want your booth space color or colors to work with your items for sale, draw attention, but not detract from your items for sale.

Rule number five: Rhythm: rhythm goes hand in hand with contrast, having a item or color helps create rhythm.  In a small booth space, I think using color to create rhythm is the way to go, but remember rule number four.

Rule number six: harmony: Harmony will occur when there is proper balance of proportion, patterns, color, textures, contrast and rhythm.  In otherwords, if you got it just right you will have harmony in your booth space.

Confused yet, you shouldn’t be.  I believe this is actually second nature to all creative types, but reading it and deciphering what is written is the tricky part.  The basic outcome of the technical bits is that when you walk into a space, booth or room, and you feel calm, your eye travels through the space and you are not focused on one object, you have created harmony.  Ta-da!