window-dresser

Who are they and what do they do? The job of a window-dresser is to attract customers' attention to goods offered for sale. A window-dresser may be employed by a department store or a company staging exhibitions or he/she can be self-employed.

What are the activities of the job? S/he makes eye-catching displays and signs, uses ornamental script on banners made of materials of various kinds - arranges goods and does window-dressing - arranges shops and stages sales exhibitions and decorates stands and show rooms at exhibitions S/he is responsible for producing visually complex window displays and decorations on the basis of his/her own designs - makes detailed drawings for the display - has a good ongoing knowledge of materials used for window-dressing, for instance textiles, paper, metals, plastics, etc. - maintains technical aids for window-dressing.

Where is it done and under what conditions? He/she does the job in the window spaces of shopping facilities, or at exhibitions, in a fairly comfortable working environment; occasionally the job involves places of work that are not easily accessible, or at heights.

What tools/equipment do they use? The tools most frequently used are brushes and other drawing implements, scissors, glues and adhesives, stencils and templates. It is particularly important to be clever with your hands and get good ideas.

What do you need to succeed? You need to complete an apprenticeship, have aesthetic awareness, manual skill, resourcefulness and creative abilities, three-dimensional imagination, ability to organise your work and ability to improvise.