We're Small… By Design
About Storyline
Storyline is an award winning design firm founded over 20 years ago. Our core team of five principal-level talents are located in Nashville, Seattle, British Columbia and California.
We like to say that firms don't design exhibits – people do. The level of quality and originality in every design is a measure of the creative talent and experience of the design team and their ability to work collaboratively with the client. Storyline Studio has forged a new path in the field of exhibition design.
For more than 40 years, Storyline founder Bill Smith has built an award-winning career in exhibition planning and design. After 18 years as designer and then partner and design director at a Bay Area design firm, Smith returned to his Pacific Northwest roots and envisioned a new approach to his work.
In establishing Storyline in Seattle, Bill set three core principles for the firm:
- Commitment to search for innovative, successful ways to connect visitors to the story
- Personal first-hand service throughout the course of a project
- All work to be done by a small, creative, trusted team of principal-level professionals.
By forming a collaborative design environment with other experts who share these principles, Storyline Studio provides a high quality product delivered by principal-level individuals in all critical project roles. The team is small, in-tune, and efficient, providing you the bang of real depth for your buck.
Our Expertise
The Storyline team has deep expertise in museum and interpretive planning. Each team member has participated in, and some have led, large planning projects. In fact, one of the firm's strengths is our ability to shape a plan through a close collaboration with the client. Two of our team members (Howard Litwak and Tim Willis) have worked in senior positions within significant museums. They know the operational side of museums and have both led functional planning projects for new museums and museum expansions.
Our Capabilities
In Bill Smith and Stuart Lee, the firm boasts two of the most experienced and respected designers in the country. Bill and Stu draw from a deep well of experience but they always bring something fresh to each project. One of their enormous strengths is their ability to visualizing design ideas as the interpretive plan forms.
Our Philosophy
Every project is different. We do not apply a standardized approach. Our design process is first and foremost a process of discovery and close creative collaboration.
We are in this business because we like the opportunity to participate in the process of informal public education. As a result, we never want to get tied into knots by advancing "our" ideas independent of "your" ideas. We want the end product to reflect everyone's ideas. The work is iterative and collaborative, and we need frequent conversation as we go.
