John Llewellyn Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago, Il

I dream, direct, develop and execute the creative aspects of MSI's exhibits and experiences. Hand-in-hand with our staff and the Museum's community of 1.5 million annual guests, I'm on a quest to build the most inspiring museum in the world. I provide guidance and creative clarity to multiple projects and I'm responsible for the overall quality of work produced by our project teams.

Chicago, Illinois

As a Project Lead, Exhibition Developer and Designer, I use the power of place to bring new and unforgettable experiences to the public. Leading the conceptual charge on select projects, I leverage the expertise and enthusiasm of a wide range of people, from visitors to interns, volunteers, subject matter experts and leadership.I unite the design and content aspects of each project by employing my strong research and collaborative brainstorming skills. I help to define educational goals and to target visitor “take-away messages”. Building on this foundation, I bring together an array of experience elements, from exhibition text, to multimedia, to fully-immersive social interactions to inspire a wide variety of museum audiences. I set high standards for the implementation of my ideas through clear, ongoing project communications. I work closely with visitors, content experts and other stakeholders to ensure excellence.Notable projects include:Ships GalleryBrick by Brick: Play is the Gateway to GreatnessThe Great Train Story Future Energy ChicagoYOU! The ExperienceExplore • Blue Planet • Red Planet Earth Revealed NASA "Mission to Mars" learning labLeonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius Robots Like Us Frogs: A Chorus of ColorsTitanicAnatomical Sections (The Body Slices)Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle

Responsible for total experience design for THE GREAT TRAIN STORY, a 3500- sq-ft depiction of the railroad's journey across the USA...in miniature. From concept research and sketches, all the way to art-directing a small army of fabricators and artisans, through opening and upgrades, my design (and the hard work of the entire team) results in over 1.5 million enchanted visitors every year!In addition to permanent attractions like this, I also provided conceptual design, development and creative problem solving on a multitude of temporary exhibits, always relishing new challenges and new topics to present to our guests.

Conceptualized, refined, presented and facilitated production of numerous exhibits and collateral materials for trade shows, corporate rollouts and museums. Apple Computer, Inc: Developed custom layouts and new parts for modular exhibit systemKGK International: Designed and sold 24oo sq ft custom exhibit, which included custom fabric sculptures, live metal-machining demonstrations, and printed collateral.Fonar Medical Imaging: Custom exhibit for one of the inventors of MRI technology.

Generated multiple product ideas for toy manufacturer, refined three of these ideas through sourcing, production and distribution phases. These products included “paper-engineered” die-cut pop-out model kits (Puppet Opera, Ballet Studio, and Pirate Ship). Engineered and prototyped a set of motorized candy-dispensing toys.

Developed the design approach and product line for a new division of an existing company, using combinations of metals, wood, stone, and glass. Produced shop drawings, directed craftspeople and CNC machinists to optimize production. Selected outside suppliers based on quality and cost. Exhibited products at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York.

In the Vehicle Concept Development Studio, I generated, rendered, modeled and proposed multiple design solutions for exterior and interior design programs for Saturn vehicles.