As Founder of Haley Sharpe Design, leading museum and heritage sector interpretive design consultancy, Bill Haley brings over 44 years of master-planning, design and coordination experience, specializing on landmark North American projects.
Following training in Interior Design (at Kingston upon Thames College of Art), Bill took several design and collection-focussed posts within the museum sector. It was through this early grounding in practical display requirements coupled with creative visitor encounters with collections that his passion for defining and shaping museum interiors grew.
His enthusiasm for outstanding design and understanding of the cultural sectors, prompted him to form hsd in 1981. Since then the company has grown from a small UK-based agency, to an international design and planning consultancy with an unrivalled track record in the creation of dynamic arts, heritage and museum environments.
When and why did hsd decide to enter the export market?
We were fortunate to grow naturally into the export market. Back in the 1980’s, in the early days of Haley Sharpe Design (hsd), we designed both retail interiors and museum exhibits. A number of our clients were retail outlets within airports, initially in the UK, but quickly expanding to Ireland, Moscow, Beijing and about ten other locations worldwide. This gave as first-hand experience delivering high quality, quick turnaround projects in a range of markets.
In terms of our museum and heritage services, we actively started looking at projects in the US in the years prior to the Millennium. We took on a number of representatives in the US and our North American work took off from there. We now have a dedicated interpretive team in our Toronto office, which grew out of the huge Renaissance Royal Ontario Museum project.
What was your first international project, and did you receive Government advice to realise your dream?
Probably our first international heritage project was won on the basis of our credentials from a UK-based scheme. We had designed the Evolution of Wales Geology Gallery at the National Museum of Wales, which was seen by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. His representatives then approached us to design a similar gallery in Sharjah, which resulted in a series of fantastic commissions, creating the Sharjah Maritime Museum, Islamic Museum of Culture and Arts, Sharjah Aquarium, Natural History Museum and many more.
How many international projects has hsd delivered, and is there one particularly project that resonates as being a particular challenge?
We are proud to have completed hundreds of projects over our 35 years history.
In some ways, each and every project starts with a challenge – as we are often being asked to help a client create an experience or exhibition which hasn’t existed before. So, in the early stages of our projects, challenges might be shaping a funding strategy or application, or building community and stakeholder consensus for the scheme.
As projects progress, we have dealt with an array of challenges, from complex public / private client groups, lack of collection documentation for artefact-rich museum redevelopments, meeting tight deadlines despite building delays, and interpreting difficult or contentious subjects. But all these challenges, in our mind, aren’t negative, as they have given us the opportunity to apply our skills and to think outside of the box. Ultimately, these challenges have enabled us to create design and interpretative solutions that meet our clients’ needs, and that visitors enjoy.
From your experience, what are the main challenges and things newcomers to working internationally need to consider?
Patience and focus are key – realistically, it has taken us around 20 years to really penetrate selected international markets. Thinking strategically about where your services are likely to be most in demand and focussing efforts in that country or region is a given. Where potential cultural barriers exist, you need to listen hard and really digest and understand what the client is saying or really asking for. In our sector, understanding the creative essence or visitor learning/experience objectives for each scheme is vital. And lastly, it goes without saying that actually being there, actual face time, is crucial, and demonstrates that you are committed to each project.
Do you think Brexit will have a bearing on the way you approach work around the globe?
Hard to say at this stage. Clearly, like all business, we would like to see certainty about future trade arrangements and agreements that might impact on our ability to offer services in different regions.
For more information about Haley Sharpe Design, please visit their members page.
