Mike JimenezLocation: Pacifica, CAYears freelance: 3Years design experience: 12Specialties: Executive briefing centers, mobile shows, furniture, retail, interiors, and exhibitsHe’s the guy to call when: You want an exhibit, interior or permanent installation that simply and clearly reinforcesthe brand.Email: m_jimenez@comcast.netThe skinny: When the exhibit builder he worked for closed its office, Mike Jimenez decided to take a year off. Thenthe calls started rolling in. Before he knew it, Jimenez had a freelance design business. His design approach is to sculpt the brand as simply as possible. “I come from the school of ‘less is more.’ Good flowmakes it easier for the customer to understand the product,” he says. Although he relishes the use of interestingmaterials, textures, shapes, and lighting, Jimenez selects his elements with care and restraint. “The messaging canget lost and the product can be overshadowed by the [design]. There has to be a balance.” Jimenez enjoys workingon permanent installations such as executive briefing centers because they present the opportunity to do thingsthat the impermanence of trade show exhibits make implausible. This includes using high-end and difficult-to-transport materials—as well as new technologies. As an offshoot of this, Jimenez has started building customfurniture, using a variety of materials ranging from steel and ceramic to wood and poured glass. For inspiration, Jimenez takes a total change of scenery and hits the beach with his surfboard. “I think while I’m outin the water, it clears my mind,” he says.

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