(This page addresses consulting outside of my normal science/art/education/attraction exhibit work. If you are a museum, aquarium/zoo, nature center, trade-show booth or set designer, architect, etc., please visit TechnoFrolics.)
Please see my one page Bio. Productive applications of those skills and experiences include:
Building bridges between diverse groups and departments, where cross communication is critical, but where assumptions and vernacular are so different as to make such communication extremely challenging. Such groups can include: academic/science/engineering, sales/marketing, customers/students/the-lay-public.
As one element of the above, acting as a real-time "translator and note taker" within meetings, particularly between the technical and the emotional, helping to identify and make explicit differing assumptions and orientations across diverse groups and individuals. Such translation helps each side communicate to the other with maximum clarity, efficiency, and calm. A core element of this activity is listening deeply, and then articulating each person's/team's perspective (in immediate verbal and/or later written form), resulting in participants feeling truly "seen and acknowledged".
While I have effectively engaged in the above many times in connection with both TechnoFrolics and my personal life, I am just now starting to offer these services more broadly, tailored to particular client needs. I realize that most projects in this vein will be gotten by word-of-mouth, and that this page is unlikely by itself to be sufficient. That said, perhaps the below quotes and endorsements from my decades of work within the public and educational sector will convey some of the spirit of what I offer. (Note that these quotes span decades of work, so ideas that were visionary at the time they were presented, are now in many instances much more common place. But of course that means I was correct... :-)
Sharon L. Rupe Senior Project Manager, Hands On! Inc., Museum Master Planning Group "Hands On! has worked with any number of artists and exhibit designers and David's ideas are consistently the most innovative and affecting for the vast and varied public whom we serve. ...
David's remarkable sense of the interactive potential between science and art is a perfect match with the atmosphere of discovery and inspiration that we try to convey to the museum visitor. ...
What impresses us most about his work is the "social" nature of the experiences. While they are technologically and scientifically advanced, they express that sophistication with an almost childlike wonder that captivates all who encounter them. In the laughter, the conversations and questions, the way one person pulls another over to see and experience, the unforgettable smiles and emotion, we consistently see the success of David's work. ...
David Durlach is, by far, one of the most dedicated and inventive people with whom we have had the pleasure of working. His devotion to reaching people of all ages, genders and cultures through the integration of science, art and personal experience is rare and welcome indeed."
(Created spontaneously, as "proof-of-concept". Focuses on technical competence, capability of independent work, and clear thinking and writing. Does not include graphic elements or playfulness - for an example of that, created using After Effects, please email <david (@) daviddurlach (dot) com>.)
Emulate.Energy co-founder Shwan Lamei "I absolutely love it ... once we start commercializing things and need to start educating residents something like this would be super helpful."