This booth was made for sellin' -- or will be, once I fix these 5 problems

A few weeks ago, I got schooled in "Designing a Better Booth Display" by the women at School House Craft. I don't do a ton of craft fairs, so I knew I had a lot to learn. 

My biggest surprise? Pegboard is evil!


Here's a staged setup of my booth layout. I took this photo earlier this spring, to apply for shows I wanted to be in. Can you spot the 5 biggest problems?

Where's Waldo?

Problem 1: Visual clutter

There's too much -- too many colors, too many shapes, too many lines. My eye doesn't know where to go -- it bounces back and forth between the two sides of the booth.  I knew this was a problem (to be fair, I was trying to fit everything into my camera's frame). 

The one source of clutter I didn't spot, though, was the grid of holes in the pegboard book stands that my handyman husband made for me. 

Remember dot-matrix printers?

To fix the problem, I can paint the pegboard black or cover it with fabric.

Problem 2: No focal point

Another reason the booth looks so cluttered is that there's no focal point -- no one visual element that dominates the scene. A focal point makes the booth more attractive. Even more important, it catches the eye of weary fairgoers and draws them to the booth. I can fix this problem by creating empty space around a display I want to highlight. Or I can add a large photo of one of my items (like someone using a Kindle case).

Problem 3: Too many products

I knew this was a problem. But I didn't realize I looked "desperate." That was the word workshop leader Marlo used for vendors who display all their products at once. 

But what if customer doesn't see the item she wants? If I notice someone looking at a particular thing, I can say something like, "I have those in a different pattern/color/size. Would you like to see more?"

Problem 4: All mixed up

Let's say you're shopping for an iPad bag. You come to my booth and search for the iPad bag "section." 

More is NOT better

Turns out, I have 4 iPad bag sections! Wow! Isn't that great? Uh, no it's not. To fix the problem, my booth should be a mini Macy's, with separate departments for each product line. All the iPad stuff together, all the Scrabble bracelets together. No mingling!

Problem 5: Foolish consistency

My tag line is "Upcycling with a retro vibe." So shouldn't the props I use in my booth be retro as well? Like the go-go orange polka-dot shower curtain in the background. I just love it.

Polka dot a go-go! Go, go away.

But I learned that by using a retro backdrop and props, I was camouflaging my retro creations, making them harder to see. To make them pop, I need to have simpler, contemporary props. Glass and steel? I wonder how Mr. Creative Upcycling will like that.

My next show is OddMall in September. That gives me a couple of months to fix these problems. I'll post photos of my re-done booth. 

What's the biggest booth no-no you've seen at a craft fair? What draws you to a booth, almost against your will?