Not-So-D.C. Jobs: Meet the designer behind Smithsonian's retail spaces
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Welcome to "Not-So-D.C. Jobs," a new series where we go behind the scenes with people whose nine-to-five isn't your typical, inside-the-Beltway gig.
First up: Anna Joseph.
What do you do: Design retail spaces for Smithsonian museums and buildings.
🤩 Greatest hits: Joseph was part of the team that helped design the National Air and Space Museum's revamped Mars Café.
- The concept: A "restaurant that is parked on the planet Mars."
- The execution: Lots of rust colors and an entryway that looks like a spaceship portal.
- Joseph's team also used NASA images of Martian landscapes from the Perseverance rover to create a "view" out of the café.
.👽 Cool AF story: While helping renovate the museum's gift shop, Joseph's team got word that Lucasfilm was lending Air and Space a "Star Wars" T-70 X-wing Starfighter, to be displayed right above the store.
- That meant her team had to adjust their design plans to make sure they complemented the new intergalactic prop.
☀️ A typical day: A morning could include a design kickoff meeting for, say, a café revamp at the National Museum of the American Indian.
- Then she might throw on a hard hat and check out a construction site before it's back to the desk to draw up plans for future projects.
🎠 Latest enterprise: Redesigning a building at the National Zoo to house VR simulators, and helping with the restoration of the carousel on the National Mall.
👀 Behind the scenes: Lots of research and creative thinking to make sure design decisions match the museums' missions. "Every museum is so unique, so that makes it all the more challenging," says Joseph.
- Plus, Joseph has to create spaces that can withstand a ton of visitors and wear and tear.
🚀 Advice for strivers: "Push your dreams, broaden your purpose, work with intention, and rethink rejection."
🎨 Side gig: She's also an artist, selling prints, stationery, and greeting cards on Minted.
💗 The bottom line: "There's a certain level of prestige involved in [designing Smithsonian spaces]," says Joseph. "And I'm just so thankful that I get to work on projects that are visited by millions of people."
Know someone with a cool, unusual D.C. job? Nominate them for our feature by emailing [email protected].