Set Design

Inspiration & Exploration

Set design is the art of building the world a story lives in. Every chair, every color, every shadow tells the audience something about the characters and the story before anyone speaks a line. Start by looking at theater and film through a designer's eyes. Next time you watch a movie or show, hit pause and study the room. What does the set tell you about the character who lives there? SLC's Pioneer Theatre Company (pioneertheatre.org) shows professional productions — if you can catch a show, sit close and study the stage. Browse the Set Decorators Society of America at setdecorators.org for behind-the-scenes photo galleries. You're ready for the next step when you can describe three specific set choices in a production you watched and explain what each one communicates.

Tools & Techniques

Set designers work in two worlds: the physical (building, painting, sourcing props) and the conceptual (mood boards, floor plans, color palettes). Learn the basic vocabulary: ground plan (a bird's-eye view of the stage), sight lines (what the audience can actually see), practical props (ones actors actually use), and dressing (decorative items that add atmosphere). Study how color affects mood — warm tones feel intimate and energetic, cool tones feel distant or tense. Create a free mood board on Canva (canva.com) for an imaginary play set in the Wasatch Mountains. Pinterest is also a free goldmine for visual research. You're ready for the next step when you can create a mood board with a clear color palette and explain the emotional effect you are going for.

First Creations

Build your first scale model. Choose a simple scene — a bedroom, a kitchen, a clearing in the woods — and construct a small-scale version using a shoebox as your stage. Use cardboard, paper, paint scraps, and found objects for furniture and props. The goal is to think in three dimensions: where does the light come from, where do actors enter and exit, what does the audience see first? Sketch a simple ground plan on paper first, then build it. Take photos from the audience's point of view when you finish. SLC has great thrift stores like Deseret Industries where set designers hunt for cheap props and inspiration. You're ready for the next step when you have a completed shoebox model and a matching ground plan sketch.

Style Development

Real set designers develop a signature approach — some lean into realism, some go abstract and symbolic, some blend historical periods in unexpected ways. Study a designer whose work excites you: look up the Tony Award winners for Best Scenic Design at the American Theatre Wing (americantheatrewing.org) to see professional portfolio examples. Now design a set for a short play or scene you care about — your own story, a favorite book, or a moment from history. Make intentional choices: if you want the audience to feel uneasy, what does that look like in furniture arrangement, color, and lighting direction? Write a short design statement explaining your choices. You're ready for the next step when you can articulate the concept behind your design in two to three sentences.

Refine Your Craft

Push your skills further with lighting and texture. Even in a model, you can use a small flashlight to simulate stage lighting — notice how the angle and color of light completely transforms the same set. Learn about practical lighting (lamps and fixtures that are part of the set) versus stage lighting (instruments controlled by a board). Study how texture works: rough surfaces absorb light and feel gritty, smooth surfaces reflect it and feel sleek. Research how Broadway designers use projections to extend physical sets — companies like 59 Productions post process videos online. Rebuild your earlier shoebox model with at least two deliberate texture choices and a lighting concept written out. You're ready for the next step when you can demonstrate how lighting changes the mood of your model set.

Portfolio Piece

Create a complete design package for an original production. Pick a short play, write a one-page story premise, or design for an original piece you invent. Your portfolio piece should include: a full mood board with color palette, at least two reference images per major set element, a ground plan drawn to scale on graph paper, a completed scale model or detailed sketches from multiple angles, and a written design concept (one page) explaining your choices. Pioneer Theatre Company and the Salt Lake Acting Company (slactco.com) both have education programs — reach out to ask if a designer would look at student work. You're ready for the next step when you have a complete design package you could present to a director.