Immersive & Experiential Set Design Course

Lesson 1 • The Designer's Role and Workflow

Maps the scenic designer's responsibilities from brief to strike. Clarifies collaboration points with directors, lighting designers, and production managers.

Lesson 2 • History and Evolution of Scenic Design

Traces scenic design from ancient theatrical staging to contemporary immersive environments. Establishes historical context that informs every design decision in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Core Vocabulary and Concepts

Defines essential terms: sightlines, blocking, scale, and atmosphere. Shared vocabulary enables precise communication with directors, producers, and fabricators.

Lesson 4 • Types of Performance Spaces

Surveys proscenium, thrust, arena, black box, and site-specific venues. Understanding venue typology shapes every structural and aesthetic choice.

Lesson 1 • Elements of Visual Design

Examines line, shape, form, texture, colour, and value as spatial tools. Each element is applied directly to scenic design scenarios rather than abstract exercises.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Composition

Applies balance, rhythm, emphasis, and unity to three-dimensional space. Students analyse existing sets and redesign them using compositional principles.

Lesson 3 • Mood Boards and Visual Research

Teaches systematic visual research and mood board construction as design communication tools. Students present boards that justify every aesthetic decision.

Lesson 4 • Colour Theory for Environments

Extends colour theory into spatial and psychological applications specific to scenic design. Students build colour palettes that support narrative and emotional tone.

Lesson 1 • CAD Software for Scenic Design

Introduces vector-based CAD workflows for ground plans, elevations, and section drawings. Students produce a digitally drafted ground plan of a given venue.

Lesson 2 • Physical Scale Model Building

Covers materials, tools, and techniques for constructing accurate scale models. Models serve as communication and problem-solving tools throughout the design process.

Lesson 3 • 3D Digital Modelling Basics

Introduces 3D modelling software for visualising sets before fabrication. Students build a digital model from their hand-drafted ground plan.

Lesson 4 • Technical Drawing Fundamentals

Introduces orthographic projection, scale, and standard drafting conventions used in production. Accurate drawings prevent costly fabrication errors.

Lesson 1 • Sensory Design Beyond Vision

Integrates sound, scent, temperature, and touch into the immersive design toolkit. Students map a multisensory experience plan for a single environment.

Lesson 2 • World-Building and Narrative Space

Applies narrative theory to spatial design, treating every surface as storytelling. Students develop a world-building document that drives all design choices.

Lesson 3 • Scale and Spatial Dramaturgy

Uses scale shifts and spatial sequencing to create dramatic effect and emotional impact. Students design a sequence of spaces that builds to a climactic moment.

Lesson 4 • Audience Journey Mapping

Designs the audience's physical and emotional path through an immersive environment. Journey maps become the primary planning document for complex multi-room designs.

Lesson 1 • Designing Surfaces for Light

Teaches how material finish, colour, and texture interact with light sources. Students test material samples under controlled lighting conditions.

Lesson 2 • Atmospheric Effects and Haze

Covers fog, haze, scent diffusion, and environmental effects as immersive tools. Students learn safe application and equipment operation for each effect type.

Lesson 3 • Lighting Design Fundamentals

Covers angle, intensity, colour, and movement as tools for shaping space and mood. Set designers must understand lighting to design surfaces that respond correctly.

Lesson 4 • Spatial Sound Integration

Introduces speaker placement, acoustic treatment, and soundscape layering within set design. Sound design decisions must be coordinated with structural elements.

Lesson 1 • Props, Dressing, and Detailing

Distinguishes set dressing from props and teaches sourcing, fabrication, and placement strategies. Detail layers are what transform a set into a believable world.

Lesson 2 • Materials Selection and Sourcing

Guides material selection based on visual, structural, budgetary, and sustainability criteria. Students build a materials specification sheet for a given design.

Lesson 3 • Scenic Construction Methods

Surveys standard scenic construction techniques including flat, platform, and soft goods. Understanding construction methods allows designers to specify buildable designs.

Lesson 4 • Scenic Painting and Finishing

Covers base coating, faux finishing, ageing, and specialty paint techniques for scenic surfaces. Finishing transforms raw construction into believable designed environments.

Lesson 1 • Automation and Kinetic Scenery

Introduces motorised scenic elements, automated rigging, and kinetic set pieces. Students specify a kinetic element within a design and address safety requirements.

Lesson 2 • Integrating Technology with Physical Design

Balances digital and physical elements so technology serves narrative rather than distracting from it. Students revise a design to ensure seamless tech-physical integration.

Lesson 3 • Projection Mapping Fundamentals

Introduces projection mapping as a surface transformation tool for immersive environments. Students map a simple projection onto a physical set piece.

Lesson 4 • Augmented and Mixed Reality Elements

Explores AR overlays and mixed reality tools that extend physical set design into digital space. Students prototype a simple AR layer for a physical environment.

Lesson 1 • Scheduling and Production Planning

Creates production schedules that coordinate design, fabrication, and installation milestones. Students build a Gantt-style schedule for a full production timeline.

Lesson 2 • Health, Safety, and Compliance

Covers structural safety, fire retardancy, load ratings, and audience safety standards. Designers are legally and ethically responsible for safe built environments.

Lesson 3 • Budgeting and Cost Control

Builds detailed scenic budgets, tracks expenditures, and manages value-engineering decisions. Budget discipline is a core professional competency for working designers.

Lesson 4 • Client and Director Communication

Develops skills for presenting designs, managing feedback, and navigating creative disagreements. Clear communication prevents costly revisions and builds long-term relationships.