Set Design & Fabrication

What is Set Designing?

Set designing is a major part of corporate events. Located mostly outside the company’s premises, sets are created to display and promote the company’s products and services.

Sets may be simple single colour backdrops or elaborate and complex arrangements, depending on the needs of the client. To make them attractive and gather eyeballs, set designs have an underlying creative theme to them. Branding, which consists of the company’s name, logo and tagline, is an integral part of set designing.

Set designing begins with a brief from the client. The complexity of the design and its size directly affects the time required to design and erect the set. Simple single colour backdrop sets can be designed in a few hours but complex sets with many features may take days to design and erect. Therefore, it is essential that the client be correctly apprised about the time and money needed for the completion of his set design.

A set design should be both functionally sound and aesthetically pleasing and therefore needs a team of professionals with requisite skills to build them. The client-servicing, design and on-ground construction teams have to work hand-in-hand to complete the task successfully.
Designing is done using a 3D software called 3D Max. A fresh pass out from a design school takes about 6 months to operate the software with proficiency, given he has daily exposure and a reasonable amount of work load to feed his growth curve.

Materials used in actual construction of sets are plywood, iron, vinyl, foam sheet etc.


Artistic and Unique Set Design and Set Fabrication

Creativity and artistic skills play a vital role in set design. They serve as a powerful force, drawing visitors to the set and compelling them to view the product. A highly creative and artistic set will even attract consumers who are not the targeted group. The same is true vice-versa.

However, the designer is not always given a free leash to express his creative instincts and has to work within an ambit. He has to work keeping in mind the following factors: objective of the event, brand philosophy, budget constraints, space and time constraints and the target audience.

Nonetheless, if a designer has to make a mark for himself, he has to produce something awe-inspiring despite the constraints that confront him. A designer has no manual that guarantees him success for every endeavour he undertakes but there are some guidelines that he can follow and be assured of a pat on the back.

Set design, in terms of its architecture, has to be simple and elegant. Huge and complex structures tend to de-focus the viewer. Surprisingly, and contrary to popular belief, a few simple curves and lines may lead to a striking design. Thus, simplicity is one thing while designing a set. The same applies to colours. An unnecessary splash of colours will make the design unattractive. However, there can be instances where several colours used sensibly can have a mesmerising effect on the viewer.

Set design also has to be created keeping in mind the fabrication needs. If the set has to be erected in a limited span of time with an unalterable budget, the design has to be basic. However, if ample time and money are available, then the set designer can add flourishes to his work.

To sum it up, artistry and creativity play an indispensable role in set design. Without them, sets would be piles of material stacked side by side like the concrete jungles we live in and viewers would determinedly avoid them.

So, work within the limitations and produce something marvellous which can attract visitors and promote your client’s product.

Below are some illustrations of Artistic and Unique Creative Set Design