The beauty of interior design as a field is that it offers diverse creative career choices to aspirants. While residential and commercial interior design are conventional options, some students may pursue allied or specialised pathways like set design and exhibition design. An exhibition or set design career India is ideal for those who are passionate about visual storytelling and love to create immersive experiences for users through their designs. If you are interested in these careers, you will find plenty of exciting opportunities across industries like film, television, theatre, advertising, experiential marketing, retail, museums, events, and more.
Read on to know the meaning of set design and exhibition design respectively, what each entails, their career prospects, and how interior design students can prepare themselves for such careers!
Introduction to Set Design
Set design plays a significant role in the entertainment and media industry. Be it a television show, a movie, a theatrical production, an advertisement, digital content, or a music video, all of them require the creation of suitable physical environments, or sets. Although these sets form the backdrop of the performance, they are integral to the story as they help produce the desired mood or effect. The set design cannot just be aesthetically appealing to look at, but it must also match the storyline’s theme and fulfil the script’s practical requirements.
For instance, a TV commercial for a new cooking appliance may need to showcase a modern kitchen, whereas a period film or drama series may need to show historical monuments like forts and palaces. It is the set designer’s responsibility to build these sets. They must work closely with the director and writer(s) to understand their vision and then bring it to life with the appropriate visual setting. To do this, they have to consider various factors such as spatial arrangement, materials, furniture, props, colours, lighting, acoustics, etc., while working within the production budget.
Reputed colleges in Mumbai, like the L.S. Raheja School of Architecture (LSRSA), offer interior design courses that impart most of the knowledge and skills one needs to become a set designer. They cover space planning, furniture design, colour theory, materials, visualisation, and perspective drawing, among other topics. Since LSRSA builds a strong foundation in these concepts, the institute’s interior design students can absolutely go for a set design career India.
Set Design Career Prospects for Interior Design Students
As the country’s prominent entertainment hub, Mumbai offers immense scope for a thriving set design career India. However, you should know that to enter this field, practical experience, a strong work portfolio, and industry connections can be quite useful beyond your degree or diploma in interior design. Students can go on to pursue the following roles in set design:
- Assistant Set Designer – Conducts research, creates drawings, selects materials, and prepares the set to assist senior designers.
- Art Department Assistant – Organises props, helps with set dressing, and handles production-related design requirements.
- Theatre Set Designer – Creates stage sets for live performances with due consideration to ease of movement for the performers, scene changes, and audience visibility.
- Production Designer – Coordinates with art and design departments to develop the overall visual direction of a TV/film production or other screen projects.
- Freelance Set Designer – Works on independent projects like music videos, advertisements, brand campaigns, photoshoots, etc.
Introduction to Exhibition Design
Exhibition design involves crafting spaces for a temporary or permanent exhibition which may display artworks, artefacts, photographs, installations, products, interactive experiences, or unique ideas to spectators. Art galleries, museums, trade expos, fairs, corporate functions, product launches, shopping malls, retail stores, schools, colleges, etc., are some of the places and events that host exhibitions.
The objectives of exhibition design are visual communication, visitor engagement, and the creation of a memorable journey through an artificial environment. It is different from the design of daily-use spaces like homes or offices. An exhibition space should be visually attractive as well as functional and accessible. Exhibition designers plan the whole layout and design of an exhibition space, right from the entry point and navigation route to the way the exhibits are displayed and how the audience understands and interacts with them.
For example, a museum exhibition may feature a careful arrangement of artefacts, use strategic lighting, provide explanatory graphics, and include interactive displays to communicate additional information about the items. An automobile exhibition may have illuminated display platforms, branded installations, designated visitor pathways, and interactive product demos.
If you study interior design at a trusted college like LSRSA Mumbai, you won’t need to separately enrol in an exhibition design course. Whether you opt for the Government Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree program, all their courses have a comprehensive curriculum that aims to provide well-rounded design education. As a result, students can easily apply their interior design knowledge to allied areas like exhibition design.
Exhibition Design Career Prospects for Interior Design Students
Students of an interior design or exhibition design course can pursue various career opportunities in exhibition design, such as:
- Exhibition Designer – Plans the spatial layout, exhibit displays, visitor navigation pathways, and the overall visual theme.
- Visual Merchandiser – Works to strengthen brand identity and boost customer engagement through a strategic arrangement of retail displays and product presentations.
- Museum & Gallery Designer – Conceptualises spaces like museums or art galleries that display artworks, photographs, installations, historical artefacts, etc.
- Experiential Designer – Develops interactive environments to let visitors engage with a product, service, brand, or concept.
- Trade Show Designer – Creates exhibition stalls and branded setups for businesses participating in trade shows or other industry events.
As you gather more experience in exhibition design, you may move on to senior roles like creative director or project manager, or start your own independent design consultancy.
Key Skills to Develop for Set Design & Exhibition Design Careers
A set designer and exhibition designer’s work purposes differ from each other’s, yet a solid grasp of interior design principles is essential for both jobs. LSRSA Mumbai helps interior design students build a strong skill set with the following capabilities, which they can leverage in their future exhibition or set design career India:
- Spatial Planning
- Drawing & Visualisation
- Visual Storytelling & Communication
- Knowledge of Lighting & Materials
- Digital Design Software & Tools (e.g. SketchUp, AutoCAD, and other 3D visualisation tools)
- Project Coordination & Budgeting, etc.
Preparation Tips for Aspiring Set Designers & Exhibition Designers
Though less commonly chosen, set design and exhibition design are lucrative career options for interior design students, especially in a city like Mumbai. The following tips can help you prepare for a rewarding career in either of these two fields:
1. Enrol in a trusted interior design institute.
The first step you must take as an aspiring set or exhibition designer is to enrol in a trusted interior design institute, such as L.S. Raheja School of Architecture (LSRSA) in Mumbai. LSRSA offers an array of interior design courses, including:
- Bachelor’s of Vocation in Interior Design (BVOC – ID) – A 3-year full-time undergraduate vocational degree program affiliated to the University of Mumbai.
- Full-time Government Diploma in Interior Design – A 2-year full-time diploma program affiliated to MSBTE with recognition from the Government of Maharashtra.
- Part-time Government Diploma in Interior Design – A 3-year part-time diploma program affiliated to MSBTE with recognition from the Government of Maharashtra.
Through these courses, the institute provides holistic interior design education with ample practical experience and industry exposure. Thus, it transforms students into industry-ready professionals, whether they want a career in set design, exhibition design, or another domain.
2. Undertake relevant projects for practice.
If you are serious about a set design or exhibition design career, you should start practising for it during your course itself. You can take up relevant projects for this practice, such as developing a concept for a product display, designing a small theatre stage for a play, or creating a miniature exhibition centred around a particular theme. The more you experiment with such projects, the better will be your understanding of how design ideas manifest as physical environments.
3. Get industry exposure through internships.
Set design and exhibition design course students must explore internship opportunities with design studios, production houses, retail brands, exhibition fabricators, or event companies to gain valuable industry exposure. You can also visit art galleries, museums, exhibitions, trade fairs, film/TV show sets (if you can get access), etc., to observe the real-life execution of professional design practices.
4. Develop an impressive portfolio.
Students must build an impressive design portfolio that includes concept sketches, layouts, moodboards, material selections, models, 3D renders, and photos of completed projects. They must also explain the design objectives and describe how the final outcomes address the given briefs.
5. Be conscious of sustainability, safety & accessibility in design.
Consciousness about sustainability, safety, and accessibility is critical in any contemporary interior design practice. Hence, aspiring set designers and exhibition designers must acquire an in-depth understanding of sustainable materials, safe construction practices, accessibility features, reusable display systems, etc.
Conclusion
An exhibition design or set design career India requires students to combine technical expertise with creative imagination and visual storytelling. Therefore, it allows design professionals to do more than just decorate spaces; it gives them the opportunity to shape one-of-a-kind experiences for spectators. Get in touch with LSRSA Mumbai for enquiries about our interior design programs!
FAQs
1. What is the difference between set design and exhibition design?
Set design refers to the creation of suitable physical environments (or sets) for films, TV shows, theatrical productions, advertisements, music videos, and digital content, whereas exhibition design implies the creation of spaces for temporary/permanent exhibitions showcasing artworks, artefacts, products, interactive experiences, etc.
2. What career opportunities are available in set design for interior design students?
Interior design students who aspire to build a set design career India can pursue roles like assistant set designer, art department assistant, theatre set designer, production designer, or freelance set designer across entertainment, advertising, and media industries.
3. What are the career opportunities in exhibition design?
Exhibition design offers career opportunities as exhibition designer, visual merchandiser, museum & gallery designer, experiential designer, and trade show designer.
4. How can interior design students prepare for a career in set or exhibition design in Mumbai?
To prepare for a career in set or exhibition design in Mumbai, students must enrol in a reliable interior design course at a reputed institute, undertake relevant projects for practice, pursue internships with design studios, production houses, retail brands, exhibition fabricators, or event companies for industry exposure, and build a strong design portfolio.
