What Does a Production Designer Do? (Set Design Examples)
Updated: 02/04/2025
While they may not be as recognized as directors, production designers (PDs) are essential to high-quality video production. They are the creative driving force behind the visual world of films and commercial videos, ensuring every frame looks intentional, immersive, and on-brand.
The production designer’s role goes beyond making a set look good—it’s about crafting an environment that enhances the story and evokes the right emotions. Whether it’s a high-energy commercial, a moody music video, or a corporate piece, set design plays a crucial role in storytelling. The more immersive the atmosphere and air in a video, the more believable it becomes.
What Is a Production Designer? Skills, Responsibilities, & Process
The production designer is head of the art department and collaborates closely with the director, producer, and cinematographer to shape the video’s overall aesthetic and art direction.
The skills of a production designer are expansive but often include:
Design visualization
Research and development
Creative and critical thinker
Strong communicator
Leads and delegates well
Budgeting and project management
Production designers come from various backgrounds and career paths, lending them particular expertise. These positions may include architects, illustrators, art directors, fine arts, film and art history students, graphic designers, and more.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: What Does a Production Designer Do?
Collaborate with the director and director of photography (DoP) to define visual tone
Construct atmosphere through various visual elements
Selecting and designing sets, props, and furniture
Incorporating branding elements (for commercial projects)
Choosing color palettes, textures, and lighting elements
Setting the stage for visual effects, special effects, and CGI in post-production editing
Coordinating with costume and makeup departments to maintain visual consistency
Manage budgets and ensure all visual elements align with production goals
Oversee set decoration and ensure everything is camera-ready
A production designer’s job begins in the pre-production phase, breaking down the script and mood boards and interpreting it into a cohesive visual style based on the director’s vision.
From there, they lead and collaborate with their art department to bring the vision to life! The art department is as small or expansive as needed but may include roles such as set designers, assistant art directors, prop masters, costume designers, HMU teams, and other creatives.
Once the client and producers confirm the shoot locations, production designers visit the site to assess the space and design elements needed. Sometimes, the set only requires a few side tables and plants to give the video a warmer, inviting feel. However, other video productions are large enough that it’s more efficient to rent moving trucks to haul everything they need to the shoot locations. The PD’s job isn’t over once they’ve acquired all the necessary props, wardrobe pieces, and more.
In the production phase, the art department arrives first thing on the shoot days and are extremely busy balancing shoot schedules and working with those under their direction to ensure every scene comes together as planned.
Set Design in Action: Navigating Project Goals
Image: Behind the Scenes with Noble Bison Productions
Like video production companies, PDs use their expertise to navigate the various goals of a particular video project, depending on the client, audience, and more. Let’s look at how a production designer applies their unique skills to different video production types:
Set Design in Commercials & Broadcast Ads
Set Design in Brand & Corporate Videos
Set Design in Film Production & Music Videos
Broadcast COMMERCIAL Set Design
CREATING A BRANDED EXPERIENCE
In advertising, every visual choice should reinforce the brand identity. The production designer's role in this is selecting and visually showcasing your brand through props, clothing, and more, incorporating brand colors, logos, and your general “vibe” throughout. From the color of a couch to the placement of a product, set design ensures that a commercial feels cohesive and memorable.
For instance, in a promotional video for a tech brand with a modern, minimalist identity, the production designer might opt for clean lines, neutral backgrounds, and subtle pops of your brand’s signature colors. Meanwhile, a company with a more playful and energetic identity and message might use vibrant props, bold patterns, and dynamic staging.
In addition to accentuating the brand identity, what story are you telling? When done well, storytelling in advertising makes commercial ads engaging and emotional, possibly even viral-worthy. These key elements are used to help prospective customers recall the brand and take action.
HOW PRODUCTION DESIGNERS ELEVATE COMMERCIAL ADS:
Strategic Color Use: Brand colors subtly integrated into props, backdrops, and wardrobe
Intentional Staging: Arranging furniture and set pieces to guide the viewer’s eye
Symbolism in Design: Using shapes, lighting, or set structures to reinforce brand identity
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE
The frames below are from a commercial Noble Bison Productions shot for Global X ETFs not long ago. The brand’s colors are orange and blue, and its logo features an “X” symbol. Below, you’ll see two still frames where our production designer, Quinn Yawger, and her team incorporated these branded elements into the set design of their commercial.
The PD team selected and intentionally placed everything, from the X symbols in the furniture to the orange and blue incorporated in the clothing and knickknacks. This commercial is a good example of a large, multi-location shoot that required a moving truck to transport the robust set design!
Go behind the scenes on the Global X ETFs commercial!
On the right, Noble Bison’s part-owner and director, Jeff Riley, gives a behind-the-scenes walkthrough of the branded storytelling elements, crew, equipment, and more.
Another great example of set design in broadcast commercials is the Wyoming Lottery Ad shot by Noble Bison Productions (right). The ad campaign centered around an eccentric cowboy here to inform you: “It’s KENO Time.” There was a funky, 80’s Western theme the client was after, and everything came together, from the shoot location to costumes and more, to create this fun and memorable commercial.
Corporate & Brand Video Set Design
MAKING THE ORDINARY LOOK CINEMATIC
Even simple corporate videos benefit from thoughtful production design. To make the setting inviting, designers might rearrange desks, add branding elements, or introduce natural elements like plants or warm lighting. Whether you’re shooting in an office, a manufacturing facility, or a studio, good production design develops the appropriate emotional and visual concepts through color, aesthetics, and style.
For example, if filming an executive interview, the PD might subtly tweak the background to incorporate company branding—perhaps placing books with brand colors on a shelf or using a well-lit backdrop that enhances the subject without distraction.
HOW PRODUCTION DESIGNERS APPROACH CORPORATE VIDEOS:
Professional & Approachable Aesthetic: Balancing formal and natural elements with clothing and props
Set Dressing for Depth: Ensuring backgrounds aren’t too flat or distracting
Lighting & Color Coordination: Using light sources to complement skin tones and highlight branding
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES
Below are still frames from corporate and brand videos shot by Noble Bison Productions. Notice how each depicts a clear atmosphere; without context, you can still easily find logos, brand colors, environment, and industry nods across each!
Film & Music Video Set Design
SETTING THE MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE
The production designer's job in film and music videos is to translate the story’s emotion into a visual experience. The best production design in the film industry is subtle, constructing a mood and immersive experience for the audience, almost unknowingly by the viewer. The more believable the atmosphere and characters in a video, the more impactful the narrative and viewer experience.
Whether it’s a Hollywood film depicting a fantasy world or a moody music video portraying a breakup, the set design and overall look must come together. For instance, consider the film set of a scene from a psychological mystery—perhaps shot in an abandoned warehouse. The production designer might select distressed props, flickering lights, or eerie fog effects to create an unsettling atmosphere.
Alternatively, for an upbeat and whimsical music video, they might incorporate neon lighting, eye-catching furniture, and playful wardrobe pieces to match the story's energy.
HOW PRODUCTION DESIGNERS SHAPE FILMMAKING:
Props & Set Dressing: Selecting objects that feel authentic to the story’s world and time period
Scene Transitions: Designing sets that allow for seamless cuts and movement
Texture & Contrast: Using fabric, surfaces, and lighting to create depth and visual storytelling
Color Psychology: Choosing hues that evoke specific emotions, reinforcing the film’s tone and motifs
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE
Noble Bison Productions shot a music video for a rad song named Oceanic by We Are William. The art department worked hard to design a video that kept the song’s eerie vibe and narrative, which started with the shoot location, a tattered, dark warehouse.
Before the shoot days, our production designer visited the warehouse and found a handful of props she pulled from the environment, like wooden pallets and a freaky, old-fashioned baby carriage. From off-site, she selected and brought costumes, including the silky red robes, and even concocted edible black “goo” of the perfect consistency to use as a prop (see below)!
The Power of Production Design in Storytelling
As you can see, production designers are responsible for many core video and film production elements. A well-designed set does more than look pretty—it tells a story and influences how viewers feel about a brand, character, or narrative. Whether working on a full-length film, YouTube ad, or corporate interview, production designers play a critical role in video production crews and making visuals more resonant.
NEED A HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO?
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A DENVER VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY
BROADCAST COMMERCIALS - BRAND VIDEOS - FILMS - Event Videos - ANIMATION & MOTION GRAPHICS - DRONE FOOTAGE - CORPORATE VIDEOS- DEMOS - EXPLAINERS
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