3 ways to create a space that moves you, from a Broadway set designer | David Korins

Summary

In this inspiring talk, a designer and creative director shares his process for creating 'revelations of space,' which involves therapy to understand emotions, design to craft a plan, and execution to bring it to life. He illustrates his points with examples from Broadway shows like 'Hamilton' and 'Dear Evan Hansen,' emphasizing the transformative power of design in our everyday lives. The speaker encourages everyone to be the set designer of their world, using color theory and challenging architectural norms to create spaces that reflect and enhance their identity.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker emphasizes the transformative power of design in creating 'revelations of space', which can profoundly impact how we perceive and interact with our environment.
• ⏱ The script uses the metaphor of a standardized test to illustrate the oppressive and confining nature of certain spaces, and the liberating feeling of breaking free into an open, unbounded space.
• 👥 The process of design is broken down into three steps: therapy (understanding emotions and motivations), design (creating a plan), and execution (bringing the plan to life).
• 🎭 The importance of understanding the 'why' behind a project is highlighted, as it guides the emotional and aesthetic direction of the design.
• 🎨 The speaker uses the example of 'Dear Evan Hansen' to demonstrate how color can be used to evoke specific emotions and set the tone for a theatrical production.
• 🏠 Architectural standards are discussed as a means of ensuring safety and consistency, but also as something that can be tweaked to reveal more about ourselves and our personalities.
• 🤹‍♂️ The speaker shares anecdotes from designing sets for various productions, including 'Hamilton' and 'Pee-Wee Herman', to illustrate how design can enhance storytelling and character development.
• 🌌 A personal anecdote about Kanye West's evolving stage designs is used to show how space can reflect and amplify an artist's identity and growth.
• 🚧 The speaker encourages the audience to think beyond traditional design constraints, suggesting that a 'disrespect for architectural standards' can lead to innovative and personalized spaces.
• 🌟 The final message is one of empowerment, urging everyone to consider themselves as set designers in their own lives, capable of creating the world they want to live in.

Q & A

What is the main frustration described in the beginning of the script?

The main frustration described is the experience of sitting for hours taking a standardized test, filling in tiny circles with a No. 2 pencil, under an oppressive fluorescent light.

What does the speaker do for a living?

The speaker is a designer and creative director, making revelations of space for various people in different ways.

What is the first step the speaker suggests for making revelations of space?

The first step is 'therapy', which involves understanding why one is doing something, as illustrated by the speaker's work on designing 'Hamilton'.

What is the importance of understanding the 'why' behind a project according to the speaker?

Understanding the 'why' behind a project is important because it helps in aligning the creative process with the intended message and emotional impact on the audience.

How does the speaker describe the design phase?

The design phase is described as a crucial step where the speaker and the collaborators exchange ideas, creating 'cool toys' to bring the project to life.

What is the most terrifying part of the process according to the speaker?

The most terrifying part of the process is the execution phase, where the idea is scaled up and translated to a larger team, and the success of the design is tested.

How does the speaker relate the concept of 'inky-black darkness' to the show 'Dear Evan Hansen'?

The speaker uses 'inky-black darkness' as a color to represent sadness in the show 'Dear Evan Hansen', where the darkness transforms the audience but not before causing an emotional impact.

What is the significance of architectural standards in the speaker's work?

Architectural standards provide a safe way to move through the world, but the speaker also explores tweaking these standards to create unique interactions and reveal something about the characters or the audience.

How does the speaker use the example of Pee-Wee Herman to explain the importance of scale in design?

The speaker uses Pee-Wee Herman's stairs, which are 12 inches high, to show how the scale of architectural elements can affect the perception of a character and their interactions.

What is the启示 the speaker gives about using color in design?

The speaker suggests that color is emotion and can be used to convey feelings and tell stories, as seen in the use of inky-black darkness in 'Dear Evan Hansen'.

How does the speaker's work with Kanye West evolve over time?

The speaker's work with Kanye West evolves from a simple light box to more complex and epic designs, such as a large swath of sky with a tear, and finally to an ancient artifact at Coachella, reflecting Kanye's artistic evolution.

What personal anecdote does the speaker share to illustrate the importance of design?

The speaker shares an anecdote about driving through a parking lot and deciding to drive through a puddle, which led to an 'aha' moment about everything in the world needing to be designed.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Designing Space and Emotion

The speaker begins by describing the frustration of taking a standardized test, using the sensory details to paint a vivid picture of the experience. They then transition into their role as a designer and creative director, explaining that their job is to create 'revelations of space' for various clients. The speaker outlines a three-step process for designing spaces: therapy to understand the emotional intent behind a project, the design phase to create and refine ideas, and the execution phase to bring those ideas to life. They use the example of designing the set for 'Hamilton' to illustrate this process, emphasizing the importance of understanding the story's emotional core before translating it into a physical space.

05:02

🖌️ The Power of Color and Design in Emotion

In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the emotional impact of color in design, using the example of the musical 'Dear Evan Hansen' to illustrate how 'inky-black darkness' can be a powerful color that evokes sadness. They discuss how color is used to convey emotion in theater and how it can be applied to everyday life, encouraging the audience to consider the colors that represent their emotions. The speaker also touches on architectural standards and how tweaking them can create unique and meaningful interactions with space, using the contrast between the child-sized world of Pee-Wee Herman and the grand, operatic stages as examples. They suggest that the spaces we inhabit can reveal aspects of ourselves and shape our identities, as demonstrated by their work with Kanye West, whose stage designs evolved to reflect his artistic growth.

10:03

🛠️ Creating Your Ideal World Through Design

The final paragraph summarizes the speaker's three-step approach to design: therapy to understand oneself, design to create a plan, and execution to bring the plan to life. They emphasize the importance of color theory and challenging architectural norms to create spaces that resonate with personal identity. The speaker concludes by encouraging the audience to apply these principles to their own lives, suggesting that everyone has the potential to be a 'set designer' in their world. They end with a personal anecdote about realizing the importance of design in everyday life and a commitment to improve their own space by buying a new trash can, highlighting the practical application of design thinking.

Keywords

💡Standardized Test

A standardized test is a method of assessment that is administered and scored in a predetermined, standard way. In the context of the video, the speaker uses the experience of taking a standardized test to illustrate the feeling of being confined and the subsequent release and revelation when the test is over. This sets the stage for the speaker's discussion on the transformative power of design in opening up new spaces and experiences.

💡Revelations of Space

Revelations of space refer to the moments when a person experiences a new or different spatial environment in a profound way. The speaker uses this term to describe their work as a designer and creative director, aiming to create such moments for others. The video's theme revolves around the idea that everyone can be a designer of their own space, making revelations of space a central concept.

💡Therapy

In the video, 'therapy' is used metaphorically to represent the process of self-reflection and understanding one's motivations. The speaker suggests that, similar to how therapy helps individuals understand their feelings and behaviors, understanding why you want to create or change a space is crucial in the design process. This is the first step the speaker outlines for making revelations of space.

💡Design Phase

The design phase is a critical step in the creative process where ideas are translated into tangible plans. The speaker emphasizes the importance of this phase by describing how it involves creating 'cool toys' or prototypes that help visualize the final product. In the context of the video, the design phase is where the speaker and their team bring the ideas from the therapy phase to life, making it a key part of the creative journey.

💡Execution Phase

The execution phase is the stage where the design plans are put into action and the project is physically built or implemented. The speaker describes this as the most terrifying part because it involves scaling up the project and involves many more people. It's where the ideas are tested in reality, and the success of the design is confirmed or challenged.

💡Architectural Standards

Architectural standards are the established norms and dimensions for building elements to ensure consistency, safety, and usability. The speaker discusses how tweaking these standards can create spaces that feel more personal or suited to specific needs. This concept is used to illustrate how small changes in design can have a significant impact on how we interact with and feel about a space.

💡Color Theory

Color theory is the study of how colors are mixed and matched to create aesthetically pleasing designs. In the video, the speaker uses color theory to explain how different colors can evoke different emotions, and how these emotions can be used in design to influence how people feel in a space. The example of 'inky-black darkness' in 'Dear Evan Hansen' is used to demonstrate the powerful emotional impact of color in design.

💡Emotion and Design

Emotion and design are deeply intertwined in the video. The speaker argues that design is not just about aesthetics but also about evoking emotions. By understanding the emotional impact of design elements such as color, light, and space, designers can create experiences that resonate with people on an emotional level.

💡Typecasting

Typecasting in design refers to the use of certain design elements or colors to represent specific characters or roles. The speaker mentions how certain colors are traditionally associated with heroes, villains, or leads, and how these choices can influence the audience's perception. This concept is used to show how design choices can communicate narratives and character traits.

💡Self-Actualization

Self-actualization is the idea of realizing one's full potential or achieving a state of self-fulfillment. The speaker uses the example of Kanye West's performances to illustrate how the design of the stage and the space contributed to his evolution as an artist and his self-actualization. This concept is used to show how design can reflect and enhance personal growth and identity.

💡Disrespect for Architectural Standards

In the video, 'disrespect for architectural standards' is a call to challenge conventional design norms to create more meaningful and personalized spaces. The speaker encourages viewers to think beyond standard dimensions and layouts to design spaces that reveal something new about themselves or their experiences.

Highlights

The experience of taking a standardized test and the feeling of relief when it's over.

The importance of understanding the purpose behind creative projects, as illustrated by the design process of 'Hamilton'.

The design phase involves creating a visual and emotional landscape that supports the narrative.

The execution phase is about bringing the design to life with the help of a team, scaling up from concept to reality.

The concept of 'therapy' in design involves understanding emotions and translating them into visual elements.

The use of color to evoke emotions, as demonstrated in the design of 'Dear Evan Hansen' with its inky-black darkness.

The idea that design can transform spaces and emotions, creating a sense of hope and revelation.

The role of architectural standards in creating safe and familiar environments.

How tweaking architectural standards can create unique and character-driven spaces, as seen in the design for Pee-Wee Herman.

The contrast between the design for Pee-Wee Herman and opera, highlighting the importance of scale and interaction in design.

The impact of space on self-perception and personal growth, as seen in Kanye West's evolving stage designs.

The story of the speaker's epiphany about the necessity of design in everyday life, starting with a parking lot puddle.

The three steps to creating your own world through design: therapy, design, and execution.

The importance of color theory in design and how it can be used to express emotions and tell stories.

The suggestion to approach design with a disrespect for architectural standards to create more personalized spaces.

The call to action for everyone to become the set designer of their own world, using the principles discussed.

Transcripts

You're sitting there,

and it's incredibly frustrating.

It's maddening.

You've been sitting there for hours,

filling in those little tiny circles with your No. 2 pencil --

this is a standardized test.

You look up, half-erased chalkboard,

you can see that perfectly written cursive alphabet,

the pull-down maps,

you can hear, tick, tick, tick, ticking on the wall, that industrial clock.

But most importantly, you can feel that oppressive fluorescent light,

that death ray over your head.

Bzzzzzz.

And you can't take it anymore, but you don't have to,

because Miss Darling says, "OK, boys and girls, you're done."

So you jump up -- I mean, there is nothing left of you but a vapor trail.

You move so quickly, you slam that little molded plastic chair,

and you sprint down the hallway;

you go past the Lysol smell and the BO smell and the cubbies,

and you push the door --

(Inhales deeply)

and finally, you're outside.

Oh, you can feel the wind on your face,

then the sun on your skin

and most importantly, the big blue sky.

That is a revelation of space.

Making revelations of space is what I do; I'm a designer and creative director,

and that's what I do for a living.

I do it for all sorts of people in all kinds of different ways,

and it might seem complicated, but it's not.

And over the next couple of minutes, I'm going to give you three ways

that I think you can move through your world

so that you, too, can make revelations of space, or at least reveal them.

Step one: therapy.

I know, I know, I know: blah, blah, blah, New Yorker, blah, blah, blah, therapy.

But seriously, therapy -- you have to know why you're doing these things, right?

When I got the job of designing "Hamilton,"

I sat with Lin-Manuel Miranda, writer,

Tommy Kail, director, and I said,

"Why are we telling this 246-year-old story?

What is it about the story that you want to say,

and what do you want people to feel like when they experience the show?"

It's important. When we get that, we move into step two: the design phase.

And I'll give you some little tricks about that,

but the design phase is important because we get to make these cool toys.

I reach into Lin's brain, he reaches into mine,

this monologue becomes a dialogue.

And I make these cool toys,

and I say, "Does this world look like the world

that you think could be a place where we could house your show?"

If the answer is yes -- and when the answer is yes --

we move into what I think is the most terrifying part,

which is the execution phase.

The execution phase is when we get to build this thing,

and when this conversation goes from a few people to a few hundred people

now translating this idea.

We put it in this beautiful little thing,

put it in the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" super-sizer machine

and blow it up full-scale,

and we never know if we did it right

until we show up onstage and go, "Is it OK? Is it OK?"

Here's the thing:

you don't have to be Lin,

you don't have to have a book that you want to turn into a show

in order to do this in your real life.

You're already starring in a show, by the way. It's called your life.

Congratulations. (Laughter)

But seriously, Shakespeare said it: "All the world's a stage."

He nailed that part.

What he screwed up royally was that part where he said,

"And we are merely players."

It's ridiculous. We're not merely players.

We are the costume designers and the lighting designers

and the makeup artists in our own world,

and I want to get you to think about being the set designer in your world.

Because I think you can leave here if you do these three steps

and a couple of little tricks, as I said, I'm going to tell you,

and you can begin to change the world

the way you want to.

You want to do it?

OK. Everybody write a show.

(Laughter)

No. Just kidding.

OK. Step one: therapy. Right?

How are you feeling?

That's what the therapist says: "How are you feeling today?"

It's important to remember that, because when we design the world for you,

the therapy is important.

It tells you that emotion is going to become light and color.

A good example of that light and color

is a show I designed called "Dear Evan Hansen."

(Cheers)

"Dear Evan Hansen" exists -- oh my God --

"Dear Evan Hansen" exists in a world of almost all light and color.

So I chose a color: inky-black darkness.

(Laughter)

Inky-black darkness is a color the way that sadness is an emotion.

And this show transforms people, but not before it wrecks people.

I bet you're wondering, "How expensive could the set possibly be to transform you

if you sit for two hours and 20 minutes

in inky-black darkness?"

The answer is: cheap!

Inky-black darkness,

turn the lights on at the right time.

Seriously, think about leaving Miss Darling's class.

Inky-black darkness gives way at the right moment,

we fly away that wall and reveal a beautiful blue sky.

It blows people away and it transports them,

and it makes them feel hopeful.

And we know this because color is emotion,

and when you paint with color, you're painting with feelings.

So think about that emotion, the one I had you file away in your mental Rolodex.

What color is it?

Where in your wardrobe does it exist, and where in your home does it exist?

When we design the show for you,

we're going to use that color to tell you how you feel in certain times.

But also, you know this exists because you put the hero in white,

you put the lead character in red, you put the villain in all black.

It's typecasting. You know that.

So think about it.

But there's also something else that happens in the world

that helps us move through the world in a safe way.

They're called architectural standards.

They make us not fall down and go boom.

Doorknobs are all at the same height. Light switches are all at the same height.

Toilet bowls are always -- thank God -- at the same height,

because no one ever misses the toilet bowl.

But seriously,

what would happen if we started to tweak those architectural standards

to get what we wanted?

It reminds me of the stairs I made for Pee-Wee Herman.

Pee-Wee Herman is a child,

and his entire world is created so that we perceive Pee-Wee as a child.

The architecture and the furniture and everything come to life,

but nothing more important than those stairs.

Those stairs are 12 inches high,

so when Pee-Wee clomps up and down those stairs,

he interacts with them like a kid.

You can't fake that kind of interaction,

and that's the exact opposite of what we ask people in opera to do.

In opera, we shrink those stairs

so that our main characters can glide up and down effortlessly

without ever breaking their voice.

You could never put an opera singer in Pee-Wee's Playhouse,

(Sings in Pee-Wee's voice) or they wouldn't be able to do their job.

(Laughter)

But you couldn't put Pee-Wee in an opera set.

He couldn't climb up and down those stairs.

There'd be no Pee-Wee.

He'd be like James Bond slinking elegantly up and down the stairs.

It wouldn't work.

(Laughter)

Now think of your set, your home, what you exist in every single day.

If you're anything like me, the trash can is just too small

for the amount of takeout that you buy every night, right?

And I find myself jamming like I'm kneading dough at a pizza place,

I'm jamming it in because I don't understand.

Or, maybe the light switch in your foyer

is just stashed behind too many precariously placed coats,

and so you don't even go for it.

Therefore, day after day,

you wind up walking in and out of a chasm of darkness.

(Laughter)

It's true.

But what would happen if the space revealed something about yourself

that you didn't even know?

Kanye never told me specifically that he wanted to be God.

But --

(Laughter)

when we started working together, we were sending images back and forth,

and he sent me a picture of the aurora borealis

with lightning strikes through it.

And he sent me pictures from a mountaintop looking down

at a smoke-filled canyon,

or smoke underneath the surface of water --

like, epic stuff.

So the first set I designed for him was a huge light box

with the name of his record label.

He would stand triumphantly in front of it,

and it would flash lights like a lightning bolt.

And it was epic, but, like, starter-kit epic.

We moved on to a large swath of sky with a tear down the middle,

and through the tear, you could see deep parts of the cosmos.

Getting closer.

We evolved to standing on top of an obelisk,

standing on top of a mountainside, standing on top of boxes.

You know, he was evolving as an artist through space,

and it was my job to try and keep up.

When we did Coachella,

there he was,

standing in front of an 80-foot-wide by 40-foot-tall ancient artifact,

literally handed down from God to man.

He was evolving, and we were all witness to it.

And in his last show, which I didn't design but I witnessed,

he had self-actualized.

He was literally standing on a floating plexiglass deck

over his adoring fans,

who had no choice but to praise to Yeezus up above.

(Laughter)

He had deified himself.

You can't become Yeezus in your living room.

The space told him who he was about himself,

and then he delivered that to us.

When I was 20 years old,

I was driving through a parking lot, and I saw a puddle.

I thought, "I'm going to veer to the left. No -- I'm going through it."

And I hit the puddle, and -- ffftt! -- all the water underneath my car,

and instantly, I have an aha moment.

Light bulb goes off.

Everything in the world needs to be designed.

I mean, I'm sure I was thinking, "The drainage needs to be designed

in this parking lot."

But then I was like, "Everything in the world needs to be designed."

And it's true: left to its own devices,

Mother Nature isn't going to carve an interesting or necessarily helpful path

for you.

I've spent my career reaching into people's minds

and creating worlds out here that we can all interact with.

And yeah, you might not get to do this with fancy collaborators,

but I think if you leave here, those three easy steps --

therapy, who do I want to be, why do I do the things that I do;

design, create a plan and try and follow through with it,

what can I do;

execute it --

I think if you add that with a little color theory --

(Laughter)

some cool design choices and a general disrespect for architectural standards,

you can go out

and create the world that you want to live in,

and I am going to go home and buy a new trash can.

Thank you.

(Applause)