Set Design is magic. The set designer takes aesthetic inspiration from the production designer and art director and creates an environment that puts the audience in a world that has never existed. Even if the set simulates a real world environment, there is always some kind of exaggeration.
I've had the opportunity to work on sets for several films, as well many "concept sets" where I've had free range to design worlds based on my own imagination and the aesthetic needs of the production. I draw from my architectural training at Harvard's Graduate School Design and my love for story and directorial aesthetics which I developed at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. With the plethora of 3D modeling tools, I believe that design still begins with pencil and paper. If you can't draw, your work will always be derivative. The magic begins in the initial sketches, where the imagination flows unhindered.