One thing hasn't changed since I switched my career from designing props in theater to UX Design. When I mention my job title to someone who doesn’t work in the industry, the response I get is "What’s that?".
A prop is an object that helps to set the mood and character of the story. A theater prop is anything that an actor uses, either during a performance or while rehearsing their lines. The props are built with function in mind, and the actor should know how it works.
A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or on screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct from the actors, scenery, costumes, and electrical equipment. A prop can be any object that aids the actor at any point in the play, either during a performance or while rehearsing their lines, whether it is carried onstage by the actor or placed on the stage in full view of the audience. Consumable food items appearing in the production are also considered props.
A prop is an object that helps to set the mood and character of the story. A prop designer not only has to dedicate time to research on props and the history of them, but they must also be aware of what their characters would or would not use as a prop. The props are built with function in mind, and the actor who uses a prop should know how it works.
The success of a play or film is determined by how it relates to people and gets the audience to understand what’s going on in the plot. The purpose of props, lighting, costumes, and set design is all to serve the function of reaching, entertaining, and keeping the viewer engaged. You use props in a drama production to evoke different components of the work and its story, including: setting, plot, mood, foreshadowing, character development, or simply to add interest.
When designing a prop in theater, the most important thing is to understand what purpose it serves and if there's any other way for the actor to visually communicate their intention without using the prop. In order to achieve that, sometimes you need to look at the prop from a different perspective or remake it into something else. If a person sees a phone on stage, they expect it to be functional and to have buttons and speakers. Often, the actual function of the prop is not important to the story, but its design should reflect what you would expect it to do. This is also very similar when designing digital interfaces.
User experience (UX) design is about creating an effective and pleasurable user interface for a digital product or service. Theater props are similar to digital interfaces, and designers of theater props use a design process common to other design disciplines. Both require a lot of research, planning and iteration before they can be executed.
User experience (UX) design is about creating an effective and pleasurable user interface for a digital product or service. Although there are some notable differences, such as the mediums in which UX can be delivered, at its core, both disciplines involve understanding users’ needs and solving problems to make products more usable. In fact, many practitioners of theater—from set designers to lighting directors—would find kindred spirits working on projects like websites or apps that need attention to detail and usability.
Theater props are similar to digital interfaces, and designers of theater props use a design process common to other design disciplines. The goal is to create something that feels real. They must focus their attention on the problem their audience is facing and often have to use their own intuition to create a solution.
Everything matters when you are designing a digital interface. An interface is an experience, and it has to be intuitive and accessible so that the users feel completely comfortable with it. At the same time, it must also look unique and elegant in order to appeal to their emotions. The challenge is to create something that is beautiful and functional at the same time.
When designing a prop for the stage, the designer needs to take into account how an actor handles the prop. You want them to be comfortable when interacting with it. In UX design, this concept is called usability, and in theater, you need to learn about usability testing too. If you don't get it right during the rehearsals (which are like user research and design), then the audience (or "end users," as we call them in UX) will walk out on you during the performance (which is like launch). In UX, I've seen startups implement a beta test with an audience of one or two users. Both require a lot of research, planning, and iteration before they can be executed. In both cases, you need to understand users' behavior patterns and habits. This helps you create a user experience that is tailored to their needs.
The primary objective of prop design is to support the action onstage without drawing attention. Most techies don't think of user interfaces as props, but that's what they are. Good props make you forget about them.
Just like props in a theater, digital interfaces can not exist on their own. They are born to support other actors and create the illusion of reality. The primary objective of prop design is to support the action onstage without drawing attention to themselves. Like UX designers, prop designers need to create something that people use without noticing it exists at all. Most techies don't think of user interfaces as props. But that's what they are. They're like the glasses on a character's nose. They are there to make the actors' work easier and make the plot more convincing to the audience. Good props make you forget about them.
A great design in storytelling is never subjective but driven by simulation, emotion, and connection. Stories help designers illustrate their points more effectively and are based on our innate understanding of people. UX Design is a process of designing interfaces and products to make them aesthetically appealing, useful, and easy to use. The goal should always be the ease of use and comfortable behavior of the end user or observer.
Like designers in UX, designers in theater are creating an experience for that audience. We aim to do this by helping the audience understand and feel something about the characters on stage. We do this through creating a world for the actors to exist in and inhabit: the very literal world of props, sets, and costumes, to establish a mood and express meaning through our visuals.
Ask a theater director how someone would use a prop and she's likely to give an answer in story format. You probably tell stories about using software when communicating design ideas, but may be using different tools to communicate the story.
It is true that the designing in both theater and UX have the same goal: to help people understand a story. In both cases, they set a context that helps the audience understand what's going on.