Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: CMYK • File Format • Layer Management

Environment Design

Term from Book Illustration industry explained for recruiters

Environment Design is the art of creating the backgrounds and settings where stories take place in books, games, or animations. It's like being an architect or set designer, but for illustrated worlds. Artists who do this work create everything from magical forests to futuristic cities that help tell the story. They focus on making spaces feel real and lived-in, even if they're completely imaginary. This is different from regular illustration because it specifically focuses on places and scenes rather than characters. You might also hear it called "background design," "location design," or "scenic design" in job listings.

Examples in Resumes

Created Environment Design concepts for award-winning children's book series

Developed Environment Designs and Background Design for fantasy novel illustrations

Led Environmental Design team for young adult book series

Produced detailed Environment Designs and Scene Design for educational publishing

Typical job title: "Environment Designers"

Also try searching for:

Background Artist Scene Designer Environmental Artist Location Designer Concept Artist Book Illustrator Background Designer

Where to Find Environment Designers

Professional Organizations

Online Communities

Job Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you manage a team of environment designers while maintaining consistency across a book series?

Expected Answer: Should discuss creating style guides, establishing workflow processes, giving constructive feedback, and ensuring all designs serve the story while maintaining a cohesive look.

Q: How do you approach designing environments that need to work across multiple scenes and perspectives?

Expected Answer: Should explain planning for different viewing angles, maintaining consistent lighting and scale, and creating detailed reference materials for team use.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you ensure your environment designs support the story's mood and narrative?

Expected Answer: Should discuss how color, composition, and architectural elements can convey emotions and enhance storytelling.

Q: What's your process for researching and developing historical or cultural environments?

Expected Answer: Should describe research methods, gathering reference materials, and adapting real-world elements into artistic designs while respecting cultural accuracy.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What basic elements do you consider when starting an environment design?

Expected Answer: Should mention perspective, scale, lighting, color theory, and how these elements work together to create engaging spaces.

Q: How do you handle feedback and revisions on your environment designs?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate openness to critique, understanding of the revision process, and ability to incorporate changes while maintaining design quality.