When creating a set design, the ideas are not created from nothing, or from a brief moment of inspiration, they come from research, understanding what you want people to feel/take away from your piece, and finding a way to make the two meld together. With a set design, you start with the basic play, and use that to help guide your research. As the set designer for a gender bent, experimental production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, it was crucial to understand this, and to implement it before creating the design. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a historic story known by millions of people across the world. This gender-swapped production aimed to honor the original story, as well as examine other themes such as feminism and masculinity. To do this, research on the history of the story, the society that the show originally took place in (and the show is set in), and the main theme of feminism/masculinity were necessary to create a complex, informed set design to successfully tell the story of the show, and clearly portray the message the production is trying to explore. The more information a designer has about what they are designing, the more they have to work with, and the more ideas come into creation. A good designer allows their knowledge to shine through in the final product. A set cannot be made strictly based on a script, a great deal of research and knowledge about the play, the world, and theatrical theatre is needed. All design decisions should be made with this goal: of helping portray the story.