Production designer A production designer is the head of the art department . He is ultimately responsible for producing the overall look of the physical elements seen in an episode . He helps the director of photography and director choose locations for out - of - studio filming . He is also responsible for the practical manufacture of most of his designs , either in - house or by prosthetic or CGI specialists . He is one of the key personnel in the pre - production process , and one of the first people to be involved in the making of an episode . Since the art department is comprised of many sub - departments , the production designer also has managerial responsibilities over a large number of the people working on a programme , equivalent to that of the production manager or the post - production supervisor . Specific duties . Fully describing all the things under the control of the production designer would be difficult , as he touches many aspects of the production . However , there are certain key tasks that can be highlighted . It should be pointed out that many of these tasks are completed by their own departments , but all of those departments come under the aegis of the production designer . People credited with the position . Only four people have ever been credited with this position in the history of " Doctor Who " , beginning with Richard Hudolin , for the Paul McGann film . Edward Thomas was then production designer for every BBC Wales episode as of the end of the 2010 series , barring " Amy ' s Choice " and " The Lodger " , on which Tristan Peatfield filled the role . Thomas production - designed virtually every episode of the BBC Wales Whoniverse until the first Matt Smith series . He held the post on every episode of " Torchwood " through series 3 and the first series of " The Sarah Jane Adventures " . Although Arwel Wyn Jones replaced him on series 2 and 3 of " SJA " , the job of the production designer — insofar as the Whoniverse is concerned — is largely the job Ed Thomas has made of it . After Thomas ' departure in 2010 , Michael Pickwoad took over for " Doctor Who " starting with " A Christmas Carol " , Keith Dunne took the role of production designer for the final two series of " SJA " , and Gregory Melton production - designed " " . Michael Pickwoad is also production designer for " Class " . As compared with designers . Though related , the job of designer on the 1963 version of " Doctor Who " was much smaller in scope . Designers only worked on one or two serials at a time . They also might not have had complete control over the design of every element . For instance , on " An Unearthly Child " Barry Newbery was lumbered with a TARDIS interior set that had been created by Peter Brachacki , who quit the programme after a very brief stint . Thus , one of the central design elements of the show was rendered by someone who did not survive in his post long enough to see his episode filmed . Especially in the 1960s , many of the props were not made in - house , but shipped off to specialty manufacturers . This often resulted in uncontrolled deviations from the original designs which could not be corrected before filming began . There was no single person in charge of the overall look of the programme as a whole , as there is with the production designer . In a practical sense , the " designer " of old had the greatest control over sets and those props they could make in - house . Designers were also not heads of the art department in the formal sense that Thomas is . Their staffs were not under their administrative control , as is the case with the modern production designer . Because they were employees of the BBC rather than of the " Doctor Who " production office , a designer typically had no powers of firing and hiring as is enjoyed by the production designer of today . As documentary subject . Ed Thomas and by extension the job of the production designer has been highlighted on multiple occasions in the history of " Doctor Who Confidential " and " Torchwood Declassified " . However , the most concentrated look at the work of the production designer was an instalment of the BBC Wales arts programme " On Show " . The episode , titled " Designs on Doctor Who " , focused entirely on explaining Ed Thomas ' job . Tom Baker narrated the half - hour - long piece . It examined in detail Thomas ' work for " The Runaway Bride " . It also gave some hints as to his contributions to the first series of " Torchwood " .