Totem's creation team faced the challenge of designing a show that could be adapted for arenas and other venues from the outset.

Cirque du Soleil used interactive projection technologies to enhance and provide variety to the types of scenes created for Totem, including swamps, starry nights, lakes, volcanos, and other natural environments.

One of the major elements for the set is the large turtle carapace, which functions as both a decorative piece as well as acrobatic equipment.

Of final note, the marsh reeds at the back of the stage are actually inflatable, which allows for easier transport between performance locations.

Costume designer Kym Barrett primarily focused on how to treat various fabrics rather than the materials themselves in order to replicate the elements found in nature.

Such treatments included advanced printing techniques, fluorescent pigments, and utilizing mirror fragments and crystals for adornment.

As Totem's storyline is about the evolution of humanity, the musical components selected by composers Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard aimed to reflect this theme.