A traditional diorama would be in the form of a 3D model however with the growing art industry, dioramas can be drawn on a 2D plane using a 3D art style. There is also the option of using physical models to build up a scene.
Mind Map
The Word Diorama: The actual word was coined by Daugerre in 1822. He was famous for creating the Daugerrotype process of photography.
The art of miniature figures and landscapes has been around a very long time. In Japan the art of miniature landscapes is called “Bonkei” and it is thought to have first made its appearance in the sixth century. The art of “Bonsai”, which is the art of growing miniature trees in pots and making them look like their natural counterparts is thought to have its origins at around this same time period.
Today the arts of Bonkei and Bonsai are still practiced and are worldwide in their appeal. And the art of miniature landscape design has grown and improved. Today this art has become an active pursuit in the role playing genre and in the collecting of model trains. Over the past several decades amateur railroad designers have perfected the craft and technique of building miniature landscapes and there are many good books and ready to buy materials that can help you build great landscapes.
Zinnfiguren – In the 18th Century there was something called Zinnfiguren. These were small tin representations of animals, figures, soldiers and other subjects. They were flat but sometimes embossed or shaped so they had a little bit of depth to them. Another name for them was “flats”. They were often created into small dioramas.
The Gottstein Diorama’s (1930’s) Otto Gottstein was a wealthy furrier who was also an avid collector and designer of flats much like the zinnfiguren shown above. He put together a team of artists and artisans to create a series of 15 dioramas using flats. These depicted famous scenes from British History. Some of this work has been lost and some of it still remains.
Denny Stokes was a diorama maker around 1956-1957 who made several different dioramas for museums. They were of varied scenes including a castle scene and a fur trading station.
The Late 1800’s and Early 1900’s – Dioramas started to make their appearance in Museums. It is a perfect way to show the natural habitat of animals, early man and all sorts of eco systems.
Today – Well, there is lots of diorama stuff going on! Architects create them, museums create them, and even movie studios and toy companies make them. They come in a tremendous variety including kits where you make them from parts or they can come in completed form. Fantasy subjects, video games, comic book characters and military scenes are among the more popular subjects.
The above information was referenced from: http://www.stormthecastle.com/mainpages/dioramas/diorama_essay_history.htm
This mood board summarises the themes i want to develop for my own diorama project.
A very common type of modern culture diorama would be miniature rail way sets. There are many hobby enthusiasts who make these for personal entertainment.
2D dioramas are usually drawn in isometric techniques – especially the stylised block designs.
Many films use miniature sets to film big sky scenes, or just to create any scene that cant be found on earth – such as Harry Potter.
Game dioramas are used to find layouts and design for a game’s theme. It is part of the development stage as to not make any big mistakes in the final versions.
Dioramas are used as a learning technique to gain a visual sense of a scene or object. It allows a 3D perspective for development plans, before the design is finalised.
In the gaming industry detailed planning is always mandatory, with the amount of testing and possible problems, small and quick dioramas give a view to what the end product could be. They are used to try out styles of art or layouts. Some game’s finished levels are dioramas, stylised games such as Monument Valley examples this well. 
Dioramas can also be used for the aftermath of a games production. Using dioramas to sell merchandise like models and figurine showcases.
Level 3 Games Dev year 2 