Having completed the primary and secondary research, I have brought the findings together into six working considerations. These will guide my practical development and provide a structure for the Critical Report. They are not fixed rules or proven outcomes; they are principles that I will test and reflect on through making.
1. Test Physical Materiality Rather Than Reject Digital Tools
My research suggests that paper, ink, texture and surface wear can behave differently under lighting from digitally simulated effects. However, physical production is not automatically more convincing, and digital design remains part of the workflow. I will use making and close-up photography to test which material decisions are visible and useful.
2. Treat Typography as Contextual Evidence
Typography can communicate period, location, institution and tone. Typeface dates and historical printing methods provide useful references, but a design also needs to suit the fictional world and remain readable. I will avoid relying on vaguely ‘old-looking’ fonts while recognising that historical accuracy is not the only consideration.
3. Design for the Lens, Scale and Handling
A prop needs to work in relation to the camera, its physical scale and the character or puppet using it. Details that are effective in a close-up may be unnecessary in the background. I will therefore consider how each object will be photographed, displayed or handled before deciding how much detail it requires. Because audiences do not inspect every area of the frame equally, I will prioritise details that are likely to be shown in close-up, handled by a character or made important to the story.
4. Support Immersion Rather Than Claim to Control It
Graphic consistency may support perceived realism and reduce avoidable distraction, but props are only one part of narrative engagement. Story, performance, sound, cinematography and the viewer’s own knowledge also affect immersion. I cannot guarantee narrative transportation through graphic design alone. A prop may contribute to the overall coherence of a scene without being consciously noticed, but its influence cannot be completely separated from editing, performance, cinematography and story.
5. Balance Research with Deliberate Artistic Licence
Historical and cultural research should provide the starting point for the designs, but the fictional story may require adaptation. Where reliable evidence is limited, or where I make a deliberate comic or visual departure, I will describe the result as historically informed rather than period-accurate.
6. Interpret Audience Evidence Carefully
In my 72-response convenience sample, 79.2% reported noticing background graphics at least sometimes, while 50% rated a prompted historical inaccuracy as highly distracting or completely illusion-breaking. These findings justify further exploration, but the survey was self-reported, used some leading questions and does not represent every viewer. It suggests possible audience concerns rather than proving a causal relationship between props and immersion.
