About

Graphic Props Catalogue is a research-based digital collection dedicated to exploring the narrative role of graphic design in film and television. Focusing on items such as newspapers, letters, signage, and product packaging, the project examines how these objects contribute to storytelling, atmosphere, and visual authenticity on screen.

This project is the outcome of the Master’s Thesis in Communication Design at Politecnico di Milano titled Designing Fiction: The Role of Graphic Props in Cinematic Narratives.

The scope of this research is to further outline what graphic props are and look into their potential on a narrative level. More information is available in the research section.

Catalogue Structure

Each graphic prop is presented through an image, a title, and a set of catalogue information:

Prop: The communicative artefact or material format in which the prop takes shape.

Narrative Function: The narrative function or functions performed by the prop, according to the proposed typology.

Film/TV Show: The film or TV show in which the prop is featured.

The Designer field refers to the person who designed the specific prop, where credited; where no official credit was available, the name refers to the designer whose portfolio featured the image.

The Graphic Artist(s) field refers to the designers credited for the film or TV show as a whole (Source: IMDb). The terms “Designer” and “Graphic Artist” are used here to distinguish these two levels of credit; terminology for these roles varies across professional organisations and regions.

Credits