The witches of Roald Dahl’s story are secretive, theatrical and quietly sinister — hiding in plain sight behind ordinary objects and everyday institutions.
For this project, I reimagined The Witches in 1964 Britain. Post-war seaside hotels, commemorative postage stamps and brightly coloured confectionery formed the visual backdrop. I researched mid-century British ephemera in detail — from pre-decimal currency and tourist postcards to union membership cards and sweet packaging — ensuring each graphic decision felt rooted in its time.
As discussed during Annie Atkins’ Graphic Design for Filmmaking workshop, mythical stories allow a degree of creative flexibility. While most pieces were grounded in 1960s references, the potion bottle drew from earlier Victorian poison bottles to heighten atmosphere and theatricality.
Every object was designed as if it might appear in close-up on screen — considering paper tone, typography, scale, ageing and handling. The aim was not simply to make props that looked realistic, but to create artefacts that felt authentic to the world of the story.
Self-initiated narrative prop project following completion of Annie Atkins’ Graphic Design for Filmmaking workshop.
