Masks, with similar appearances across diverse cultures, often carry vastly different meanings and purposes. This study aims to create contextually coherent and comprehensible masks, minimizing ambiguity and enhancing clarity in their portrayal. It focuses on the mask’s physiognomy, though masks are typically understood alongside body costumes in many cultures worldwide. This abstract presents a workshop-based study focusing on the depiction and perception of face masks for performance. Twelve design students of National Institute of Design, across various disciplines participated in the workshop, tasked to design and construct masks based on twelve archetypes such as hero, jester, and caregiver. Employing a structured framework—combining shape, emotion/gaze, and form—the participants constructed masks inspired by water-related motifs. The masks were placed along four scales: (i). Expression (neutral to intense emotion), (ii). Detail (minimal to elaborate), (iii). Hybridity (animal to human), and (iv). Shape (natural or geometric associations). These evaluations aimed to categorize the masks based on their expressive qualities, degree of animalistic or human features, level of detail, and forms utilized. The study aimed to assess the efficacy of the framework in creating coherent and relatable characters, examining the alignment between the depiction and perception of character. By comparing the perceived efficacy of different masks on perception tests, the research has identified correlations between various scales and their impact on audience interpretation. Both mask makers and spectators were provided with the same definitions for each character archetype, emphasizing the importance of shared understanding and interpretation in character design.