Paper engineering or pop-up book design can be described as 'Moveable figures that turn into 3D and 2D when moving to another page. In their origin pop-up books were used as educational and didactic tools for adults in the 18th century, but more recently we can remember them for the immersive reading experiences and wonder they bring to a childhood book.
Pop-up books have advanced greatly with paper design and now constitutes a genre in itself, continuing to be an important part in the history of books and children's literature. It was this immersive reading experience that I wanted to bring to life in my chosen children's book for my first major project, and after research came across Helen Friel, who specialises in interactive books and paper engineering.
With over a decade of experience art directing and creating paper artwork for editorial and advertising clients. Helen has also designed and illustrated interactive and immersive books for both children and adults, including the first pop-up book sent into space.
In 2020 she joined Falmouth University as a tutor for Illustration and is now also a qualified higher education teacher as well as completing projects for clients such as Fanta, TIME, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Sky, Tatler UK , Ryan Air, Harrods and others.
HELEN's WORK
Midnight creatures encourages it's reader to not only immerse themselves into the scenes of the story but to Switch off the lights, turn on the flashlight and come on the shadow adventure with Midnight Creatures. This book contains pop-up scenes full of creatures to find, allowing children to engage with the physical book itself. I found the paper engineering and immersive reading aspect incredibly interesting, but thought adding further interactive elements such as searching for shadows was a brilliant way to engage children and encourage them to continue reading. This inspired me within my own project, questioning the role of the design in encouraging children to read, and weather design through type and paper could act as an active reading and fully immersive experience for children and parents alike.
It also made me question why few children's books in libraries do no focus on design and how it can play a role in bringing the book to life. Why do many pop-up and active reading book designs end after the age of six?
CORPORATE DESIGNS
While Helen's designs focus on books, she has completed numerous paper engineering projects for corporate clients, showing the diversified use of paper engineering:
Savoy Pop-Up Cocktail Menu- Known for its theatrical Art Deco setting and innovative drinks, The Beaufort Bar launched a new cocktail menu that pushes the boundaries of cocktail making, imagination and design.
