Multidisciplinary communication designer Todd Watts specializes in brand activation, promotional material, snackable content, and conceptual development for brands and film or TV projects. His work also includes tactile design solutions that are both creative and approachable.
But it’s a more personal series of his that caught our attention—his book series. In it, he manipulates some of his favorite books into original paper sculptures. “I wanted to create a visual representation of some of my favorite books,” he told A’ Design Award and Competition‘s blog. “Paper-craft seemed the perfect medium to achieve this.”
According to Watts, he challenged himself to do so after rediscovering his love for reading books. “I wanted to challenge myself with a passion project using papercraft to elevate my favorite stories into surreal and imaginative works of art,” he relayed. “I wanted to create a conversation and a guessing game between the viewer of the art and the books they represented.”
His paper hints include the web from Charlotte’s Web and a rose from The Secret Garden. “The entire project is representing the power of reading,” he explained. According to him, in a digital world it’s becoming harder to dedicate time to the classic paperback because reading from screens makes us read slower, learn less deeply, remember less, and sleep worse. “This is why students prefer to print out their electronic textbooks,” he reflected. “This is ‘The Power of the Paperback.'”
“I love creating paper-craft designs,” admits Watts. “They’re a test in patience and problem solving, it’s very exciting when it works.”
