I only discovered paper engineering in the 2nd year and my first project culminated in the lionfish pop which you see here. In context, the spread was to inform a 6-8 year old audience about invasive species as I felt that when on my diving trip to the red Sea in Egypt, many of the questions that I asked concerning the matter, could not be answered.

The insect spreads are my most recent work (which is ongoing) and this time, I started to consider the tactile qualities of my subjects: paper is very versatile and can lend itself to many applications.

The initial artwork was created by sgraffito and then smaller details like the spider hairs and the web structure are actually stitched with cotton and have been threaded through the design. In context the book sets out to clarify what an INSECT is because many people get confused between bugs, true bugs and insects.

When designing a Pop, I work backwards! I have an idea and just start sticking pieces of paper together with masking tape, learning about the constraints of my design as I go. I then start to make the design as efficient as I can-this might be as simple as realizing that the 3 pieces I have stuck together could be cut down to just 1 piece instead. I try to do the same with the glue spots too.

This spread design is in response to the Parisien Catacombs in Paris. There was little material available to the visitors to support the history of the place. This was a very quick spread I mocked up….the book plan I had in place was designed to illustrate the history of catacombs and could ultimately be available in a variety of languages.

I am currently designing a book which deals with contraries and is much more graphical and typographical in composition. It will look very different to what you see here when it is finished!