Farewell Gift: pop up book page

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A beloved executive just left my company. He's a larger-than-life, eccentric personality who has had a positive impact on everyone around him and will genuinely be missed.

A few notable things about him so this makes more sense:
  • avid bicycler, surfer, and kayaker
  • bicycle helmet looks like a watermelon
  • has a small dog
  • loves Mexican food
He and I once shared a moment in which we exclaimed about the Hero's Journey as written about by Joseph Campbell. For me, reading about that cycle was sort of like finding out that there's a mathematical formula that the whole world is built on, but with stories. He incorporated it into how he approached client pitches.

As part of his sendoff, everyone in the Creative department was given the opportunity to make a single page to be bound together into a book.

I didn't get photos of the collection, but it was overwhelming. Every page was heartfelt and thoughtful and completely different from the next. One created a minimalist portrait from paper glasses, a piece of fabric, and part of a weft from a wig. Another was a screenshot of their first correspondence with a thank you note for hiring that person years ago. Another featured accents of scrap fabric from shirts his wife made for him.

I styled my page like a fantasy RPG inventory screen.



Across the top are the words "Prepare for your next [Hero's Journey] with these items:"

"Hero's Journey" is written on a paper wheel, and as it is turned, it shows each stage in the Hero's Journey cycle.

There are six frames underneath, each with a title and an interactive element.

Protection: watermelon turns into bicycle helmet


Fearsome guardian: crate opens to show small dog


Provisions: lunch box opens, small Mexican food cutouts inside


Fortification: margarita pull tab brings the drink level down


Wave summoner: conch shell folds out/up/over to reveal Hokusai Wave woodblock illustration (with Boston Robotics robot riding one of the boats)


Fond Farewell: cartoon of me has waving arm


Video of the prototype:



Video of the final:

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