At Phoenix Design GmbH + Co. KG, it is a tradition to design a yo-yo at the end of the internship. This year’s motto was “Paper meets couture”.
Process
To get to know paper as a material, I first tried out many different folding techniques, methods and types of paper. This also gave me a feel for the properties of different fibre lengths, thicknesses and surface treatments of paper.
A mood board helped me to decide on a direction and style. Through many iterations, I gradually created my own pattern.
Loop
While paper is normally known as a flat material with straight lines and clear edges, my yo-yo stands out from the usual characteristics of paper with elegant round folds and a lot of three-dimensionality. The various intermediate layers give the yo-yo additional abstractness and individual areas appear as if they are floating.
I decided to use origami paper for my yo-yo. The long fibres make it very strong and able to withstand complicated folds. As “Couture” is always unique and handmade, I prepared, cut out and folded my entire yo-yo precisely by hand. The string of the yo-yo also picks up on the theme of “couture”, as this term has its origins in fashion and sewing. Otherwise, the yo-yo is made of 100% paper.
