Simplify to design origami models

Simplify to design origami models

The origami designs that I like the most have a common characteristic: they are not very complex models, but quite simple designs that result in beautiful figures. [...] Being aware of these preferences has led me to simplify and minimize -- to a certain extent -- my designs. This is maybe more evident at the present point in my career as an origami designer.

To simplify a design implies to eliminate the less important details and concentrate on its most relevant features. For example, if you have to design an elephant, you must focus on the trunk. Very often, when designing an animal, you must pay special attention to its head, which is usually the part that most identifies it from the rest -- especially if it is a vertebrate. A creature that has an elephant's head and a cat's body is much more likely to be identified as an elephant than as a cat. [...]

I’m sure that folders don't only look at the final result to assess whether an origami model is a good one, but they also care a lot about its folding process. The folding sequence is thus very important in origami design. To me, a charming model with an unpleasant sequence (too long, repetitive or annoying) loses much of its appeal. [...]

The Red Riding Hood is an example of the minimization of the number of points. Indeed, the main feature of this figure is that the legs of the girl are side by side, which allows to model both legs from a single flap of paper. A bird base is enough for two arms, one “double leg" and the head; using a stretched bird base the head was pulled away from the legs, leaving room for the body. The color changes were not difficult to achieve in such a simple design. 

To find out how Marc Vigo created his other designs, continue reading this article in the book Tinkering with folds: