Unfolding Folktales

Graphics & Illustration / Interactive Design

Unfolding Folktales brings to life the South Indian tale The Flowering Tree through narrative illustrations on a Kavad, embodying heritage with my cultural influences. This interactive experience invites viewers to explore a rich storytelling tradition, enhanced by augmented reality for deeper engagement with the visuals.

My Role - Lead designer

Concept, Copywriting, Narrative research
Illustration, Wireframing, Prototyping & Testing
Augmented reality testing
Editorial layouts.

Approach

Context

This project explores illustration as a powerful medium for understanding the world, where storytelling is deeply rooted in human experience. Often dismissed as bedtime stories, folktales hold rich narratives.

My aim was to recontextualize them for an adult audience while sharing a piece of my Indian heritage through storytelling.

Exploration

I explored my growth as a designer, illustrator, and storyteller by reinterpreting a folktale through illustration while examining the fading tradition of the handcrafted Kavad—a storytelling platform from North-Western India. Drawn to its immersive narrative style, I sought to preserve its relevance as a medium for storytelling, communication, and connection in today's world.

Visual stylistic & practice

The visuals combine contemporary graphite illustration with earthy colours and traditional South Indian folk art patterns to express both my personal style and the organic nature of the tale. The final compositions abstract key moments, incorporating symbols and elements that highlight the story’s regional roots.

Editorial layout & publishing

A glimpse into the culture of the tale and symbolism is provided through a book.

Cultural sensitivity

A level of sensitivity was applied to the cultural/regional aesthetics to convey the origins of ‘The Flowering Tree’ — a folktale told by women from Southern India that imparts messages of human vulnerability, strength and respect for nature.

Augmented reality

Viewers are encouraged to explore its layers through augmented reality with select illustrations, activated by scanning a QR code that directs viewers to their Facebook camera to view the effect. This ventured into the flow from interacting with a tangible artefact, moving to digital space.

The journey :

Through this capstone project exploration in visual storytelling experiences, I set out
to inspire users to look beyond mainstream fairytales and revisit hidden folktales as adults, to expand their awareness towards traditions that stem from other cultures.

In turn, it gave me a higher appreciation for the talents, skills and creativity passed down from generations, and the roots of engaging narratives in human history.