Beyond the manual
"A manual tells you what to do, Hermione", Mary said, smoothing out a draft of the Sunrise Dreams handbook. "A true sidekick tells you why it matters and stays by your side while you do it."
In the Prototyping Lab, Q ensures the assembly sequence is technically sound. But in the Atelier, Mary spends weeks unfolding the tech. She views the Handbook as an immobile sidekick, a companion designed to sit on your desk and guide your hands, your heart, and your imagination in one uniquely aligned movement.
The psychology of sequenced steps
Mary explained that the way a person encounters information during a build is just as important as the paper quality. The handbook is designed to turn Q’s rigorous engineering into a series of achievable, small boosts of self-confidence that together make the assembly as smooth and interactive as a premium experience requires.
Instead of saying "stick the rabbit here", the handbook offers composition ideas by the FOLDORI Studio. It suggests how to place elements to create the most elegantly balanced piece, play with contrasts and shadows, and highlight each character's traits within the illustrated scenery: it acts as a mentor who whispers over your shoulder.
Unfolding the story
For Mary, the assembly process is the "first reading" of the story. In its full digital version available here, as you reach story-related steps, the handbook provides a short insight into e.g. Noelani's adventurous spirit as her core character trait. You aren't just moving paper around; you're introducing new heroes to the Silvia Forest.
If you purchased the Sunrise Dreams story extension kits, Mary showed me the specific double-page spread comparing the Classic Set with the Full Suite. It’s a visual map of what’s possible, encouraging you to mix and match based on which hero represents best your own circle. It's also a fantastic view of the work by Mary and the FOLDORI Studio, laying out composition ideas that expand the story while maintaining an ideally balanced, clutter-free scenery.
Insights into the FOLDORI brand
The Atelier is also where Mary weaves the soul of FOLDORI into the handbook's pages. Refining Q's engineering language, she drew the five pictograms (Fold, Peel, Stick, Stack, Strap) to ensure they felt like a universal language of paper engineering and advanced DIY experience.
Between assembly steps, she includes brief "Behind the Scenes" notes. These aren't marketing fluff; they are honest windows into why we chose that specific Italian paper or why the Paper Belt took eight months to perfect.
What I realised in the Atelier is that Mary’s work is the 'soft' engineering that balances Q’s 'hard' engineering. The Design Handbook is the bridge between a box of parts and a finished masterpiece. It's designed to be a collectible item in itself: a record of the journey you took to create an art piece that breathes craft and excellence.
When you open your Design Handbook, don't just look at the diagrams. Read the character notes and the composition tips Mary has hidden in the margins. Treat it like a conversation with the artists who wrote the story, illustrated it, and transcended it into a full self-assembly set you can be proud exhibiting in your home. It's there to ensure that if you ever believed you have 'zero talent', you feel like an origami master by the time you reach the final page.
