Dichotomy of Fairy Tales

Building a Snowman

This project explores the transformation of traditional fairy tales into modern-day narratives, using The Snow Queen as a starting point. Instead of rewriting the story, it simulates the notebook of an Imagineer working on Disney’s Frozen, highlighting the process of reinterpretation. Through annotated pages, sketches, and cut-outs, it showcases how the original dark themes were reshaped into empowering messages for today's young audiences — shifting from warnings about strangers to lessons in independence and inner strength.

Building a Snowman

Dichotomy of Fairy Tales

Art direction
Editorial

#WeCanPlayIt

Action for women's equality

Softwares Used:
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop

This project was developed using Adobe InDesign and explores the editorial reinterpretation of traditional fairy tales. The layout simulates a fictional notebook belonging to a Disney Imagineer working on the adaptation of The Snow Queen into Frozen. The original story text is kept intact, set in a classic serif typeface and formatted with traditional margin rules — evoking the aesthetic of old storybooks. In contrast, all notes and annotations are set in Helvetica, representing the influence of contemporary design and modern storytelling. The visual contrast between serif and sans-serif typography underlines the shift from classic to modern narratives. Paper-cut techniques were also applied to physically reveal and manipulate sections of the story, reinforcing the idea of reinterpretation through design.

#WeCanPlayIt

Action for women's equality

Essence Conveyed:
Nostalgia, magic, transformation – Inspiring reflection on the evolution of classic tales, keeping them relevant in the present.

Building a Snowman is a visual journey through the transformation of a classic fairy tale into a new imaginary world. It feels like opening the private notebook of someone who, while reading The Snow Queen, begins to dream of Frozen.

What’s most striking is witnessing how much the mindset of children has changed — and yet, how they still need fairy tales to grow. Once used to teach fear and obedience, these stories now speak of freedom and self-worth. But their purpose remains: to help children understand the world, and themselves, one story at a time.