Irma Boom: The Architecture of the Book

Distinguished book designer Irma Boom makes miniature versions of her books in an almost architectural manner. Watch her demonstrate and discuss these unique miniature books, which are among the world’s smallest.

“It’s all about scale, size, weight – and sometimes even smell.” Boom often creates small models – or “mini-versions” – of the books she makes in order to oversee the distribution of text and image in a foreseeable way. Furthermore, Boom finds that making a small book is more difficult than making a big book, and being fearless when it comes to rethinking the boundaries of what a book can be is essential to her: “Miniature books were made to show the craft.”