IRMA BOOM
“I ONLY DO WHAT I LIKE ”
Dutch book designer, Irma Boom is known for creating beautifully unique
books. By using unconventional elements, Boom’s designs are out standing and one of a kind, not only for their informational but as art objects. Boom studied as a painter at AKI Art Academy in Enschede, Netherlands before turning to design work.
Now, when working with commissioners, it is important to Boom that she
have absolute trust and communication in order to access complete creativity. Although many have said that Boom’s methods are unconventional, she has won many awards for her designs, including a gold metal for the Most Beautiful Book in the World for her work with Sheila Hicks’ “Weaving as a Metaphor”. Boom’s fearlessness and unconventional attitude towards design allow her to create unique and interesting books.
SHV Think book, 1996
“I RELY ON MY INSTINCTS”
One thing that sets Boom is her fearlessness. She takes on projects that
other people wouldn’t consider. She commits to her concepts and stands by them with true belief in their success. Boom accepts mistakes within her work process and sees them as happy accidents. For example, while working her first job at the Dutch Government Publishing and Printing Office, she was asked to design the stamp books. She had designed the pages in a flat lay out but when they were printed and bound, each half of the spreads were on opposite sides due to the french fold. It was a mistake but Booms says they came out better than she planned. By making this mistake early on in her career, Boom learned from it, making her a stronger designer.
Reading the American Landscape, 2010
“FOLLOW YOUR HEART ”
Part of Boom’s success has stemmed from her working relationship and
communication with her commissioners. Boom refers to them as ‘commissioners’ very intentionally. She does not believe in the term ‘client’ due to the fact that her process is so personal and she feels like term gives the impression that she is working for a boss, someone she must take orders from. Part of Boom’s process is to have complete communication and trust from her commissioners. She relies on her instincts when developing an idea and trust is vital for the design to be a success. Boom also prefers to work with the people who can make decisions. She often works with companies on a design and prefers to work with head creative directors in order to be more efficient.
James Jennifer Georgina, 2010
“IF I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO, I USE BLUE ”
Boom is not only fearless, but she is relentless. The first step to each of
her books, is research. For the SHV Think book, she spent the first three years of the five-year project on the research alone. With over 2,000 pages, the annual report is filled with information. One of Boom’s pet peeves is designers who do not read. Many will skim through a book, appreciating the images but very few take the time to read. Boom always reads the information she is given before starting a project. By using unique elements to draw people in, Boom hopes to get the viewer not only looking, but reading. For example, the Think book has several book marks. If the viewer reads the book, they will find corresponding page numbers to place those book marks. When arranged correctly, they spell out “think book” a title that is otherwise, no where on the book.
Cardinal Points, 2010
“I LIKE RAW, UGLY WORK ”
It is unique elements like the SHV book marks that truly set Boom apart
from other book designers. In 2013, she released the book on her own work titled “Boom”. The 800 page design collection was published in an large format, which Boom calls XXL and a small format, which she calls mini. This version is only about an inch and a half tall. In her design for the annual report for the Nederland’s Art Council, she based her concept on three colors; red, yellow and blue. During the printing, no black ink was used. Instead, Boom requested that the three colors be printed on top of each other to create the illusion of black text. Boom has ambitious ideas that often frustrate printers. Similar to the the printing of the annual report, Boom ran into difficulties printing Inside Outside. Each spread had several holes, which allowed the images of the next page to show through, making for an interesting juxtaposition. Due to the holes, the printer claimed it would be impossible to print. Displaying her relentless attitude again, Boom was able to have the project completed.
Boom, 2013
“I CAN DO ANYTHING IF I LEARN FROM IT ”
By utilizing her intelligence and following her instinct, Boom has truly
made a place for herself in not only the book world, but in the graphic design world as well. Her designs are more than informational, they are beautiful art objects. She is fearless and ambitious in her concepts, resulting in breath taking work. While Boom respects and comprehends the tradition of the book, she does not let those boundaries inhibit her work. Instead, she uses then as a guide and as an example of what can be pushed further. Boom’s fearlessness and unconventional attitude towards design allows her to create unique and interesting books.
Weaving as Metaphor, 2007
Mae Johnson, GD 102, Spring 2015, Helvetica Light