Faculty

Irma Boom, Graphic Designer

Ms. Boom is an Amsterdam-based graphic designer who specializes in making books. After earning her B.F.A. in graphic design from the AKI Art Academy in Enschedé, she worked for five years at the Dutch government publishing and printing office in The Hague. In 1991 she founded Irma Boom Office, which works nationally and internationally in both the cultural and commercial sectors. Clients include the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Aga Khan Foundation for Architects, the Museum of Modern Art, Prince Claus Fund, Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum, Camper, Mallorca, Ferrari, Vitra International, the United Nations, and OMA/Rem Koolhaas. For five years she worked (editing and concept/design) on the 2,136-page SHV Think Book 1996–1896, commissioned by SHV Holdings in Utrecht and published in English and Chinese. Ms. Boom has been the recipient of many awards for her book designs and was the youngest ever laureate to receive the prestigious Gutenberg prize for her complete oeuvre. The University of Amsterdam manages the Irma Boom Archive, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York has acquired her work for the permanent collection in the Design and Architecture Department. She was appointed to the Yale faculty in 1992 and is currently senior critic in graphic design.