Works with Books
"
Ancora imparo
I am still learning."
—Michelangelo, at 87
I am still learning."
—Michelangelo, at 87
Portfolio Review Night by Toronto Design Directory
Jun 25, 2025
During the session, the team from the design agency Made by Emblem responded to questions asked by the host, Margot. She guided the conversation toward topics like what makes a strong portfolio. Each staff member shared their perspective, but I didn’t find much of it helpful. They weren’t recruiters or experts in hiring junior designers; they were designers themselves. Most of what they said boiled down to having good skills and fitting into the company culture. That advice is valid, but not particularly actionable.
I wasn’t disappointed, though. I hadn’t expected much. I was just glad to get a sense of what a design studio is like, which is hard for me to experience otherwise. Still, I felt somewhat out of place among the other designers.
That feeling stayed with me during the portfolio reviews that followed. I noticed that many of the designers seemed quite different from me. They didn’t strike me as especially artistic or expressive, but rather practical and focused on usability. Most of them appeared confident and outgoing, quite different from what I might relate to.
In the review session, I met with three reviewers for about 20 minutes each. One was a UI/UX designer, another a product designer at Netflix, and the third seemed to focus on branding. As I shared my portfolio and spoke with them, it became clear that book design is a niche. None of them had met a designer who specializes in it. One reviewer, who graduated from OCAD, told me she didn’t know anyone from her class who went into book design.
Since deciding to pursue a job in graphic design, I’ve met seven designers so far, and none of them are book designers. Now I’m curious to learn how book designers differ from the ones I’ve met up to now.
Jun 25, 2025
During the session, the team from the design agency Made by Emblem responded to questions asked by the host, Margot. She guided the conversation toward topics like what makes a strong portfolio. Each staff member shared their perspective, but I didn’t find much of it helpful. They weren’t recruiters or experts in hiring junior designers; they were designers themselves. Most of what they said boiled down to having good skills and fitting into the company culture. That advice is valid, but not particularly actionable.
I wasn’t disappointed, though. I hadn’t expected much. I was just glad to get a sense of what a design studio is like, which is hard for me to experience otherwise. Still, I felt somewhat out of place among the other designers.
That feeling stayed with me during the portfolio reviews that followed. I noticed that many of the designers seemed quite different from me. They didn’t strike me as especially artistic or expressive, but rather practical and focused on usability. Most of them appeared confident and outgoing, quite different from what I might relate to.
In the review session, I met with three reviewers for about 20 minutes each. One was a UI/UX designer, another a product designer at Netflix, and the third seemed to focus on branding. As I shared my portfolio and spoke with them, it became clear that book design is a niche. None of them had met a designer who specializes in it. One reviewer, who graduated from OCAD, told me she didn’t know anyone from her class who went into book design.
Since deciding to pursue a job in graphic design, I’ve met seven designers so far, and none of them are book designers. Now I’m curious to learn how book designers differ from the ones I’ve met up to now.
Irma Boom
Jun 25, 2025
Irma Boom is my heroine not only because she’s great at making books, but also because she knows how to realize her book projects—getting them published and well received in the market. A book can be a personal space for expression, but once it’s published for readers, it becomes not just a medium, but a form of media.
Jun 25, 2025
Irma Boom is my heroine not only because she’s great at making books, but also because she knows how to realize her book projects—getting them published and well received in the market. A book can be a personal space for expression, but once it’s published for readers, it becomes not just a medium, but a form of media.
The Kind of Designer I Want to Be
Jun 23, 2025
I feel bad when I imagine myself as a graphic designer who solves clients’ problems. I’d like to become a book designer who sells my design or the approach—something clients can solve through. I want to have skills good enough that clients can trust and are willing to invest sufficient cost and time in the process, expecting results that are truly worth it. I don’t want to chase clients. I want them to come and find me. It will take a long time until that happens, but unfortunately or fortunately, that’s the only thing I can do. I cannot be superficial.
Jun 23, 2025
Portfolio Review Night by Toronto Design Directory
Jun 25, 2025
It probably also comes down to the vibe. My design might have pushed the strangeness too far. I sensed that even before submitting it, but by then it was too late—and I hoped they would see that as a strength.
I'm not sure if I can tone down the level of my expression. Actually, it shouldn't even be about expression—it should be about problem-solving. I should be considering the publisher more than myself. But I don't know if I can.
Jun 25, 2025
It probably also comes down to the vibe. My design might have pushed the strangeness too far. I sensed that even before submitting it, but by then it was too late—and I hoped they would see that as a strength.
I'm not sure if I can tone down the level of my expression. Actually, it shouldn't even be about expression—it should be about problem-solving. I should be considering the publisher more than myself. But I don't know if I can.
The Point of a Portfolio Website
Jun 6, 2025
I’ve almost finished building my online book design portfolio—though I’ll keep updating it with new work. At first, I doubted whether I even needed an online portfolio. Who’s going to look at it anyway? Portfolios are meant for clients and employers, but I don’t think writers, publishers, or recruiters will randomly visit my site and hire me as a book designer. Part of me thought I might need one just in case someone asks to see my work, but I wasn’t sure it was worth the time and energy.
One of the reasons I started building it was Tom’s suggestion. He told me I had book design work worth gathering in one place online. I thought about that, and here’s how my thoughts developed:
I had already made a physical book portfolio with the photobooks I’d created, thinking I could use it to apply for graphic design jobs. But when I was ready to share it, I realized most people didn’t want to see a physical book—they wanted a PDF or a website. So far, I’ve only shown my portfolio book to two people: Tom and the owner of The Monkey’s Paw, the secondhand bookstore.
After I finished redesigning four book covers as a self-initiated project, I started building another portfolio—this time including not just my photobooks but also the covers—for a portfolio review held by Penguin Random House Canada. I made it as a PDF, since I wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to show a physical copy. Only a limited number of portfolios would actually be reviewed.
After submitting mine, I made the decision to start building a website. I felt frustrated that my most recent portfolio was so limited—almost inaccessible. Even though I still think a book is the best format to present my work, it’s just not accessible. You can’t search or casually flip through the portfolio book sitting on my shelf—but you can browse a website. I also decided I needed an online space where I can showcase my work.
Accessibility and actual traffic are two different things. I still doubt that people will visit my portfolio website—but there’s a big difference between zero possibility and 0.0001.
Jun 6, 2025
One of the reasons I started building it was Tom’s suggestion. He told me I had book design work worth gathering in one place online. I thought about that, and here’s how my thoughts developed:
I had already made a physical book portfolio with the photobooks I’d created, thinking I could use it to apply for graphic design jobs. But when I was ready to share it, I realized most people didn’t want to see a physical book—they wanted a PDF or a website. So far, I’ve only shown my portfolio book to two people: Tom and the owner of The Monkey’s Paw, the secondhand bookstore.
After I finished redesigning four book covers as a self-initiated project, I started building another portfolio—this time including not just my photobooks but also the covers—for a portfolio review held by Penguin Random House Canada. I made it as a PDF, since I wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to show a physical copy. Only a limited number of portfolios would actually be reviewed.
After submitting mine, I made the decision to start building a website. I felt frustrated that my most recent portfolio was so limited—almost inaccessible. Even though I still think a book is the best format to present my work, it’s just not accessible. You can’t search or casually flip through the portfolio book sitting on my shelf—but you can browse a website. I also decided I needed an online space where I can showcase my work.
Accessibility and actual traffic are two different things. I still doubt that people will visit my portfolio website—but there’s a big difference between zero possibility and 0.0001.
Too Idealistic to Be a Book Designer?
Jun 6, 2025
It seems like there aren’t many opportunities to work specifically as a book designer. I’m not even sure such a role really exists. When you check job postings on LinkedIn or Indeed, you see terms like “editorial designer” or “print designer,” but rarely “book designer.”
After finishing my first job in the Air Force, I wanted to become an entrepreneur, so I joined a startup. But I realized I’m not the kind of person who can run that kind of company. I was impressed by a graphic designer working there, which led me to want to become a graphic designer myself. I started learning about design. But while working with clients, I realized I’m also not the kind of person who can work in that way—constantly shaping my work around client expectations.
I wanted to create something that expressed myself, and I found the photobook as my medium. But most people don’t just buy photobooks—they don’t even know what a photobook is. Interestingly, even though many people are unfamiliar with it, some who are interested in photography want to make one. So I tried to make a living through online photobook-making workshops and clubs, but eventually found it unsustainable.
I’m too idealistic. The reason I went to the Air Force Academy wasn’t to become a military officer, but to become an astronaut, which was, and still is, nearly impossible in Korea—there used to be one Korean astronaut, and she ended up changing her nationality to the U.S.
The truth is, going to the Air Force Academy was already a kind of compromise—I had wanted to become a comic book artist. And now I want to become a book designer. You know what? That too feels like a compromise—from making photobooks. Though honestly, it still feels just as idealistic.
Jun 6, 2025
After finishing my first job in the Air Force, I wanted to become an entrepreneur, so I joined a startup. But I realized I’m not the kind of person who can run that kind of company. I was impressed by a graphic designer working there, which led me to want to become a graphic designer myself. I started learning about design. But while working with clients, I realized I’m also not the kind of person who can work in that way—constantly shaping my work around client expectations.
I wanted to create something that expressed myself, and I found the photobook as my medium. But most people don’t just buy photobooks—they don’t even know what a photobook is. Interestingly, even though many people are unfamiliar with it, some who are interested in photography want to make one. So I tried to make a living through online photobook-making workshops and clubs, but eventually found it unsustainable.
I’m too idealistic. The reason I went to the Air Force Academy wasn’t to become a military officer, but to become an astronaut, which was, and still is, nearly impossible in Korea—there used to be one Korean astronaut, and she ended up changing her nationality to the U.S.
The truth is, going to the Air Force Academy was already a kind of compromise—I had wanted to become a comic book artist. And now I want to become a book designer. You know what? That too feels like a compromise—from making photobooks. Though honestly, it still feels just as idealistic.
What is Book Design for Me?
Jun 6, 2025
Book design is the materialization of content. Content is conceptual and fleeting, but when given form, it takes on a new dimension. Content doesn’t work without form, just as form shapes content. They are inseparable—like mind and body, software and hardware, or food and the dish that holds it.
Design frames content, neither overshadowing nor diluting it. Too little design makes the theme raw, while too much makes it overcooked. A well-designed book balances these forces, guiding the reader without dictating experience.
Book design isn’t merely about aesthetics. It engages all senses. You can’t smell a film, but you can smell a book. You have to touch it, turn its pages, and experience it in a way impossible with a screen. The book itself becomes an object, displayed and valued differently in the digital age. As print becomes premium, its role becomes intentional.
Just as every piece of content is unique, so too must be its design. The book’s form, its rhythm, its presence—these make book design not just a craft but an experience.
Jun 6, 2025
Design frames content, neither overshadowing nor diluting it. Too little design makes the theme raw, while too much makes it overcooked. A well-designed book balances these forces, guiding the reader without dictating experience.
Book design isn’t merely about aesthetics. It engages all senses. You can’t smell a film, but you can smell a book. You have to touch it, turn its pages, and experience it in a way impossible with a screen. The book itself becomes an object, displayed and valued differently in the digital age. As print becomes premium, its role becomes intentional.
Just as every piece of content is unique, so too must be its design. The book’s form, its rhythm, its presence—these make book design not just a craft but an experience.
What is a Book for Me?
Jun 6, 2025
In this digital age, the nature of books has changed. While digital and e-books offer flex-ibility, some books demand a physical form. Unlike e-books, which are fluid and adaptable, printed books are fixed—more like tailored clothes than mass-produced garments. This per-manence gives them a unique value but also comes with a cost, making the decision to print a book more deliberate than publishing digitally.
E-books offer convenience, allowing readers to adjust formats and typefaces, but they also impose limitations. E-readers have predefined options, making the experience uniform and impersonal—like mass-produced fast food. Some readers don’t concern them-selves with a book’s design, but for others, the physicality of a book is integral to the experience. A printed book invites interaction; it is not just read but held, turned, and felt.
A book is more than content—it is a tangible experience. That’s why it’s important to ask: what does a physical book do that an e-book cannot?
Jun 6, 2025
E-books offer convenience, allowing readers to adjust formats and typefaces, but they also impose limitations. E-readers have predefined options, making the experience uniform and impersonal—like mass-produced fast food. Some readers don’t concern them-selves with a book’s design, but for others, the physicality of a book is integral to the experience. A printed book invites interaction; it is not just read but held, turned, and felt.
A book is more than content—it is a tangible experience. That’s why it’s important to ask: what does a physical book do that an e-book cannot?
What If I’m Wrong
Jun 4, 2025
I met Tom. I arrived two hours early and spent the time working on my online portfolio until he came. It turns out he didn’t receive the emails I had sent. I remember sending three of them. I thought it was strange that he never responded, and now I understand why.
I feel bad that my English speaking skills aren’t fluent enough to clearly express what I wanted to say during our conversation. I’m not even sure how much of my points he understood—or how much I understood of what he said.
I wanted to tell him that I’m not fully sure if I’ve been making the right decisions in pursuing a career in graphic design, especially my choice to focus solely on book design. During the conversation, I found myself saying, almost unexpectedly, that I don’t like doing graphic design—only book design. I had felt that way for a while, but saying it aloud surprised me. Still, I think it’s true—though I’m not fully sure.
I believe graphic design is about solving clients’ problems in the way they want. I don’t want to work for people who are superficial. But Tom made a good point: book design and cover design can’t avoid being sales-driven. After all, the books need to sell. I believe selling books and selling coffee are different—but how? Not all readers are thoughtful or refined. Publishers can’t survive by focusing only on serious or classy readers.
I have to work for others if I want to earn a living. If I insist on only doing what I love, then why bother working as a book designer at all? Is the situation for book designers really any better than it is for graphic designers in general?
I said I like interpreting the content of a book into something visual and graphic. Tom replied that graphic design is about interpretation, which means it’s not limited to book design. But I don’t want to interpret just anything—I want it to be something that feels worth interpreting.
Tom told me he often provides five, even ten drafts for a client, and that he enjoys trying out different approaches and ideas. That’s different from my process—I usually choose one promising idea and keep refining it until I feel it’s done. I wonder if I’ll be able to adopt his approach.
When I think about working as a graphic designer, I feel frustrated. How do I even get a job in this field? The general process is to build a portfolio and try to get hired. Whether or not you succeed, you keep developing your portfolio until you land something—or the next thing. It’s just a repetition of improving your portfolio and job hunting. If you get a position in a design studio, you don’t need to keep chasing jobs; the company finds them and assigns them to you.
But whenever I check job postings, I feel discouraged. The qualifications always seem too high. Most recruiters want experienced designers. I also don’t want to work for companies that don’t understand what design is. They’re not elegant at all. They just want to sell to as many people as possible and make more money. People are shallow—so why would companies be any different?
Jun 4, 2025
I feel bad that my English speaking skills aren’t fluent enough to clearly express what I wanted to say during our conversation. I’m not even sure how much of my points he understood—or how much I understood of what he said.
I wanted to tell him that I’m not fully sure if I’ve been making the right decisions in pursuing a career in graphic design, especially my choice to focus solely on book design. During the conversation, I found myself saying, almost unexpectedly, that I don’t like doing graphic design—only book design. I had felt that way for a while, but saying it aloud surprised me. Still, I think it’s true—though I’m not fully sure.
I believe graphic design is about solving clients’ problems in the way they want. I don’t want to work for people who are superficial. But Tom made a good point: book design and cover design can’t avoid being sales-driven. After all, the books need to sell. I believe selling books and selling coffee are different—but how? Not all readers are thoughtful or refined. Publishers can’t survive by focusing only on serious or classy readers.
I have to work for others if I want to earn a living. If I insist on only doing what I love, then why bother working as a book designer at all? Is the situation for book designers really any better than it is for graphic designers in general?
I said I like interpreting the content of a book into something visual and graphic. Tom replied that graphic design is about interpretation, which means it’s not limited to book design. But I don’t want to interpret just anything—I want it to be something that feels worth interpreting.
Tom told me he often provides five, even ten drafts for a client, and that he enjoys trying out different approaches and ideas. That’s different from my process—I usually choose one promising idea and keep refining it until I feel it’s done. I wonder if I’ll be able to adopt his approach.
When I think about working as a graphic designer, I feel frustrated. How do I even get a job in this field? The general process is to build a portfolio and try to get hired. Whether or not you succeed, you keep developing your portfolio until you land something—or the next thing. It’s just a repetition of improving your portfolio and job hunting. If you get a position in a design studio, you don’t need to keep chasing jobs; the company finds them and assigns them to you.
But whenever I check job postings, I feel discouraged. The qualifications always seem too high. Most recruiters want experienced designers. I also don’t want to work for companies that don’t understand what design is. They’re not elegant at all. They just want to sell to as many people as possible and make more money. People are shallow—so why would companies be any different?