In Make It Bigger (published in 2002 by Princeton Architectural Press) Paula Scher surveys her three decades of work (so far) and provides a firsthand account of the complex interpersonal dynamics that dictate so much of the design process. The book features over 200 examples of work, several new essays, and a series of humorous diagrams that illustrate the mechanics of meeting dynamics, approval processes, and office layouts for peons and executives. An appendix reprints several of Scher’s previously published essays.

Because the designer is presenting her own work here, the book’s size is deliberately modest. (The compact scale also plays against the title for a characteristic note of absurdity.) The book has been designed to be its own object. Edge-stained pages and a tight-back binding are used to “package” it in typography that wraps around all sides. (At the publisher’s suggestion, the book is being sold in a clear acetate sleeve to protect its cover surface.) The typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk is used for its easy readability and its capacity to look both approachable and aggressive at the same time.