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InspirationGraphic Design

What's the Big Idea? Silas Amos creates a teeny, tiny coffee table book of his work

‘What’s the Big Idea?’ is a coffee table book containing the work of Silas Amos, if, of course, the coffee table belonged to a mouse. "The reason for doing it was firstly the challenge of producing a really small book of my work – technically and creatively," explains the London designer. "I liked the exercise of trying to reduce all the thinking and work on a tiny scale that removed the luxury of lots of words or supporting images. I guess if an idea is decent it should be able to survive this stress test and not need to over-explain itself."

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A tiny blue book with white text reading "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" rests on the tip of a person's finger against a grey background

The book was a very limited edition of 25 copies, mostly given back to those who Silas has collaborated with. It came with a printers loupe: "I find myself typically glancing though nice big coffee table books, not really paying attention, and I kind of wanted to force folk to really have to look at the work," he explains.

It was printed by FE Burman and bound by A14 print finishing. Note for nerds – the digital printing makes for a crisper dot on the paper, so that helped with the XXS scale.

Silas adds: "The contents are the core projects I’ve worked on since setting up two and a half years ago, and it's been a pleasure to use this small format to share work from big talents like Sir Peter Blake, Supermundane, Emily Forgot and Yinka Ilori as well as work for Eve Sleep and Unilever."

Hands holding open a tiny book showing a colourful abstract artwork by Silas Amos with text describing the experimental approach to art editions
Silas Amos's miniature coffee table book What's the Big Idea? displayed next to its cardboard box with a red cube illustration and an accompanying magnifying loupe
Open pages of tiny book showing colourful grid-based artwork by Sir Peter Blake with geometric shapes, stars and hearts, alongside explanatory text about the algorithmic variations used to create multiple editions
Open tiny coffee table book showing text page on left and illustrated cover design featuring a figure in purple against colourful geometric shapes on right
Silas Amos's miniature coffee table book "What's the Big Idea?" displayed with its accompanying magnifying loupe against a white surface
Two tiny printed books displayed with a penny for scale, one open showing an illustrated page with colourful geometric shapes and a figure, the other displaying the blue cover reading "What's the Big Idea?
Two tiny blue books with geometric designs next to a yellow pencil labelled "High Grade" on a white surface
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