I don't know how to start this little piece on Chip Kidd, because so much has already been written about him. He is the guru of book cover design. As Veronique Vienne says, in her book titled simply "Chip Kidd", he is perceived as a "design demigod," an "inky colossus" and "the closest thing to a rock star" in graphic design. In 2008 he was listed on the famous TIME magazine list of 100 most influential people (and he was listed higher than Hillary Clinton or David Beckham). And I'm going to see his lecture tomorrow.
Chip Kidd is 47 years old. He designed his first cover in 1986, which means he's been designing for 25 years now. His covers follow one general rule: they're supposed to catch your eye, intrigue you, give you a glimpse of the world pictured by words in the book. But he strictly avoids one thing: being literal about the book's subject, as he thinks it is insulting to the reader. His covers are like a riddle then, presenting one puzzle that only falls into place when you actually find the other pieces in the book.
As a result of working with book authors, reading piles of manuscripts and observing the writing process, Kidd decided to give a shot to writing himself. He is the author of The Cheese Monkeys (check the short excerpt of the story) and The Learners, which were well received by critics and became bestsellers. I think it gives him even better understanding of what message would the author want to convey with the book cover, as he knows the other side of the story. Working on more than 70 book covers a year, Kidd completed more than 1500 designs (it's a number he's been giving for quite a while, so it must be higher). Is it difficult to come up with so many ideas? Kidd says the design process is "pretty simple, unless it becomes complicated." (via USA Today)
