The Spike Lee of Graphic Design, sort of.

Chip Kidd and I have crossed paths a couple of times. Figuratively of course but he always seems to be on-hand or in a designers peripheral vision. My introduction to Kidd came just before reading Augusten Burroughs' Dry, an impulse buy thanks to the bleeding type Kidd had expertly placed on the cover. When I finished the book, which touches a variety of subjects including graphic design, art direction, alcohol addiction, crack cocaine and homosexuality I wasn't sure if I should thank Kidd (it was a good read) or shake my fist at him (it was also a disturbingly dark and revealing read). At any rate, good design definetely sold me that book and I began noticing Chip Kidd's name, a lot. Not long after, while reading David Sedaris' Naked, I inadvertently caught an interview in which Sedaris credited Kidd with what the interviewer called a "chuckle-worthy" cover (a partially obscured title above white cotton boxers on a red background). I frowned. Really? It's not even that good.


Like him or not (and I should be clear here, I do) Chip Kidd is everywhere. From Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park to Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. Kidd even designs the covers to books he's authored including 2001 The Cheese Monkeys and the follow-up The Learners (both well worth the read).


I'd hesitate to say he's got a style but he definitely has a feel and his hand is subtle and understated, certainly concepted well and more often than not successful in getting you to pick up any of the 75 jacket designs he's rumored to produce each year (not including supervising graphic novels at Pantheon) [thanks Wikipedia]. Perhaps most inspiring about Kidd is his sheer enthusiasm for design. YouTube any number of his lectures or interviews and you can tell he really enjoys the process of design and for that I say, "Thanks Chip."