In the company of royalty

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Chip Kidd, and was fortunate enough (thanks to the persistence of The Wife™) to go to dinner with him. Who is Chip Kidd, you ask?

Briefly, Chip Kidd is recognized as the master of contemporary book cover design. He's designed covers for notable authors such as John Updike, Michael Crichton, and David Sedaris, and some authors have clauses in their contracts stating that only Kidd can design their covers. He currently designs about 70 covers a year.

On a professional level, he's raised the bar for designers. By creatively combining type and imagery he's able to create distinctive book covers that are incredibly well designed and thought out. On a personal level, he's personable, funny, and genuinely cares about creating good design; someone you want to sit down over a beer or two.

So, you may be asking, what? It's just a book cover. Yes, and no. Think about it: you walk into your nearest Barnes & Noble or Borders or what-have-you, and you're surrounded by thousands of choices, all vying for your attention. "Pick me!" they scream. "I'm the one you want!" Now, unless you have a specific book in mind, you're browsing. What's going to grab your attention? More often than not, it's something eye-catching; full of bright colours and dynamic graphics. Something that's legible and readable from a stack or two away. This is where Kidd's covers shine - dynamic imagery and legible, well-positioned typography make his covers stand out from most everything else. Is this going to be the deciding factor that you base your purchase on? Probably not, but it did get your attention. You did pick the book up.

More often than not, you'll buy it, too.