Chip Kidd/John Gall

Who is Chip Kidd?

Chip Kidd is a graphic designer,editor and author, he is best known for his innovative book cover designs.  In 2007 he received a Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for one of his book covers. Kidd has designed over 1,000 book covers throughout his career. Publishers Weekly described his book jackets as "creepy, striking, sly, smart, unpredictable covers that make readers appreciate books as objects of art as well as literature." USA Today also called him "the closest thing to a rock star" in graphic design today, while author James Ellroy has called him “the world’s greatest book-jacket designer.”

From an interview with Smithsonian magazine, I've compiled what I found to be Kidd's best insight on book design.

* How Chip keeps each cover design unique:

"I try to avoid something that's literal. I did a cover several years ago for the novel My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk. The title is in blue."  Above is a cover he designed which also avoids being "literal," the title is Dry, so he cleverly made the book appear to be soaking wet.

*Regarding the genre of book he's designing:

"The challenge is to subvert the genre basically. It's like what can a crime thriller look like that isn't predictable or we feel we haven't seen before? "

*How magazine and book covers compare:

"Magazine covers are just dying to tell you everything. They can't tell you enough. All the smattering all over the front of the magazine. They're just shrieking at you everything inside. Where a book cover, if it's done right, is going to just suggest a sensibility, it's going to be a lot more coy and a lot more discrete."

Who is John Gall? (Notes from Step magazine)

John Gall was born in 1963 in New Jersey and graduated from the design department at Rutgers University, Gall was hired at Knopf in 1997, and brought along his own original and idiosyncratic design sense—and most especially literary intelligence. Gall’s stylish sensibility, simple but elegant use of typography and quietly rebellious spirit infuse literary works with an added dimension. Subtle and compelling, his covers play with the perceptions of the viewer in unexpected ways, and to satisfying effect. Gall's work is very distinctive and usually consists of collage, photography, typography and art.

According to John: Q & A from Step Mag. interview:

*What makes a great book cover?

"A really great cover is going to convey the essence of the book in a unique and surprising way that maybe pushes the design envelope a bit. It might even add to and enhance the editorial content of the book."

*Does the style or creativity of the author influence your design?

"Yes, I am definitely a slave to the book."

*When designing covers, do you seek to do the unusual?

"There are things that are part of the language of book cover design—elements and techniques that have been used in the production of books for ages, such as foil stamping, embossing, etc. I just try to find different and more conceptually appropriate ways to use them."

*Below I've posted some different book covers that Gall has designed, I personally enjoy "A general love theory," which is simple but still unique and unusual enough to catch your eye and get you interested in the book.