Michael Selby: Journal Entry #1

Chip Kidd and John Gall

First off, I thought it was hilarious how many of the same questions were thrown at these two in their respective interviews. Especially John Gall.

OK, but seriously: Chip Kidd and John Gall are great designers to study while going through

my first book design process. Whatever that perfect formula for grabbing your attention in two seconds is, they both have access to it. And the most intriguing thing about this fact is that generally speaking their covers often avoid latching on to certain design styles or even what would be considered eye-popping. But then again, therein lies the lesson to be learned from these two: when the viewer makes an emotional connection between the title and the design concept, they are much more inclined to take a second look. Even if the viewer is forced to ask themselves "why did they do it that way?" their attention is held longer than a design that serves to simply place the book content (along with the author's voice) into a predisposed genre.

One aspect of Chip Kidd's interview I found specifically interesting was the reoccurrence

of Kidd referencing covers that essentially gave a completely opposite visual representation of the title (for instance the cover of "Dry" displayed as sopping wet). As a young designer trying to appreciate process and concept development, these solutions were a bit troubling at first glance. My immediate reaction was to dismiss them as cheap ways to grab attention until I read Kidd's response to a later question concerning the difference between magazine and book cover design. His means of explanation was to compare a magazine cover to a person who is "dying to tell you everything" in contrast to a book cover which only has to "suggest a sensibility." With this in mind, the covers I previously dismissed as cheap now become solutions. In this case, the problem is how to entice the viewer into wondering what lies beneath the cover by first successfully suggesting the fact that something is unique about this book.

Meanwhile, John Gall continues to find ways to achieve these same goals in a starkly subtle fashion. First off, he forces the viewer to appreciate the process of the craft (especially in his collage-like work). Next he adds in a stunning suspension of the two-dimensionality of a book cover; the depth of his compositions seem better served to offer a window (or windows) rather than a surface.