Chip Kidd: I'm obsessed with Batman

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• published: 16 Oct 2013
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In an exclusive interview at AGI Open 2013, Chip Kidd spoke about designing novel covers and the comic book side of his work. According to Time Out New York, "The history of book design can be split into two eras: before graphic designer Chip Kidd and after". In this exclusive interview at the 2013 AGI Open Conference in London, Kidd gave insight into the many book jackets he has designed as well as the various comic book projects he has worked on. From a young age Kidd knew that designing book covers could have a profound and positive influence on a designer's career, "book covers are very important. If your design gets approved your name goes on it", he says. Even though it's not always an easy and smooth process, after 27 years Kidd still loves designing book covers as each provides a new and unique challenge. Kidd confesses that he is obsessed with Batman and has worked on at least 12 book projects for the superhero. Here he speaks about one of the bigger projects where he gathered information and images of Batman toys from 1942 until 1996 and conduced them into a coffee-table book highlighting this history. He has also written a Batman graphic novel, which adds to the legacy of the character. Kidd adds that it was not an easy challenge to come up with something that has never been done before to make the project unique and stand out. Book cover design is challenging. It's about creating a piece of art in service to another piece of art, says Kidd. Kidd further gives insight into the importance of book cover design. "It's all about getting people to notice a book and to wonder whether its worth their time to read or not", he says. His advice for aspiring designers is to always try to create something that will give a unique, interesting and visual identity to a piece of writing. View more inspiring videos like this one at designindaba.com/video Designindaba.com hosts hundreds of videos of speaker presentations and interviews and world design news. Updated daily, its content features the most cutting-edge design thinking and the work and ideas of the world's industry leaders in all the creative fields. Design Indaba is a multi-tiered platform committed to a better world through creativity. Established in 1995 with its flagship conference, it has evolved into a multidisciplinary experience that now consists of the globally acclaimed annual Design Indaba Conference, Simulcast, Expo and FilmFest, as well as a host of parties, performances, training workshops, design projects, community initiatives and publications. designindaba.com