Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design
Book #3
January 2023
Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd
As you can probably tell by my dates… I didn’t keep up with the goals I set for my personal challenge: writing about one book each month. The last few months consisted of a never ending series of minor illnesses that circulated around our family and with that, less time + energy for work and extra pursuits. So, instead of giving up altogether, I’m just going to readjust my goal and shoot for 12 books total… however long that takes.
During summer of 2022, I was invited to do a short program for teens about graphic design at my local library. As part of that program, I looked through the library’s collection looking for books that might either pique interest in the field of design or explain what graphic design even is.
This book is probably the closest fit to my target. I’d say this book is intended for 12-18 year olds that are curious about graphic design as a potential career.
I like Chip Kidd, he’s upbeat, quirky and playful. An ambassador for design. His niche is book cover design. He’s known for the Jurassic Park book cover… his book cover design was reused in the branding of the Jurassic park movie franchise.
Here’s what I like about this book:
It gives teens a taste of design: a whirlwind tour of the history of design, some visual and quick introductions to tools designers use – like scale, color theory, negative space, it dabbles in typography. Just enough information to capture those who are interested and lead them to learning more about design.
It’s aimed at teens who are curious and interested in design as a career field (the only book I’ve found that fits this bill!)
Here’s what I don’ t like about this book:
The author uses a lot of examples of his own work to illustrate design concepts. In some ways it makes the book feel really personal, like he’s your uncle and you asked him to tell you about his job. But, it can also feel like a big ad for himself weaved between the information.
Because he uses a lot of his own work to illustrate design concepts, it creates a very narrow viewpoint. The vast majority of teens entering the field of design are not going to be book cover designers. They are more likely going to work in digital and interactive media. In my daily work, I reguarly spend time creating, implementing and tinkering with grid systems. I work with long text to make it highly readable. I plan out big systems that must flex and grow with content as it’s created. Book cover designers don’t do those things.
I do think this is a good book to put into the hands of a teen interested in or curious about design… but, if it doesn’t quite feel like the right fit for them, know that it doesn’t represent everything about graphic design, and certainly not everything about design as a whole. There are many, many variations of designers and design jobs to explore.