For an art that thrives on creativity, daring and the unexpected, most of the instructional tomes on print design have all the vivacity of a 2 a.m. monastic snore. And so it will always be, we thought, until we finally saw excerpts from Chip Kidd’s latest book: “Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design.” Ostensibly for children, this volume should be required reading for anybody who dares include “designer” on their business card.
Rarely have the basics of graphic design been so clearly (or so engagingly) laid out in one place. From kerning and font selection to juxtaposition and the use of imagery, Kidd covers it all using examples of his own work heavily influenced by the graphic designer’s love of comics.
Not only does it clearly address concepts that many professionals still have trouble with (e.g., asking what is to be conveyed before deciding on a final design), it also manages to keep the whole discipline feeling like what it should be: a joyful exploration of the imagination.
Don’t worry, there will be time enough for the little crumb-crunchers to discover design is really all about budgets, budgie-minded clients and the bottom line later on.
