Chip Kidd Graduated from Penn State University , and started designing book covers in 1986 for Knopf. His intention was never to start designing book covers, but was to be a graphic designer, employed by one of the biggest companies in New York City. At the time, all he was offered was a job at Knopf as an assistant director, he took the job and was responsible for 75 book covers a year, (one of them being, Jurassic Park book)and to this day, is still employed by the same company. Now he is an art director, overseeing multiple book covers, even overseeing production of comic book covers for Pantheon. His love for comics, graphic novels and pop culture was a big influence.
One thing he learnt from university was that when designing something, mostly books, as a designer, you either show an image, or text. You do not sure both. That is treating the reader as a “moron” and the reader deserves better.
He was able to put this to the test with the first book covers he had to design with the company. He had two books to design. One being an autobiography and the other a biography. Since the autobiography was like a conversation, text was used for the cover. The biography book, when reading, was like a picture was being painted for the reader, therefore, an image was provided for the cover.
He does not have a particular style, usually sees what is best for the book he is designing and does he best to create interest in the reader to buy the book and look inside. Kidd usually starts by seeing what the book is about, or what the title represents.