Comments on: Chip Kidd’s Work Gets Rejected Just Like Mine

By: HughFire

HughFire — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 16:00:37 +0000

I think that one of the things we also need to take from it is that no matter how great we become the process is never just about us. We have clients for a reason and our work needs to be seen as a partnership. Sure we know design, what sells, what the concept is, etc., but when it comes down to it – no matter how good the work is, if the client doesn’t like it – its just a museum piece. We’ve touched upon similar issues when discussing logo re-design on this forum that designers should just be allowed to design, but it doesn’t really work that way. You wouldn’t like it if your hairdresser for instance didn’t want your input and approval on your hairstyle – its kinda the same thing. So whether or not it becomes the challenge of selling the idea to a client or just refining to suit them – it is still a partnership. I’ve told clients before that I don’t want to greenlight something they are not satisfied with simply for the sake of time, money, or my ego. They have to live with it. If they don’t “get it” as close as they are to a business or product – how likely is the audience going to get it when they have no such intimate knowledge?

Thanks for the great download – it is on my ipod and made my commute much nicer.

By: Adelie

Adelie — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 20:00:29 +0000

PixelHustler,

I believe Mr. Kidd has been refining his talk for a while. I didn’t listen to the audio, but the description from Adrian (and from a different talk a few months ago), sound very similar to one I heard about a year ago.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 06:28:54 +0000

PixelHustler, That is interesting. Looks like Chip has been refining his routine for a while.

By: mydarndest

mydarndest — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 03:53:54 +0000

Thanks for the audio.
Couple things:
1) Hey… Get on board and become a member of AIGA.
2) Massimo Vignelli HATES Chip Kidd… he told me so.
cheers!

By: PixelHustler

PixelHustler — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:25:59 +0000

I'm confused...I listened to the mp3, and then hit Google to see what else I could find out about Mr. Kidd, and I found this site: http://blog.fawny.org/2005/10/27/ckone/ The date on it is 2005, and it seems like the same speech/conference that I just listened to. Any ideas?

By: L-Fo

L-Fo — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:40:27 +0000

My discouragement doesn’t come from just knowing that “it sucks to think that we will never escape the tyranny of client rejection”, but rather Chips rejected ideas are probably better than my accepted ideas half of the time

By: Joe Moran

Joe Moran — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 03:00:50 +0000

Chip — the eternal flame. What a wild man! Nice guy, as far as I’m concerned.

VR/

By: davidthedesigner

davidthedesigner — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:48:20 +0000

Sorry, but I’ve never heard of Chip Kidd.

Surely that’s Woody Allen on the mp3?

By: Adrian

Adrian — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:29:51 +0000

Nate,
Yeah Chip’s slides were pretty cool. I took some photos, but as you can imagine the lights were off and they barely turned out. Sorry.

By: Nate Voss

Nate Voss — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:54:41 +0000

I hate, hate, hate not being able to see what he’s talking about. Grrrrr. I am jealous.