Chip Kidd

So yesterday was a big day at school. Chip Kidd was coming to give a lecture and needless to say I was pretty excited. I generally don't go to lectures or "talks" or gallery openings because I am not interested or just don't give a shit. This wasn't the case. Chip Kidd is my favorite designer EVER. His work was one of things that inspired me to go back to school for design.

So to make a long story short, he gave an amazing lecture that was really thoughtful and funny as hell. But at the end he was signing books. Now I knew prior to the lecture that several of my professors were going out to dinner with him, so I gave one of them a book to get signed. Well this become a huge point of stress because I was afraid he was going to forget the book and he told me he was going to have Chip right nasty things in the book, such as "To the world's biggest douche bag..."

So I harassed my professor as much as possible and when I saw him at the lecture, I was like "Where is my book?" He said he forgot and laughed. Totally not funny. Anyway, the lecture is winding down and Chip is signing books and the same professor, a one Mr. Ray Goto, says to me "Stand right here and don't move." So I stood for about 45 minutes. Ray finally comes over to me after pretty much everyone has left and goes "Ok, let's go to dinner." Excuse me? Say what? I am going to dinner? The lights go off in my head...I am going to dinner...with CHIP KIDD! Holy SHIT! So for the next several hours, I sat and talked and drank with one of my biggest design influences. It was hands down one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Chip is an amazing designer and a really cool guy. He is also really funny. Like off the walls, piss yourself laughing funny. I can't even express my thanks to Ray and Professor John Lowe for taking me along. I was the only student there! Furthermore I can't say enough what an honor it was to meet Chip and how thankful I am that he tolerated all my questions and total fanboy awe. I don't really have the words to express the experience but I am very thankful that I got to tell him what an inspiration and honor it was to meet him. I am sure he gets that a lot and I will no doubt be one more face in the sea of fans to him, but it really was an amazing time hanging out with him. I mean, I sat across from him and he even bought me a drink! How cool is that?!

Ok, enough with the hero worship. If you aren't familiar with Chip's work you should go to his website http://www.goodisdead.com. Chances are you are very familiar with his work, you just don't know it.

Ok that is all from me for tonight. I am still in shock.