Rejection is Part of the Design Studio Process
A big part of this blog is sharing the design studio process, even the nitty, gritty, and not-so-glamorous. Basically, it’s where I show up with a messy bun and get real.💁♀️ I don’t have all the answers for running a creative business–but over the last six years I’ve found that sharing my experiences––and hearing from others, has helped me grow and hone my brand.
As creatives, and business owners, when we post our work online, it creates the perception that generating the perfect product, campaign, or design was effortless. But in reality, there’s a menagerie of rejection going on behind the scenes. In fact, I spend most of my day sitting with rejection when I’m working on a design for a new client.
I hesitated to title this blog the way I did because I know there’s a knee-jerk reaction to even the word: rejection. 🤮 No one likes it; it’s icky but still holds a lot of power in our personal and work lives.
For me, rejection is a little more poignant when it comes to scrapping ideas I’ve developed, devoted time to, and grown to love. But, it’s a business skill like any other. Who among us understood Quickbooks or filing taxes the day they launched their business? Being an entrepreneur means squaring up and conquering new and challenging things. 💪
Sketch, erase, rinse, & repeat
Did you know only about 15% of the designs I create make it before the public eye? Alright, that percentage is fake news 😂, but seriously only a small portion of what I work on every day gets completed! I don’t know the precise number of sketches it takes to develop a handful of potential designs I show the client, but it’s a lot. You can catch just a tiny glimpse into my design studio process on Instagram, where I’m highlighting the Shiny Dime Fibers rebrand this month.
It’s a cliche, but there are really no bad ideas at this stage in developing a logo and lewk for a company. While I still love analog sketching with tracing paper, pencil, and (a lot of) erasers, the ease of a tablet and Procreate for fast sketching and effortless erasing is phenomenal.
It’s rare I throw an idea away. Instead, I save everything and return to my sketch “graveyard” to find new inspiration. Just because an idea wasn’t right for a client doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good idea.
One of the hardest things about being a creative person in business is disconnecting ourselves from our work. But if there’s an idea you love, hold on to it. You may just need to grow your audience, wait for the right timing, or give it a chance to transform into something new.
Sitting with rejection in the design studio
When I first launched Blades Creative, the thing I didn’t expect was how rejecting my own designs prepared me for receiving rejection from clients with grace. After you’ve said “no” to a few dozen ideas on your own, you’re in a cooperative place when a client doesn’t like the direction you’ve taken in their project.
Part of making rejection easier is reaching out for feedback before you’re too far along into development. When I’m stuck on a draft or workshopping a new idea, I reach out to my community of colleagues and designers for feedback. Getting direct responses can help me to clarify my thoughts and sketches.
One thing I love seeing on my feeds is wellness and lifestyle brands using social media to connect with their customers. You can use interactive tools to get feedback on new products or services:
TikTok: show process videos for your latest ideas and see which get the most interaction.
Instagram: stories let you ask questions, take surveys, and followers can DM you their thoughts.
Newsletters: straight up, ask your clients and customers their thoughts before launching a new campaign.
Not that you should ONLY do the things your existing customers want. Always follow through on the ideas you just can’t let go of––they could connect you with a new audience to grow your customer base!
Making space for magic––and knowing when you’ve found it
Once you practice conscientious rejection, you might find that you get on a roll and are scrapping sketches and ideas with nary a care in the world. So, how do you know when it’s time to stop rejecting and start developing?
This is where I make space to let magic into my process, stepping away from the sketchpad and getting onto my yoga mat 🧘♀️ or drifting around Chattanooga on my bicycle 🚲. You can’t force greatness, you know? 😂
But for real, I can’t overstate how important it is to approach your work with fresh eyes. Give it––at the very least––a few hours and come back to see which of your ideas pops when you’re looking at it from a new headspace.
Choose your favorite five to develop and keep a handful of rejection in your back pocket for later.
Send an inquiry to book your project with the Blades Creative design studio.
Blades Creative work with wellness, lifestyle, and creative companies to create branding and packaging that connects them with their audience. I use a little magic to highlight what’s extraordinary about your brand. That way, the people who get you––the customers and clients who appreciate the care you put into your products and services––can find you.
My design studio inquiry form kicks off the process: it helps me get to know you and your brand.