The Premise:
Design can be the difference between success and failure.
Whether it’s product design, designing an experience or both, Jay Greene looks
at companies that he believes have embraced a culture of design and have
succeeded in the marketplace as a result.
The Good:
When the profiled companies fit the premise, this book is
chockfull of insights on how to create and implement a culture of creativity.
Some of the best, to me, were:
Bang & Olufsen—No designers on staff; all freelancers to
avoid office politics and bureaucracy
Porsche—“In the beginning, I looked around but couldn’t find
the car I dreamt of, so I decided to build it myself.” –Ferry Porsche
LEGO—“If you put guiding principles in place, you empower
people to make the right decision.”—Paal Smith-Meyer
OXO—“We asked the wrong question, set the wrong criteria and
got the wrong answer.”—[I liked the quote but forgot to write down the
attribution. Sorry! –That Tad Guy]
Clif Bar—An example of failure as a prototype
Virgin—A blueprint for being aggressive in lean times and
how to consider experiences like a theatre set
ACE Hotel—A working example of how design can create
personality and differentiation, inexpensively
The Bad:
Some of these companies were a forced fit and some provided
the same design example (or had considerable overlap) as other, more relevant
companies. Also, more than a few seemed to be chosen simply because Mr. Greene
had a contact at the company and the chapters ended up feeling like filler.
While I can appreciate the hard work that went into this book, I do wish that
each company provided a distinctly different example of a design solution.
The Verdict:
Buy it for your client, CEO
or team leader. Put it in the hands of anyone who can actually, truly influence
how a team or process operates.
