Category Archives: Book Reviews

I’m surprised there wasn’t more discussion last year when Roberto Verganti’s Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean came out. It’s fairly controversial, striking as it does at one of design’s current sacred cows: user-centered design. Continue reading Review: Design-Driven Innovation >>

Filed in Book Reviews | Comments (4)

The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects by Deyan Sudjic, director of Design Museum in London, is a curious, interesting book. It looks at the world of objects through several lenses: language, archetypes, luxury, fashion, and art. Some of these (language, archetypes) I found more interesting than others (fashion), but it has some smart ideas about the objects that surround us, and how we should design them. Continue reading Review: The Language of Things >>

Filed in Book Reviews, Industrial Design, Inspiration | Comments Off

As this is the season of lists and of gift giving, I thought I would put together the top ten books I thought every designer of interactive products should have in their library. Continue reading The Top Ten Essential Interaction Design Books >>

Filed in Book Reviews, Interaction Design | Comments (15)

I’m not going to lie to you: I find reading most business books a challenge, and Hidden in Plain Sight: How to Find and Execute Your Company’s Next Big Growth Strategy by Erich Joachimsthaler was no exception. Some of the difficulty lies in translation: how do I take what is in here and apply it to my own (design) process? This is especially true with this book, which contains techniques that designers frequently use, but are framed in the author’s DIG (Demand-First Innovation and Growth) model. Continue reading Review: Hidden in Plain Sight >>

Filed in Book Reviews | Comments (1)

Even though we’re all currently interested in what’s inside Steve’s torso, Inside Steve’s Brain
is a pretty good examination of the work life of Steve Jobs. It’s a quick, enjoyable read, with lots of juicy Apple tidbits. Continue reading Review: Inside Steve's Brain >>

Filed in Book Reviews, Product Design 2.0 | Comments Off

The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size by Tor Nørretranders is a remarkable book. It’s not hyperbole to say that it’s one of the most mind-blowing non-fiction books I’ve ever read, nor to say that nearly every page contains some sort of interesting or profound insight or revelation about the human mind. Continue reading Review: The User Illusion >>

Filed in Book Reviews, Product Design 2.0 | Comments Off

Let’s say this right off the bat: If Michael Bierut isn’t the best writer about graphic design, he’s certainly the most entertaining. 79 Short Essays on Design is a collection of Bierut’s writing, and it is highly recommended reading for any designer of any stripe. Continue reading Review: Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design >>

Filed in Book Reviews | Comments (1)