Amazon.com
IDEO, the world's leading design firm, is the brain trust that's behind some of the more brilliant innovations of the past 20 years--from the Apple mouse, the Polaroid i-Zone instant camera, and the Palm V to the "fat" toothbrush for kids and a self-sealing water bottle for dirt bikers. Not surprisingly, companies all over the world have long wondered what they could learn from IDEO, to come up with better ideas for their own products, services, and operations. In this terrific book from IDEO general manager Tom Kelley (brother of founder David Kelley), IDEO finally delivers--but thankfully not in the step-by-step, flow-chart-filled "process speak" of most how-you-can-do-what-we-do business books. Sure, there are some good bulleted lists to be found here--such as the secrets of successful brainstorming, the qualities of "hot teams," and, toward the end, 10 key ingredients for "How to Create Great Products and Services," including "One Click Is Better Than Two" (the simpler, the better) and "Goof Proof" (no bugs).
But The Art of Innovation really teaches indirectly (not to mention enlightens and entertains) by telling great stories--mainly, of how the best ideas for creating or improving products or processes come not from laboriously organized focus groups, but from keen observations of how regular people work and play on a daily basis. On nearly every page, we learn the backstories of some now-well-established consumer goods, from recent inventions like the Palm Pilot and the in-car beverage holder to things we nearly take for granted--like Ivory soap (created when a P&G worker went to lunch without turning off his soap mixer, and returned to discover his batch overwhipped into 99.44 percent buoyancy) and Kleenex, which transcended its original purpose as a cosmetics remover when people started using the soft paper to wipe and blow their noses. Best of all, Kelley opens wide the doors to IDEO's vibrant, sometimes wacky office environment, and takes us on a vivid tour of how staffers tackle a design challenge: they start not with their ideas of what a new product should offer, but with the existing gaps of need, convenience, and pleasure with which people live on a daily basis, and that IDEO should fill. (Hence, a one-piece children's fishing rod that spares fathers the embarrassment of not knowing how to teach their kids to fish, or Crest toothpaste tubes that don't "gunk up" at the mouth.)
Granted, some of their ideas--like the crucial process of "prototyping," or incorporating dummy drafts of the actual product into the planning, to work out bugs as you go--lend themselves more easily to the making of actual things than to the more common organizational challenge of streamlining services or operations. But, if this big book of bright ideas doesn't get you thinking of how to build a better mousetrap for everything from your whole business process to your personal filing system, you probably deserve to be stuck with the mousetrap you already have. --Timothy Murphy
Book Description
IDEO, the widely admired, award-winning design and development firm that brought the world the Apple mouse, Polaroid's I-Zone instant camera, the Palm V, and hundreds of other cutting-edge products and services, reveals its secrets for fostering a culture and process of continuous innovation.
There isn't a business in America that doesn't want to be more creative in its thinking, products, and processes. At many companies, being first with a concept and first to market are critical just to survive. In
The Art of Innovation, Tom Kelley, general manager of the Silicon Valley based design firm IDEO, takes readers behind the scenes of this wildly imaginative and energized company to reveal the strategies and secrets it uses to turn out hit after hit.
IDEO doesn't buy into the myth of the lone genius working away in isolation, waiting for great ideas to strike. Kelley believes everyone can be creative, and the goal at his firm is to tap into that wellspring of creativity in order to make innovation a way of life. How does it do that? IDEO fosters an atmosphere conducive to freely expressing ideas, breaking the rules, and freeing people to design their own work environments. IDEO's focus on teamwork generates countless breakthroughs, fueled by the constant give-and-take among people ready to share ideas and reap the benefits of the group process. IDEO has created an intense, quick-turnaround, brainstorm-and-build process dubbed "the Deep Dive."
In entertaining anecdotes, Kelley illustrates some of his firm's own successes (and joyful failures), as well as pioneering efforts at other leading companies. The book reveals how teams research and immerse themselves in every possible aspect of a new product or service, examining it from the perspective of clients, consumers, and other critical audiences.
Kelley takes the reader through the IDEO problem-solving method:
>Carefully observing the behavior or "anthropology" of the people who will be using a product or service
>Brainstorming with high-energy sessions focused on tangible results
>Quickly prototyping ideas and designs at every step of the way
>Cross-pollinating to find solutions from other fields
>Taking risks, and failing your way to success
>Building a "Greenhouse" for innovation
IDEO has won more awards in the last ten years than any other firm of its kind, and a full half-hour Nightline presentation of its creative process received one of the show's highest ratings.
The Art of Innovation will provide business leaders with the insights and tools they need to make their companies the leading-edge, top-rated stars of their industries.
Customer Reviews:
Kudos to Ideos.......2007-08-28
Excellent book with good insights. If you are in the business of innovation, this is one book that you shouldn't miss. I also recommend EIGHTSTORM: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers.
Innovation for All.......2007-06-29
Through anecdotes, Kelley demonstrates how stumbling blocks to innovation can be overcome. He shows an appreciation for experimentation, momentum, and embraces failure as a true path to knowing. Failed prototypes are wonderful learning tools. Kelley's perspective keeps spirits high. He leaves much of the innovative process open ended - nearly encouraging innovation on innovating.
Interestingly, Kelley notes how medicine is becoming personalized and that the future can not be perfectly predicted. Still, he says we must aim at it. This was an important nugget of wisdom for me, a research coordinator at a think-tank-like public health research group, the Healthcare Innovation and Technology lab at Columbia University. On a daily basis we deal with innovation to improve healthcare and need to effectively innovate. Given that we tread a very specific territory - health and technology - and that Kelley's book could be so useful to us, it is obvious that he really has something to offer to everyone.
Innovation and creativity "how-to" guide.......2007-06-07
The Art of Innovation explains many of IDEO's creative techniques and in so doing paints a picture of the physical context in which all that creativity occurs, namely IDEO's office, your average geek's idea of paradise brimming with high-tech prototypes, foam cubes, "tech box" caddies with giant Post-Its and coloring pens ... and yes, it does look more like a playschool than Dilbertesque gray cubicle-land. Teamwork, friendship and a shared passion for helping clients innovate is clearly what binds people together and stimulates their creativity, while a supportive and forgiving management structure doesn't just tolerate weirdness, it actively encourages it. IDEO seems to have taken Tom Peters' advice "If you want to do weird, hire weird people" to the next level. In IDEO-land, "normal" people would probably stand out a mile.
Two creative techniques - brainstorming and prototyping - are particularly well described, in a way that encourages the reader to try something different. I've learnt some new tricks and even started applying them since reading the book.
El arte de innovar estilo IDEO.......2007-06-01
IDEO ha hecho de la innovación un arte, el cual es un proceso sistematizado, con pasos muy definidos, congruentes y faciles de llevar por las personas que conforman dentro sus empresas los equipos de innovacion y diseño.
Skip it and go right to 10 Faces.......2007-03-19
I recently read both this book and the Ten Faces of Innovation. My recomendation is to skip this book. It is written more like an advertisement for IDEO and was left feeling like Tom has crossed the line into arrogance. If you read it as a stand alone book there is a lot of useful information. However most of the concepts are covered in Ten Faces. If you have time read both books but if time is of the essence then jump right into the Ten Faces, you won't be disappointed.
Average customer rating:
- Interactions = more than websites
- Interesting, helpful
- Add this book to your product development library - NOW!
- A must have for any user experience practioner or student
- Interesting overview on interaction
|
Designing Interactions
Bill Moggridge
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ASIN: 0262134748 |
Book Description
Digital technology has changed the way we interact with everything from the games we play to the tools we use at work. Designers of digital technology products no longer regard their job as designing a physical object--beautiful or utilitarian--but as designing our interactions with it. In Designing Interactions, award-winning designer Bill Moggridge introduces us to forty influential designers who have shaped our interaction with technology. Moggridge, designer of the first laptop computer (the GRiD Compass, 1981) and a founder of the design firm IDEO, tells us these stories from an industry insider's viewpoint, tracing the evolution of ideas from inspiration to outcome. The innovators he interviews--including Will Wright, creator of The Sims, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, and Doug Engelbart, Bill Atkinson, and others involved in the invention and development of the mouse and the desktop--have been instrumental in making a difference in the design of interactions. Their stories chart the history of entrepreneurial design development for technology.
Moggridge and his interviewees discuss such questions as why a personal computer has a window in a desktop, what made Palm's handheld organizers so successful, what turns a game into a hobby, why Google is the search engine of choice, and why 30 million people in Japan choose the i-mode service for their cell phones. And Moggridge tells the story of his own design process and explains the focus on people and prototypes that has been successful at IDEO--how the needs and desires of people can inspire innovative designs and how prototyping methods are evolving for the design of digital technology.
Designing Interactions is illustrated with more than 700 images, with color throughout. Accompanying the book is a DVD that contains segments from all the interviews intercut with examples of the interactions under discussion.
Interviews with:
Bill Atkinson, Durrell Bishop, Brendan Boyle, Dennis Boyle, Paul Bradley, Duane Bray, Sergey Brin, Stu Card, Gillian Crampton Smith, Chris Downs, Tony Dunne, John Ellenby, Doug Englebart, Jane Fulton Suri, Bill Gaver, Bing Gordon, Rob Haitani, Jeff Hawkins, Matt Hunter, Hiroshi Ishii, Bert Keely, David Kelley, Rikako Kojima, Brenda Laurel, David Liddle, Lavrans Løvlie, John Maeda, Paul Mercer, Tim Mott, Joy Mountford, Takeshi Natsuno, Larry Page, Mark Podlaseck, Fiona Raby, Cordell Ratzlaff, Ben Reason, Jun Rekimoto, Steve Rogers, Fran Samalionis, Larry Tesler, Bill Verplank, Terry Winograd, and Will Wright
Customer Reviews:
Interactions = more than websites.......2007-08-16
Somehow I didn't pick up on this until I actualy paged through the book physically -- this isn't just about website or multimedia. It's about anything that has a human interface, including laptop computers. (Unfortunately, Amazon pairs it with many Internet/website design books, adding to my confusion.)
Because it seems to cover the whole range of interface use and recent history, I didn't really go farther into the book to review it.
Interesting, helpful.......2007-04-07
I just got the book for a week, read half of it. it's quite interesting to know something happens in the last 30 years, the author come up with interviewing the guy who made these things happen, let the guys explain their thoughts on the cases, this make the book interesting and helpful.
It's a pity that the book go too fast for each case, when you want to know more details, it stops. Anyway, this book seems dosent want to serve as something try to reach this goal. so this is not the weakness of the book.
Most important thing, when reading it , you'll get the interesting pieces. And it guide you to walk along the colorful road in the IxD forest. This is really cool book.
Something make it not so nice. To thick to put into the bag.
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Add this book to your product development library - NOW!.......2007-03-26
It's easy to get carried away with the claims that Moggride's book is an instant classic. But I'd have to agree, this book would be worth paying more than $100 for. The book carries its wisdom well, and now sits on my work bookshelf for constant reference. I will use this while planning for and conducting user experience based products. This book does concentrate more in the field of software development, however the lessons translate well into general product design. As such I'd recommend this book to any designer who is interested in improving their user centred products.
A must have for any user experience practioner or student.......2007-02-23
It's a great volume at a great price. The content is very approachable and readable, almost like a coffee table book to introduce the power and effect of great user experience and interaction design to non industry folk. Its a classic in the same league as books by Norman and by Papanek. The DVD shows that this book was well thought with the same craft as other Ideo products. I also recommend the book "Art of Innovation" which talks about Ideo specifically and the practices they use.
Interesting overview on interaction.......2007-01-15
As the internet is still young and rapidly growing in diverse directions, I'm always looking out for books like this, that give a perspective on how things actually started and who were the persons involved in the early stages. It just shows you, that what we consider a "normal" interface or application today is based on the ideas of a few people, real pioneers for their field. And it gives you an idea on how future interfaces might look like. Not the full 5 stars, as the narrative approach turns out to deliver long passages that I would consider a bit too personal and contain little information on the subject.
Book Description
This comprehensive text provides in-depth coverage of all facets of the apparel manufacturing process in the global industry. The coverage considers product development from the analysis phase through product standards, specifications and design phases. The primary focus is on inter-related decision-making required for apparel product development. Includes sections on the dimensions of apparel management, quality management, materials selection, production planning, and the complete financial portion of the business. Emphasis is placed on the integrated roles of merchandising, sourcing, and marketing. Covers apparel engineering, preproduction operations, and a pertinent discussion of technology and equipment. For anyone interested in fashion, apparel, or retailing.
Average customer rating:
- Worth the buy!
- A book serves all your needs
- Full of information and errors
- A matchless guide
- Application Oriented
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Design for Six Sigma : A Roadmap for Product Development
Kai Yang , and
Basem S. EI-Haik
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ASIN: 0071412085 |
Book Description
Here's the book that clearly and logically answers the complex question quality managers and product developers face almost every day: WHICH PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TOOLS SHOULD I USE AND WHEN?
This much-needed, well-written roadmap for robust, efficient product development features:
* All the coverage needed to implement six sigma in any manufacturing concern
* A complete review of both traditional and contemporary design methods
* Systems discussed include: DOE (Design Of Experiment), Taguchi Method, QFD (Quality Function Deployment), Axiomatic Design, and TRIZ (Theory for Inventive Problem-Solving)
* Practical examples to highlight important elements of each system
* A unique multi-systems approach to designing products, incorporating the traditional and contemporary methods discussed, detailing how and when to use them
* Valuable assistance when preparing for certification exams
Customer Reviews:
Worth the buy!.......2004-04-02
I have not found such a comprehensive book for design of six sigma. I started using this book for advanced experimental design and taguchi methods, but ended understanding the complete roadmap for design of six sigma. The systems approach allows an enthusiast reader to start anywhere, without having to spend time refering back to earlier chapters. The relatively newer trends as TRIZ and axiomatic design have also been nicely dealt with.
Overall, this is a very nice and easy read book, with excellent and well defined examples. A must for everyone who wants a quick refresher on the design principles of six sigma.
A book serves all your needs.......2004-04-02
This is an outstanding DFSS book for production development. It contains integrated information and some of which you could hardly find anywhere else, thus with one book in hand, you have all the tools to get to your destination. This is also a easy to read book providing the reader with a solid understanding- Concepts are clearly defined, real world examples/ case studies are fully described and the chapters are well organized. It can serve as a textbook for students/beginners and also can serve as a handbook for experienced engineers.
The title says it all- this is a roadmap for you to find the way correctly and easily. I am reading the book right now, and the book is really beneficial to me.
Full of information and errors.......2004-03-30
This is a book with a lot of information. Each chapter can be used as a starting point for a specific six sigma technique. However, this is the worst edited book I have ever read. You can hardly find one page without errors/typos.
A matchless guide.......2003-08-03
While the concept of six-sigma is a very popular one, it is not often that one can find such a comprehensive yet clearly-written volume devoted to the most important topics of six-sigma. A book that contains so much information and not just hot air is especially hard to find. Yang and El-Haik have successfully written one of the most impressive and useful reads I have ever encountered within this field. Especially intriguing and novel concept of TRIZ. A very worthwhile book, in any case.
Application Oriented.......2003-07-01
In recent times, there has been a lot of talk and hype about DFSS with very little substance thus far--until this one! I found the book an easy read, application oriented and a relatively prescritive approach to apply DFSS for products, processes and/or services. The sections on TRIZ and Axiomatic Design expose the opportunities largely untapped in the design world today. A must read book for organizations serious about Six Sigma--whether they are focused on delivering worldclass products and services to their customers or designing processes to run world class business operations--a thumbs up all the way!!
Book Description
The ability to bring new and innovative products to market rapidly is the prime critical competence for any successful consumer-driven company. All industries, especially automotive, are slashing product development lead times in the current hyper-competitive marketplace. This book is the first to thoroughly examine and analyze the truly effective product development methodology that has made Toyota the most forward-thinking company in the automotive industry.
In The Toyota Product Development System: Integrating People, Process, and Technology, James Morgan and Jeffrey Liker compare and contrast the world-class product development process of Toyota with that of a U.S. competitor. They use extensive examples from Toyota and the U.S. competitor to demonstrate value stream mapping as an extraordinarily powerful tool for continuous improvement.
Through examples and case studies, this book illustrates specific techniques and proven practices for dealing with challenges associated with product development, such as synchronizing multiple disciplines, multiple function workload leveling, compound process variation, effective technology integration, and knowledge management.
This valuable book:
Highlights the application of value stream mapping methodology to product development. Identifies and defines the categories of waste that are specific to the product development process. Presents countermeasures and proven practices, based on Lean principles, developed for the product development process used at Toyota. Illustrates and clarifies the methodology by presenting actual case examples at Toyota and a U.S. competitor.
Readers of this book can focus on optimizing the entire product development value stream rather than focus on a specific tool or technology for local improvements.
Customer Reviews:
Toyota system- A good book.......2007-10-07
I bought this book as a part of my classroom text material. It's an interesting book that talks about how Toyota uses its system to achieve lean manufacturing by integrating people, process and technology. This is coupled with the lean design guide book for our text. It is informative.
A must read for those who want to study the next product development frontier!.......2007-06-18
This book is based on lean product development in the automotive world and has some shortcomings when it comes to applying what Toyota does to other industries. However, with Toyota's success lately their are few arguments against not studying how Toyota approaches product development and applying it to our specific industries. I think the hardest thing for most American companies will be having the long-term discipline to implement what Toyota has done.
Academic Review of New Product Development.......2007-05-28
Although this book is very popular today, the authors offer no new approaches to new product development. Companies should strive to leapfrog Toyota. Similarly to Demmings' focus on quality, every aspect of Toyota's NPD process was first developed in the USA, which still ranks as the World's leading innovation source.
Best book about Toyota PD.......2007-05-08
This is the third book I've read about Toyota and by far the best one. I'm an engineering manager and found dozens of simple, new ideas in this book. This is a very thorough & practical guide to the inside workings of Toyota's PD system. There are many examples and sufficient details that you can easily understand them and also try to implement them in your own organization.
Excellent reading for OEM........2007-04-05
Very interesting topics covered. Strongly recommended for engineers in the automotive industry.
Book Description
This innovative approach -- blending practicality and creativity -- is now in full-color!
From translating the vision of a CEO and conducting research, through designing a sustainable identity program and building online branding tools,
Designing Brand Identity helps companies create stronger brands by offering real substance. With an easy-to-follow style, step-by-step considerations, and a proven, universal five-phase process for creating and implementing effective brand identity, the book offers the tools you need, whether a brand manager, marketer, or designer, when creating or managing a brand. This edition includes a wealth of full-color examples and updated case studies for world-class brands such as BP, Unilever, Citi, Tazo Tea, and Mini Cooper.
Alina Wheeler (Philadelphia, PA) applies her strategic imagination to help build brands, create new identities, and design brand-identity programs for Fortune 100 companies, entrepreneurial ventures, foundations, and cities.
Customer Reviews:
Should be a standard in schools........2007-09-23
This book should have be required reading for any graphic designs school. Being a graphic designer myself, I must say that this book is a valueable tool to sellings and building strong brands. It would have been great to have in school.
Truly a great read!.......2007-08-27
I am in the brand-redesign phase with a local brand/identity designer and purchased your book for additional guidance. It is a truly a great read!
Great Client Education book.......2007-08-02
This has wonderfully designed graphics and charts explaining the identity design process. This is a really good client education book, explaining the design process, why they need design, what identity design consists of, etcetera. I was looking for a book like this to explain to clients why they need identity design, what good it does, what it consists of and why their company cannot do without it any longer.
I also think it would be a good book to use to explain to family members, friends and neighbors "what you do." It would be a good book for someone who wants to start their own graphic design business, who is considering graphic design as their field of study, or who wants to convince others that graphic design is important. I recommend it highly for MARKETING professionals and those in ADVERTISING.
You big, giant companies that have lots of mulah can give this away as a gift to your clients, or use this as a book to set on a coffee table in the waiting room or something. But I am going to use it to explain to clients why identity design is important.
This book is not good for teaching graphic designers about creating brand identity. It is stuff we graphic designers were practically born knowing. But if you are a graphic designer who wants brand identity jobs, get it! It will help you turn your potential clients into clients.
The Bible of Branding!.......2007-07-30
I boght this book hoping it would be useful for me in creating a brand for my new company, I must say the book has been a fantastic tool for this purpose!
The book is full of practical examples and shows you in a step by step process how to create and build a brand. If you a building a company and/or launching a product branding will be the key to success. this book is a great tool!
It's just fine.......2007-07-16
Another compendium of conventional marketing advice and wisdom. Better- written than some, more thorough than others. A good beginner's text.
Book Description
Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity. We're rebelling against technology that's too complicated, DVD players with too many menus, and software accompanied by 75-megabyte "read me" manuals. The iPod's clean gadgetry has made simplicity hip. But sometimes we find ourselves caught up in the simplicity paradox: we want something that's simple and easy to use, but also does all the complex things we might ever want it to do. In The Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda offers ten laws for balancing simplicity and complexity in business, technology, and design--guidelines for needing less and actually getting more.
Maeda--a professor in MIT's Media Lab and a world-renowned graphic designer--explores the question of how we can redefine the notion of "improved" so that it doesn't always mean something more, something added on.
Maeda's first law of simplicity is "Reduce." It's not necessarily beneficial to add technology features just because we can. And the features that we do have must be organized (Law 2) in a sensible hierarchy so users aren't distracted by features and functions they don't need. But simplicity is not less just for the sake of less. Skip ahead to Law 9: "Failure: Accept the fact that some things can never be made simple." Maeda's concise guide to simplicity in the digital age shows us how this idea can be a cornerstone of organizations and their products--how it can drive both business and technology. We can learn to simplify without sacrificing comfort and meaning, and we can achieve the balance described in Law 10. This law, which Maeda calls "The One," tells us: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful."
Customer Reviews:
Simplicity - thought provoking.......2007-10-17
Very enlightening reading. He is a humble person with great vision and philosophy. My boss ordered it to be distributed to 10 liberal arts professors who teach art and design students at Ringling College of Art and Design. Definitely recommend it.
Simply disappointing.......2007-10-08
I want my money back. When I buy a book called THE LAWS OF SIMPLICITY, written by a university professor I expect more than this! John Maeda simply does not deliver.
The first two laws I could appreciate. Even though they are not new, they deserve a place. But from then on it's disappointing. "3: Savings in time feel like simplicity". Well, duh. "5: Simplicity and complexity need each other" Shameless!
And then there are statements that are simply wrong, e.g. "Simple objects are easier and less expensive to produce" (page 62). That's obviously not true in general.
I had hoped that this book contained some universal laws about simplicity, applicable to e.g. life in general and software applications in particular. No such luck.
I am grateful to the reviewer who recommended "Universal Principles of Design." That book was (and is) very helpful in my profession.
Sometimes you need to listen.......2007-08-24
In the spirit of the book: useful, makes objectives more right, simple book too. Pay attention, move on.
The simple and complete book about Simplicity!.......2007-08-24
Buy this book to be inspired from the Simplicity point of view. Not rated with 5 stars, add this one yourself!
Essential reading..........2007-08-15
I heard the author (John Maeda) on a radio interview and I was intrigued by the things he had to say... This book is an essential guide for anyone interested in reducing clutter in their life, business and home.
I can't recommend this book strongly enough.
Book Description
The third edition of Engineering Design represents a major reorganization and expansion. The revision has resulted from the recognition that engineering students need more structure to guide them through the design process. Chapters have been reordered to be more in the natural progression of the design process. The book is broader in content than most design texts, but now contains much more prescriptive guidance on how to carry out design.
Book Description
Fu-Tung Cheng's surprise bestseller Concrete Countertops paved the way for a fresh look at a familiar surface. His new book moves beyond the kitchen and transforms this commonplace material into an elegant medium that can be used throughout the house. Combining cutting-edge design with helpful how-to information, Concrete at Home offers ingenious ideas for planning and building walls, fireplaces, mantels, hearths, and exterior and interior floors, as well as tips on incorporating architectural elements such as counters, sinks, columns, and water pieces into the project. The construction of forms, footings, and ties is detailed in clear, easy-to-follow instructions, and special attention is given to finishing techniques, including adding color, texture, and inlays.
Customer Reviews:
Imagine the possibilities...........2007-05-03
In CONCRETE AT HOME, concrete designer Fu-Tung Chen does just this, sharing with his readers the many creative uses he's found for concrete over the years. Floors, walls, countertops, sinks, fireplaces - Chen covers them all, with a decided flair for the fanciful.
I approached CONCRETE AT HOME as a first-time homeowner who was toying with the idea of ripping out all of my home's flooring and staining the concrete slab underneath. And, I should specify, hiring a pro to do so, since I'm not the DIY type (at least not when it comes to the single largest investment of my life). It was with this newbie curiosity that I devoured CONCRETE AT HOME.
Though I found CONCRETE AT HOME to be somewhat helpful and very enjoyable, it didn't totally quench my thirst for all that is concrete. Chen can't quite seem to decide on an intended audience in CONCRETE AT HOME; while he aims to explain the basics of concrete to average Janes like myself, he also includes advanced instructions for professionals. As a result, the book has a kind of schizophrenic quality. Although Chen does take the time to explain some of the fundamentals, it's not as complete or in-depth enough to qualify CONCRETE AT HOME as a Concrete 101 text. On the flip side, I imagine that concrete professionals will be equally dissatisfied with the brief instructions Chen includes for complicated concrete projects - such as working with forms and building walls (!). In trying to please everyone, I suspect Chen's resulting treatise will fall short of everyone's expectations.
Even so, CONCRETE AT HOME is a must-read for those interested in concrete and its applications. It may be a bit spotty in coverage, but it's by far one of the most interesting, engaging, and inspiring concrete books I've yet to come across.
Now I can't wait to get started on those floors!
this is a great book.......2007-04-27
I love this book- i own it as well as his original concrete counter top book and both work well as a team- this is a great book with interesting ideas and enough pictures and commentary to allow a DIYer to figure it out and turn out a successful product.
GAVE ME IDEAS.......2007-04-05
This book has given me an insight into what is available out there in the concrete world. Good book for the beginner trying to make concrete into an art piece.
Fu-Tung Cheng hits a home run again!.......2007-02-23
WOW! Rare is the book that fulfills a professional carpenter's point of view and sound principles of design at the same time. Anyone who wants to know more about concrete formwork and designing owe it to themselves to buy this book. As for me I will watch for the next book by Fu-Tung Cheng as I expect it to yet again be a high caliber publication.
Great book.......2007-01-22
Very diverse examples of finished / polished concrete. Also includes some basic how-to projects.
Book Description
The second edition features a 220-term brand glossary and a premium softcover binding.
THE BRAND GAP is the first book to present a unified theory of brand. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a âcharismatic brandââa brand that customers feel is essential to their lives. In an entertaining two-hour read you’ll learn:
• a new definition of brand
• the five essential disciplines of brand-building
• how branding is changing the dynamics of competition
• the three most powerful questions to ask about any brand
• why collaboration is the key to brand-building
• how design determines a customer’s experience
• how to test brand concepts quickly and cheaply
• the importance of managing brands from the inside
FROM THE BACK COVER
Not since McLuhan’s THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE has a book compressed so many ideas into so few pages. Using the visual language of the boardroom, Neumeier presents the first unified theory of brandingâa set of five disciplines to help companies bridge the gap between brand strategy and customer experience. Those with a grasp of branding will be inspired by the new perspectives they find here, and those who would like to understand it better will suddenly âget it.â This deceptively simple book offers everyone in the company access to âthe most powerful business tool since the spreadsheet.â
âThe surprise book of the year!â âJohn Moore, Fast Company
âThe first book on brand that seems fresh and relevant.â âRic Grefe, executive director of AIGA, the professional association for design
âA pleasure to read.ââDavid A. Aaker, author of BRAND PORTFOLIO STRATEGY and BUILDING STRONG BRANDS
âCuts to the heart of what brand is all about.â âSusan Rockrise, worldwide brand director, Intel
âRead this book before your competitors do!â âTom Kelley, general manager, IDEO
FROM THE INSIDE FLAPS
âA pleasure to read. THE BRAND GAP consistently provides deep, practical insights in a light, visual way. Discover the power of imagery and the role of research in building a heavy-duty brandâwithout the heavy-duty reading.â âDavid Aaker, author of BRAND LEADERSHIP and BUILDING STRONG BRANDS
âFinally, a book that cuts to the heart of what brand is all aboutâconnecting the rational and the emotional, the theoretical and the practical, the logical and the magical to create a sustainable competitive advantage.â âSusan Rockrise, Worldwide Brand Director, Intel
In THE BRAND GAP, Neumeier reminds us that the ultimate moment of truth for all brands is the customer experience. Customer perceptions trump our own perceptions.â âKurt Kuehn, senior VP of worldwide marketing and sales, UPS
âThis is not just another book on brand. This is the ONLY book you’ll need to read in business, engineering, and design school.â âClement Mok, design entrepreneur
âA well-managed brand is the lifeblood of any successful companyâand Neumeier shows us exactly how to do it. Read this book before your competitors do!â âTom Kelley, general manager of IDEO, co-author of THE ART OF INNOVATION
âTHE BRAND GAP couldn’t be more timely. Just when we’re at our most skeptical about corporate motives, along comes a book that shows how to evaluate and develop a brand in a straightforward and honest manner.â âDavid Stuart, co-founder of The Partners, co-author of A SMILE IN THE MIND
âMust-reading for anyone who wants to understand how their business strategy will succeed or fail when put to the ultimate test: âDo customers perceive a difference that’s desirable?’â âSteve Harrington, director of strategy and operations, Hewlett-Packard
âThe book slices like a hot knife through all the turgid, pseudo-academic nonsense that surrounds branding. It’s now on the course list for my graduate students, and new members of my team at Ogilvy get a copy with their training materials.â âBrian Collins, executive creative director, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide
Customer Reviews:
The modern view of branding.......2007-09-15
if you want a quick and entertaining way of understanding what is a brand in the modern sense of the word, get this book. Even if you know already what "brand" and "branding" mean, this book will reset your brain into rethinking your business and where you are going with it. It is a must read for anyone involved in selling stuff or services out of an established franchise or license.
Simple, Straightforward, Sensational.......2007-08-23
Marty Neumeier has written two "whiteboard" style books both dealing with branding and innovation - this is the first one. By whiteboard style, Neumeier's book is light on written content, moderate on visual content and layout, and heavy on basic, important, sharp ideas.
The book covers 5 principles to help bridge the gap between strategic thinking and creative 'magic' and uses a variety of visual and written metaphors, examples, and logical knowledge to do so. If you are looking for a text-heavy, super explanatory, in-depth type of book, then this isn't the one for you. If you're looking to focus your mindset when it comes to innovative branding, this is a great, go-to book to get through in a short amount of time.
The two main things I liked about this book were the fact it actually followed a lot of its own principles in terms of how it was designed/set up etc. and it also packed a lot of universality into these generic yet focused, sensical tips.
Case in point...here is what you'll get out of the book if you are:
A Student/Novice in the Field: Students will love this book to help them review a lot of what's happening in marketing right now, and the 5 guiding principles can help them innovate at their future workplaces. The expanded edition of this book includes a 200 word glossary of advertising terms that'll also help students and novices talk the talk.
Agencies: will delight at the tests Neumeier asks you to go through when developing a brand, particularly graphically in the "icon/avatar" section. The real-life examples of successful businesses identify the longevity of the brands and how it is obtained, giving hints to marketing/advertising agencies how to get that same magic formula.
Businesses: whether small or large, this is a great book to have. If you have an internal promotions/marketing department, this book should be distributed to the head of your branding staff to help them focus your company's direction in the market. If you are the owner of a small business without an internal marketing department, this book can help introduce you to the fundamental principles of branding that you can then discuss with an external agency.
Overall a great quick read that kept me hooked, never bored, and always thinking. The summative list of the main topics discussed throughout the book at the end was extremely helpful, although the glossary was kind of out of place as half the words in the glossary aren't used in the text. Probably helpful for beginners in the ad industry though.
Considerations for Brand-Building.......2007-08-19
Fantastic, a quick-read with deep insights, packed with timeless, necessary wisdom anyone who sells anything will benefit from reading. The Take-Home lessons in the back are a bonus (bullet points from the book), and the pages I'll review over time.
perfect.......2007-05-24
This book is entertaining and packed with wisdom! The book arrived quickly, was in perfect shape and at a good price.
Must have for Corporate/InHouse designers.......2007-03-10
This is a great resources for communicating clearly the importance of brand consistency. Read it. Then do it. Good luck my fellow corporate designers. We are a rare and lonely breed.
Books:
- The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm
- The Art of Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly))
- The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery
- The Complete Guide to Metal Boats, Third Edition
- The Complete Wreck (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13)
- The Crafts in Britain in the Twentieth Century
- The Designer's Guide to Color Combinations: 500+ Historic and Modern Color Formulas in Cmyk
- The Fashion Book
- The G.I. Diet: The Easy, Healthy Way to Permanent Weight Loss
- The New Eighteenth-Century Style: Rediscovering a French Décor
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, One Volume, Expanded Edition
- Life Preservers: Good Advice When You Need It Most
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- Darker than Night: The True Story of a Brutal Double Homicide and an 18-Year Long Quest for Justice
- Drama of the English Renaissance: Volume 1, The Tudor Period
- Evolution
- J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets
- A Song for One or Two: Music and the Concept of Art in Early China
- Bioenergetics: A Practical Approach
- Oman Business Law Handbook
The Ten Faces of Innovation: IDEO's Strategies for Defeating the Devil's Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization
Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design
Harvard Business Review on Innovation
Designing Interactions
Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It
