Book Description
The tools needed to create and manage a thriving interior design practice
This essential sourcebook provides all of the information needed to establish and manage a productive, profitable interior design firm. Filled with savvy business and career advice, Professional Practice for Interior Designers, Third Edition delivers updated and expanded coverage of the full range of legal, financial, management, marketing, administrative, and ethical issues faced by sole practitioners, firm principals, and managers.
This comprehensive reference lays out clear, practical guidelines on how to structure a contract and prevent legal problems; work with other designers, allied professionals, clients, and vendors; and calculate fees that are both fair and profitable. Recommended reading for NCIDQ candidates, it offers easy-to-follow tips and instruction on how to:
- Write and implement a successful business plan
- Choose the right form of business to fit specific needs
- Institute strategic planning
- Develop effective promotional tools
- Manage finances and set up a computerized accounting system
- Manage employees and team members
Establishing a comprehensive foundation for effective business practice, Professional Practice for Interior Designers, Third Edition is the one-stop resource that no interior designer can afford to be without.
Customer Reviews:
Bada Bing!.......2007-10-19
It was fast
It was what I ordered
Im happy, they're happy
Win Win!
Read before you practice.......2005-09-23
I have practiced interior design for over 20 years and still found this book to be invaluable. The information about legal ramifications and insurance coverage was enlightening but also sobering. It's a must read for any design firm principal or freelance designer.
Get It!.......2004-07-03
This book reads like a friend whispering all the good advice and secrets of the interior design business in your ear. I wish my Professional Practices class had used this text. It's a lot of information but Christine Piotrowski truly takes you by the hand and lets you know what you need to prepare for in a budding interior design business as well as how the interior design business is done in general. I will be referencing this book again and again. A huge thank you and bravo to Christine Piotrowski
Must Have!.......2002-12-16
This book was used for both Business Practice For Interior Design & Sales and Marketing. I had no need to consult any other source. "This is a great book" THANKS..
Fantastic!.......2002-10-28
Outstanding, fabulous, fabulous book. Extremely helpful to me in starting my own firm. Well written. Well organized. Invaluable.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT book!.......2007-10-09
I read this book and am now successfully marketing my own website/small business on my own. I have steadily watched as my website continues to climb in the rankings and I am getting more and more traffic all the time.
This book is really all you need to get going!
Thanks again,
Julian Epstein
New York, NY
"Search Engine Marketing, Inc." - An Outstanding Book.......2007-09-24
"Search Engine Marketing, Inc." is a wonderful resource for anyone involved in search marketing. With an easy to read style, the book is entertaining yet enormously informative. It is an invaluable source of ideas and practical advice.
"Search Engine Marketing, Inc." does something that many books do not - it helps the reader understand the motivations and diverse objectives of searchers. This knowledge gives you an enormous advantage as you plan a search marketing campaign.
This book arms you with an in-depth understanding of what it takes to be successful in search marketing. It is, without doubt, the best book of its kind.
The SEO/SEM Bible.......2007-07-26
This was one of the best books on Search Engine Marketing and Optimization that is out there. It covered almost every aspect of Marketing and Optimization. From a person who has purchased and read almost every book in this field, please take it from me, this is the book you want! It covered Pay-per-click, organic searches, conversion rates, E-Commerce in general. Truly one of the BEST books on Search Engine Marketing and Optimization. As an avid Search Engine Marketer, I still refer back to it. A+
Professional, practical guidence on SEO and SEM.......2007-05-30
While I think that search engine marketing is a moving target and it's best to read current articles and journals, this book provides a great foundation for people interested in pursuing or understanding internet marketing, search marketing, or search engine optimization. It provides practical guidance and advice on what to do now but also works as a higher level strategic plan as well. It's written by IBMers, so there is definitely a level of professionalism compared to hackers or other non-corporate authors. Good book to add to your library, as I reference it from time to time.
Essential reading for anybody in the web space.......2007-05-23
I would argue that this is perhaps the finest, most concise guide to Search Engine Marketing. Developers, Marketers, CopyWriters, Managers and just about anybody else with a stake in search traffic through a website should find this material valuable. Do not expect code, expect sound advice on how to tailor your code. Do not expect copy, expect sound advice on how to focus your copy. After putting into practice what I learned form this book, I saw immediate and impactful results.
The book is also very current and is very ethical. Do not hesitate in making a decision to purchase this book. The payoff will be swift.
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
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 “charismatic brand”—a 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 branding—a 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 “get it.” This deceptively simple book offers everyone in the company access to “the most powerful business tool since the spreadsheet.”
“The surprise book of the year!” —John Moore, Fast Company
“The first book on brand that seems fresh and relevant.” —Ric Grefe, executive director of AIGA, the professional association for design
“A pleasure to read.”—David A. Aaker, author of BRAND PORTFOLIO STRATEGY and BUILDING STRONG BRANDS
“Cuts to the heart of what brand is all about.” —Susan Rockrise, worldwide brand director, Intel
“Read this book before your competitors do!” —Tom Kelley, general manager, IDEO
FROM THE INSIDE FLAPS
“A 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 brand—without the heavy-duty reading.” —David Aaker, author of BRAND LEADERSHIP and BUILDING STRONG BRANDS
“Finally, a book that cuts to the heart of what brand is all about—connecting the rational and the emotional, the theoretical and the practical, the logical and the magical to create a sustainable competitive advantage.” —Susan 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.” —Kurt Kuehn, senior VP of worldwide marketing and sales, UPS
“This is not just another book on brand. This is the ONLY book you’ll need to read in business, engineering, and design school.” —Clement Mok, design entrepreneur
“A well-managed brand is the lifeblood of any successful company—and Neumeier shows us exactly how to do it. Read this book before your competitors do!” —Tom Kelley, general manager of IDEO, co-author of THE ART OF INNOVATION
“THE 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.” —David Stuart, co-founder of The Partners, co-author of A SMILE IN THE MIND
“Must-reading for anyone who wants to understand how their business strategy will succeed or fail when put to the ultimate test: ‘Do customers perceive a difference that’s desirable?’” —Steve Harrington, director of strategy and operations, Hewlett-Packard
“The 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.” —Brian 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.
Book Description
"When everybody zigs, zag," says author
Marty Neumeier in this fresh view of brand strategy. ZAG follows the ultra-clear "whiteboard overview" style of Neumeier's first book, THE BRAND GAP, but drills deeper into the question of how brands can harness the power of differentiation. The author argues that in an extremely cluttered marketplace, traditional differentiation is no longer enough—today companies need “radical differentiation” to create lasting value for their shareholders and customers. In an entertaining 3-hour read you’ll learn:
- why me-too brands are doomed to fail
- how to "read" customer feedback on new products and messages
- the 17 steps for designing “difference” into your brand
- how to turn your brand’s “onliness” into a “trueline” to drive synergy
- the secrets of naming products, services, and companies
- the four deadly dangers faced by brand portfolios
- how to “stretch” your brand without breaking it
- how to succeed at all three stages of the competition cycle
For a quick peek inside ZAG, go to www.zagbook.com.
Customer Reviews:
Zag is Zagworthy.......2007-09-29
I purchased this book at the same time as the Brand Gap, being confident in the fact they'd both be helpful, well-written, yet densely packed tomes of information - and I was right!
Zag hones in on one element discussed in the Brand Gap - differentiation - and expands it into a 200-so page book. According to Neumeier, differentiation, or creating zag, is one of the most important elements of branding - and it needs to happen at every step of the way, from conception to naming to marketing.
The great thing about Zag is the way it presents the information - much like in the Brand Gap it follows a 'whiteboard', graphic-heavy, basic (but important) facts. This time around however, it pairs the basic format with a strong, easy-to-follow example through the faux development of an educational wine bar chain.
Neumeier then takes the reader through 17 steps (including some helpful exercises) you should take as a business owner, venture capitalist, or advertising professional when determining whether your product is zagworthy - or how to make it so it is.
In terms of why I gave the book 4 stars as opposed to 5...The last section of the book - once the 17 steps are completed and the wine bar is 'fully developed' - is a little bit dense/doesn't seem to flow as well as the rest of the book/series.
Also there is a decent amount of repetition between Zag and the Brand Gap, and I am hesitant in believing that people would pick up one without the other. Although it makes sense to reinforce the principles (and sell more books I'm sure) in some cases, it almost made it hard to differentiate some of the messages between the books, making me feel a bit cheated in that I paid money to read the same pages over.
I have a hunch Neumeier might take the 5 main principles found in The Brand gap and expand each of them into books like Zag did for differentiation - and I can't fault him for doing so. Zag is definitely an improvement on The Brand Gap in that it offers a focused "here's exactly what you can do" strategy, but it still remains general enough that virtually any level of professional (student, beginner, executive etc.) can sit down and walk away a couple of hours later feeling like they learned something.
Zag Zag Zigidy Zag de Zag.......2007-09-21
Knocked this one out in a single flight. Well written, easy to follow. Maybe a little too easy. Would have liked a little more meat. Consider this the Cliff's Notes to Differentiate or Die. Both great books, this is easier to digest. Neumeier is a brand genius, he gets it and he can present it well in a concise format.
A book that zags.......2007-08-23
Zagging is not a new concept. If you like business and performance management readings, probably you are familiar with it already, especially if you've read books by authors like Jim Collins (hedgehog concept), Chan Kim (blue ocean) or Seth Godin (purple cow).
This book provides a unique approach from a marketer's point of view to the concept of real differentiation in the marketplace. "When everybody zigs, zag". Stop being a follower, an imitator, and start being different, start zagging.
You can't stop reading this book, once you get started. It will take you one or two hours, which doesn't mean the author is not providing details and deep insights. In fact, he gives what it takes to make his points clear, captivating, and consistent.
David Aaker says in the back cover of this book: "The presentation alone is worth the price of the book". He is absolutely right. This book zags.
Best Branding Book Ever.......2007-08-22
This is the first review I've ever written on Amazon even though I'm an avid reader. I felt compelled to write this review as a sign of my appreciation for this top notch book. I've read several books on Branding, Identity, Marketing and none compare to this book. If you buy only one book on any of these categories, this should be the book.
Marty's illustrations alone are worth the price for the book. But it was his definition of Branding that brought everything into focus for me. I can't say enough about the book.
Grok branding like never before..........2007-08-15
So much has been written about branding... and so much of it is so dry, it's boring.
What Marty Neumeier has done is to make this essential discipline fun, exciting, practical, and reachable for us all.
If you only read one book on branding, this one will serve you well.
Book Description
Treating such contemporary design and development issues as identifying customer needs, design for manufacturing, prototyping, and industrial design, Product Design and Development, 3/e, by Ulrich and Eppinger presents in a clear and detailed way a set of product development techniques aimed at bringing together the marketing, design, and manufacturing functions of the enterprise. The integrative methods in the book facilitate problem solving and decision making among people with different disciplinary perspectives, reflecting the current industry trend to perform product design and development in cross-functional teams.
Customer Reviews:
Is OK, but there are better options........2006-11-10
I have the pleasure of taking a seminar with the author, but I was disappointed at his writing. The book is hard to follow, and lack structure.
Clearly Better Than Stage-Gate.......2006-08-21
Ulrich has created an understandable companion text for product development. What is refreshing about this text is that it guides the developer through the elements of product development that are essential to reducing the concept of the product to practice. It is a great instructional guide.
Good reference text.......2005-03-16
This is a good reference manual for understanding the various techniques that are available for the fuzzy front end of product design. It would be a good text for project managers in product development.
PROs
1) It is well written and easy to assimilate.
2) Seems complete for the traditional manufactured consumer product.
CONs
1) Not strong on a current pre-emptive DFSS techniques for robustness and quality (such as QFD and axiomatic design).
2) Does not address system complexity issues and tools (software vs hardware, interface issues, complexity, functional flows).
Great product development handbook!.......2004-01-04
This book provides a great hands-on approach to product development. Unlike other product development books that dwell too much on the philosophical aspects of product development, this book gives you practical advice on how to define meaningful product specifications to meet your customer needs and develop successful products. The book provides a very nice concept development process that I've found very useful.
This book is mainly focused on product development processes and does not provide much information on technology development. In addition, the book lacks depth in the strategic aspects of product development(such as market segmentation, strategic management of technology).
If you are looking for a very useful and powerful handbook for product development, this is the book you are looking for. However, if you are interested in the strategic aspects of product development, you may need other references.
great for teaching at any level, great methods.......2002-09-26
I have used this book extensively to teach undergraduate industrial design students, and graduate marketing, and engineering students who take small product development courses. It's focused, down to earth, practical, and students find they can grasp design issues better than in a more theoretical-philosophical way. I use it myself to guide my design consulting work, has helped me understand other product development (not design) issues that are relevant to me, and I have read it over and over.. great handbook. Production/design of the book is also very nice. It's a pitty McGraw Hill doesn't want to translate it to spanish (so the author told me once).
Book Description
Quality management. Process mapping. Speed to production. In the past 50 years, a rigorous, measurement-based methodology called Six Sigma has brought production management to previously unimaginable levels of success and sophistication. Top corporations such as Motorola and GE have built their reputations, products, and revenues using this approach. Indeed, Six Sigma has found widespread application in every significant industry and business—except marketing and sales.
In Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way, sales and quality guru Michael Webb shows how to blend marketing and sales efforts with the cutting-edge methods of Six Sigma to boost their bottom lines. With Webb’s book as a guide, readers learn to engineer rapid routes to customer value, accurately predict future revenue, and ensure return on investment for their projects.
In Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way, you will:
* Find out why ""the usual fixes"" for sales problems don't work
* Meet executives who have used Six Sigma to imrpove marketing and sales results
* See the pitfalls that await the unwary when applying process improvement in sales
* Learn how to introduce Six Sigma to sales and marketing professionals
* Discover through examples and cases how to manage sales as a process
Webb walks readers through several Six Sigma sales and marketing projects from start to finish, highlighting the tools, decisions, and results that made them successful. He shows the practical methods managers use to translate process improvement principles to the human world of selling and marketing.
With his dual background in sales and marketing management and in quality improvement, Webb speaks clearly to readers in both disciplines. This makes Sales and Marketing the Six Sigma Way the indispensible guide for sales and marketing professionals who want to excel in today's business environment, and for quality improvement experts who want to help them.
Customer Reviews:
Exceptional book for improving results.......2007-10-14
Whether you call it six-sigma, kaizen, lean or TQM, the concept has had a revolutionary impact in manufacturing, propelling, for example, Toyota to the top. It turns out the same basic concepts powerfully apply to sales and marketing. This book details how in a very readable manner. Webb shows us how to make sales and marketing into a process that systematically can be improved. Very insightful examples. Right now most sales and marketing decisions are made on hunch. This book helps us make them on the basis of fact. I strongly recommend it. It presents good idea after good idea.
A Must Read for CEOs Tired of Same Old Sales Excuses.......2007-08-17
This book tackles the central marketing problem of our time ....too many suspects, and an ever dwindling number of qualified prospects. Mr. Webb untangles this problem and then shows you how to design a selling system to be an ever improving "machine". A fun read with lots of how-to and examples.
It's a PE Book.......2007-07-24
It's Good to me, I work for jnj of china. it helps and leads me do the project is well
Merging Six Sigma with Sales & Marketing.......2007-07-20
Michael Webb has done a fantastic job with merging the six sigma methodology with the sales & marketing disciplines. This book takes the six sigma practice, that has long been used in the manufacturing circles, and applies it to the sales function in a way that is both concise and understandable. Six sigma promises to change the future of sales just as it has manufacturing, and this book is the road map for that journey. I would not only highly recommend this book to anyone in the sales and/or marketing arena, but consider it a must read.
Sales & Marketing the Six Sigma Way.......2007-04-03
I found this book invaluable. As a brand marketing consultant I face a barrage of misguided engineers and production minded individual who deam marketing as puffery. This book provided me a greater insight in turning these folks into marketing partners. Engineers and marketing consultants have more in common than they know - Sales & Marketing the Six Signa Way identifies how these two can and should come closer together to seek and implement the voice of the customer in establishing and marketing superior customer value.
Book Description
Creating Breakthrough Products identifies key factors associated with successful innovation, and presents an insightful and comprehensive approach to building products and services that redefine markets -- or create new ones. Learn to identify Product Opportunity Gaps that can lead to enormous success; control and navigate the "Fuzzy Front End" of the product development process; and leverage contributions from diverse product teams -- while staying relentlessly focused on your customer's values and lifestyles.
Customer Reviews:
Still, a great book for product development.......2003-03-04
Although I agree with several of the concerns by other reviewers, I recommend this book for product developers because it offers usable information that can improve the liklihood of success for a new product.
First my concerns:
- There's too many unrelated topics,
- There's too many acronyms,
- It reads like a textbook, it's a little hard to read as it feels disjointed somewhat.
Now the things that I like and recommend:
- Great reviews of successful product case studies (I particularly liked the OXO product one),
- Although trite, their 2x2 matrix was quite interesting,
- Their emphasis on how to put "style" into your product (this is not really covered in many other books),
- Their concept of Product Opportunity Gaps (POG, whoops there's another acronym).
I think the authors, who are quite astute, should rewrite this book. I recommend that they boil down the material and rewrite the book thinking of it as an instruction book from them to some MBA/Engineer (Hewlitt/Packard) who's working out of his garage on some new product. They should not see this as a college text, or some book that's a supplementary reading for college. They have great material and great ideas, but it needs focused. They can completely drop Chapter 6 on Teams. Their Chapter 7 on Understanding User Needs seemed weak. They should drop the case studies in Chapters 8 and 9 and integrate that great material into the core text -- otherwise it's just too repetitive.
There was an excellent article about the authors in Fast Company magazine, July 2002. page 123. "How to Design the Perfect Product". I recommend reading that article as well.
These smart guys from Carnegie Mellon's design school have a unique approach to "Value is all about fulfilling fantasy" and their methodology for getting that into your product.
John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX
Great topic but too superficial.......2003-02-02
Cagan and Vogel are addressing a critically important topic. Isn't that every company and entrepreneur's dream to actually create breakthrough products? Are they going to find the formula in this book? Well, yes and no.
The good news is that there are some interesting insights on what makes breakthrough products, like the importance of providing compelling usefulness, usability, and desirability features, or the key role of style, technology, and branding in the success of new products, or the need for an integrated new product development process.
Can you read this book and start applying these principles? The answer is no. To start with, the authors resort to the universal 2x2 business tool to unveil their magic formula: the combination of style and technology is the way to create breakthroughs because these two attributes create value. It is what they call "moving to the upper right" or to the "value quadrant". This is a very simplistic if not erroneoous view of how value is created. This might be true for consumer items where value is mostly in the psychological and emotional realm but it definitely does not help most industrial and business applications where value is more in the economic, solution, and service realm.
The author presents a list of value opportunities that are supposed to be universal but they are brought without any justification. Why does adventure, independence, or security make the list and not other emotions? Isn't that the key to success to fist find what the potential customers really value before jumping to conclusions instaed of trying to fit a model on reality?
Central to breakthrough products is the importance of user-centered research and product development. The overall process is adequately covered in my opinion and since I am not a product development expert I learned some interesting things in these sections but again the tools do not seem very useful.
Regarding user-centered research, I do not feel it is given the importance nor the depth it deserves. It is the last chapter of the main text like if it were something to do after everything else.
Cagan and Vogel use many examples to illustrate their approach and several case studies at the end. It is a good side of the book. On the other hand, these examples are presented to fit the model, something they do more or less convincingly and in a way that does not generate great insights.
In summary, Cagan and Vogel wrote a good introduction to the topic, something that might be useful to newcomers to the field or to MBA students. The practitioners may learn the importance of integrating all disciplines and gained a few insights here and there. The book might make them think but they will find few practical tools and tips to apply on the job.
Useful to anyone in Marketing.......2002-12-29
Apple Computers/imac, VW/Beetles, OXO/Good Grips and Herman Miller/Aeron Chair are just a few examples of companies/brands that saw their sales rocket due to introduction of new products with unique packaging or design. This book highlights most of these examples and does a good job of showing that no long term strategic marketing plan can overlook the function of quality design. Great design makes a difference to a company's bottom line. People want to own products that not only function well but also look cool.
Mark H.
Art Director / Ming Diamond Price Consulting
Substantial, long-overdue contribution to Industrial Design.......2002-07-22
Cagan and Vogel make a substantial contribution to the field of Industrial Design with "Creating Breakthrough Products." This book admirably strikes a difficult balance between theory and practice. The concepts, theories and frameworks presented are based upon substantial practical experience that is insightful as well as inspiring. It avoids academic/technical jargon and allows the reader to get right to the meat of their arguments. The book both reminded me why I became an industrial designer and motivates me to do more to get "to the Upper Right Quadrant" with the projects I am working on. The examples and analysis of past success stories like OXO GoodGrips, the new VW bug, and Starbucks hit home, really making their point. Their concern and analysis of User-Research struck me as quite valid as well.
If you are concerned about making products that serve people in a significant way, then this book is a must-read and hopefully marks the beginning of a new wave of insightful Industrial Design research that is capable of positively affecting theoretical discourse as well as everyday practice.
Creating Breakthrough Products: Innovation from Product Plan.......2002-07-02
Cagan and Vogel's book Creating Breakthrough Products is long overdue in the fields of business and (industrial)product design. It provides a realistic view of product development and a "behind the magic curtain" look at product successes and failures. The arguments, visuals, and product case studies provided in the book helped me envision a mental map that I can use in my work. It is a great read...one that every hardware and software product manager should read. The book is a solid contribution to the design field and would be great for industry and academia. Students learning this stuff will have a faster start toward more effective product design.
Book Description
COMPENSATING NEW SALES ROLES How to Design Rewards That Work in Today's Selling Environment In every industry the traditional sales force is disappearing. To grow and prosper today, companies are focused on managing the total customer experience -- with an increasing number of jobs now playing key roles in the sales process. But what exactly are these new sales roles? How are they compensated? Now this action manual shows how to:
** understand why sales forces are evolving into new acquisitions specialists, retention sales specialists, telephone sales managers, service consultants, and more
** design state-of-the-art compensation plans for new sales roles
** implement a compensation plan that rewards top performers
** measure the effectiveness of the plan. JEROME A. COLLETTI is president and CEO of The Alexander Group, Inc., a nationwide management consulting firm specializing in marketing and sales. MARY S. FISS is a consulting manager with The Alexander Group, Inc. They are based in Scottsdale, AZ. WALLY WOOD (Sandy Hook, CT) is co-author of several books, including Marketing Myths That Are Killing Business.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome realities.......2000-09-09
This book is a must have for todays business managers in the ever changing world of sales. I am amazed at the insight and accuracy depicted in the book. It assisted me in the re-engineering of a tired sales force. Two thumbs up!
Book Description
In order for a Web site to sell effectively, it must appeal to the unique culture, mindset, and psychology of the Web. Simply put, what works in the brick-and-mortar world does not necessarily grab Web shoppers. Companies selling products and services online need to promote their wares with engaging copy that grabs attention and compels Web site visitors to buy.
Web Copy That Sells presents copy strategies that have been proven time and again in the e-commerce arena. Maria Veloso, perhaps the most widely acclaimed Web copywriter in the world, reveals her revolutionary approach based on five simple questions, which, when answered, make the copy practically write itself. Veloso crams all the information from her 12-hour, $997 live seminars into a comprehensive book that will help any Web copywriter:
* write sizzling and irresistible Web copy, e-mails, and marketing communications * quickly turn lackluster sites into "perpetual money machines" * use Neuro-Linguistic Programming and psychological tactics to compel Web surfers to buy * avoid the top three blunders that can wipe out your sales * convert up to 50% of online prospects into paying customers * and more!
Customer Reviews:
Webcopy is interesting - not sure if I am comfortable with the style for b2b.......2007-05-28
I found the book interesting and enlightening. I think with all ideas you have to temper this to your audience. I would not use this to attract the CEO of AT&T in the form she presented. However the concepts and steps ring true as long as they are toned down to suit your market. We are just working on some sub pages tied to adwords campaigns to test the waters.
Very similar in style to [...]
Outstanding Reference with contemporary approach.......2007-05-09
I read this book in days highlighting areas for future reference. I enjoyed the book's approach and it was very well written. Veloso didn't leave any stones uncovered. Above all, it was like a college refresher course but more practical and focused to the needs for those desiring to improve their web copy and content. Additionally, after reading the book, I ordered a second to share with my internet marketing people and staff at Gloves-Online.
Solid Information that will increase your business.......2007-04-13
Web Copy That Sells is well written, easy to read and a great resource for improving your web copy.
There are a number of points that Maria makes regarding web copy that apply equally to all areas of business as well as life. For example, she points out that you cannot simply model some successful website and expect the same results. You must model the process. That is go through the same process that the creator of the successful website went through.
The book is not only a resource for web copy that sells, it is also a very good marketing course. She points out that potential customers must know you, like you and ultimately trust you before they will do business with you. She provides a step by step method to accomplish this.
Maria is right on when she talks about the importance of the first screen and why you must concentrate on what's in it for the viewer. The website should not be designed as an ego boosting medium. You must keep the viewer's point of view in mind.
She provides a good list of dos and don'ts for web copy. There are plenty of other tools such as a formula to evaluate any website.
Scattered throughout the book are excellent marketing lessons - words tell, emotion sells - fear of loss is a better motivator than desire for gain. You would do well to read and understand these very valuable marketing lessons.
This is a very good resource for anyone responsible for their own or their company's website.
Better than most but not the best I have read........2007-01-05
This book had some useful ideas, however given the amount of knowledge the author claims to have I feel she is keeping all the good stuff for her copy writing courses.
Rather light on useful content. Joe Sugarman is a much better choice.
Priceless.......2006-12-21
This book is absolutely priceless. I hear what some of the critical comments say. The fact is they are not grasping the brilliant lessons and enormous time savers Maria shares in this book that apply across the board to writing copy and marketing on line. First off, she makes it very clear her book is about what it says, writing web copy that sells, not writing web content. The whole point and value of this book are the formulas that will save INCREDIBLE amounts of time while ensuring you address every element that goes into capturing paying customers online. THAT'S the value. The actual words you use in writing your own specific copy are up to you. You don't have to sound like a snake oil salesman. I sell upscale b2b, business owners and senior executives and what I learned in the book is indeed killer. Practical lessons that I can immediately apply. Read this book and combine what you learn with Frank Rumbauskas Never Cold Call Again (and I haven't in the past 6 months), Metaphorically Selling by Anne Miller, and Richard Koch's The 80/20 Principle, The Secret of Achieving More With Less, and then work hard (sorry) and you'll be a lean mean money machine.
One thing I am very cautious about is all the copywriters that have made the change to copy writing over priced self generated programs on how to get rich copy writing (i.e. Bly, Masterson, Silver and others). Do a search on google to find good resources to seriously research the feasibility and process to make such a transition and your head will spin clicking on all the sites by these gurus with $500 to $2,000. This seems to be a whole niche that has become popular today to go side by side with network marketing. Get rich easy and quick with my magic formula to becoming a copywriter. (I do NOT put this book in that category, like I said this book is easily worth multiples of its price). I am also NOT saying that the money to be made in the industry is not accurate. Just like in network marketing where I did in fact make 6 figures a year in that industry for a while. The reality was it took HARK WORK, which terrifies most of the folks looking for the ever elusive easy buck. And as P.T. Barnum always knew, there are plenty of folks who want to believe it be so. When ever someone truly discovers the secret to becoming rich plugging into some formula system is the day everyone you know will be rich. The reality is if anything worked like that you couldn't stop it from sweeping the country. No one would be poor anymore...and I guess the new poor would be the least rich, right?
Bottom line, buy this book. If you use the principles, formulas and concepts Maria teaches you, you will indeed make a lot more money than you are now. If it sits on a shelf gathering dust waiting for the someday you are going to use some of the stuff it won't make you one single cent.
Books:
- Professional Practice for Interior Designers, 3rd Edition
- Public Relations Kit for Dummies
- Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics (8th Edition)
- Rebuilding Brand America: What We Must Do to Restore Our Reputation And Safeguard the Future of American Business Abroad
- Restaurant Franchising
- Restaurant Franchising
- Restaurant Franchising
- Secrets of Power Negotiating for Salespeople: Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator
- Sell Your Book on Amazon: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret "How-to" Tips Guaranteed to Increase Sales for Print-on-Demand and Self-Publishing Writers
- Sell Your Book on Amazon: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret "How-to" Tips Guaranteed to Increase Sales for Print-on-Demand and Self-Publishing Writers
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Business and Legal Forms for Photographers
- Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems
- How to Pitch and Promote Your Songs
- Fuzzy Logic and NeuroFuzzy Applications in Business and Finance
- Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual for the PE Exam, 12th Edition
- Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion
- Michelin the Green Guide Paris
- Audits of Federal Government Contractors: With Conforming Changes As of May 1, 1998
- Handbook of Environmental Economics, Volume 3: Economywide and International Environmental Issues
- Fearon's Animal Theme Activity Sheets
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
The Codes Guidebook for Interiors
Interior Design Reference Manual: A Guide to the NCIDQ Exam
Estimating for Interior Designers
The Interior Designers Guide to Pricing Estimating and Budgeting
Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers
