I’m your manager. And one day I tell you, I have this idea blah blah blah, could you work on it. You tell me sure I will. My idea is half-baked. There are no clear path to approach the task. Everything is kind of vague and uncertain. What do I expect from you? First, there…
Month: December 2015
Book Review: Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work
Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work by Nigel Cross The Bottom Line Written by one of the leading figures in design research, the book is supposed to “help anyone interested in design to develop their understanding of how designers think and work.” And it’s only 150 pages. Official Summary Design thinking is the core creative process for any designer; this…
Book Review: Beyond Measure
Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes by Margaret Heffernan The Bottom Line Read the invigorating and highly quotable introduction as well as chapter 1 and stop there if you’re in a hurry. Official Summary A powerful manifesto for CEOs and employees alike: Influential and award-winning business leader Margaret Heffernan reveals how organizations can build ideal workplace cultures and create seismic…
Book Review: Why We Work
Why We Work by Barry Schwartz The Bottom Line Chapter 4, The Technology of Ideas, is worth the full price for re-introducing so many essential ideas you MUST understand in order to truly understand the dynamics of work culture. Official Summary An eye-opening, groundbreaking tour of the purpose of work in our lives, showing how work operates…
Book Preview: Strategic Design Thinking
Strategic Design Thinking: Innovation in Products, Services, Experiences and Beyond by Natalie W. Nixon The Bottom Line Perspectives matter a lot. If you think you know what design thinking is about, read it and think again. Official Summary Who can design? For too long, that question has highlighted the supposed division between right-brain dominant “creative types” and left-brain dominant “analytical types.” Such a division…
Book Review: Design Thinking
Design Thinking: Integrating Innovation, Customer Experience, and Brand Value by Thomas Lockwood The Bottom Line Since design thinking is so many things that experts and practioners can’t even agree with each other on a definition, at least you get to know what Design Thinking is likely NOT. And that’s extremely beneficial. Official Summary Design Thinking confirms that design, as a process and as…
Book Review: So Good They Can’t Ignore You
So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport Amazon | Author Site The official summary is worth quoting in full: “Follow Your Passion” is Bad Advice. Here is What You Should Do Instead… In this eye-opening account, Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that “follow your passion” is good advice. Not only is the cliche flawed-preexisting passions are rare and have…
Book Review: The Myths of Innovation
The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun Amazon | Official Site Official Summary: the classic bestseller, takes you on a hilarious, fast-paced ride through the history of ideas. You’ll learn to transcend the false stories that deceive many business experts, scientists, and much of pop culture, with history based lessons on how to invent, create and…
Book Review: Frame Innovation
Frame Innovation: Create New Thinking by Design By Kees Dorst Amazon | MIT Press | GoodReads Overview: When organizations apply old methods of problem-solving to new kinds of problems, they may accomplish only temporary fixes or some ineffectual tinkering around the edges. Today’s problems are a new breed-open, complex, dynamic, and networked-and require a radically different response. In…
Book Review: Data Science for Business
Data Science for Business: What you need to know about data mining and data-analytic thinking By Foster Provost, Tom Fawcett Amazon | O’Reilly Official intro: Written by renowned data science experts Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett, Data Science for Business introduces the fundamental principles of data science, and walks you through the “data-analytic thinking” necessary…
Book Review: Design-Driven Innovation
Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean by Roberto Verganti Amazon | Goodreads | Official Site Here’s the official synopsis: Until now, the literature on innovation has focused either on radical innovation pushed by technology or incremental innovation pulled by the market. In “Design-Driven Innovation: How to Compete by Radically…
Book Preview: The Design Way
The Design Way: Intentional Change in an Unpredictable World by Harold G. Nelson, Erik Stolterman Amazon | MIT Press The book turns out to be one of the best books on design I’ve ever read. It’s not a “designer” book – the authors don’t teach you how to design. Instead, the authors discuss the concept of…
Book Review: Message Not Received
Message Not Received: Why Business Communication Is Broken and How to Fix It by Phil Simon Amazon | Official Site The Bottom Line Get to know your enemy of communication: jargon and email abuse. Noah’s Review The Importance of Communication Well Explained with Funny, Thought-Provoking Stories I doubt it’s possible for anyone to underestimate the importance…
