cover image Design Is How It Works: How the Smartest Companies Turn Products into Icons

Design Is How It Works: How the Smartest Companies Turn Products into Icons

Jay Greene, Portfolio, $25.95 (226p) ISBN 978-1-59184-322-1

A series of case studies of attractive and efficient design, from journalist Greene, makes a persuasive case for regarding design as an essential component of the development process of any product, which must be attended to at all stages, not just at the end. The best service or product design, according to Greene, creates a singular experience for the customer. Through case studies of design-savvy companies like Porsche, Nike, LEGO, OXO, Clif bars, and Virgin Atlantic, Greene discusses the brands’ origins and presses home the point that successful companies turn their customers into cultists of a sort, admirers of both the form and function of the products they’re using. Porsche drivers love the experience of driving the car, not just its clean lines; OXO identifies its customers’ cleaning pet peeves, then designs products around them; REI doesn’t just sell gear but authenticity. While Greene’s enthusiasm is clear, and design aficionados will lap up the case studies, the omission of prescriptive instruction and slight analysis make this a hard sell to the general reader. (July)