Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12483 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-04
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
Discover the ten commandments of creativity, and much more...Founded by Thomas Kelley and his brother David (dubbed by Fortune the best inventor since Thomas Edison), IDEO is responsible for the first commercial mouse, a virtual reality headset for Sega and the handheld Audible Mobile Player - a new device that downloads recorded books from the Internat. The company was recently challenged by US TV programme Nightline to redesign a traditional shopping trolley in just 4 days in front of the cameras. They took up the challenge with alacrity and produced a radically new design incorporating six small portable baskets fitted into the frame, an improved child's seat with play area, and back wheels that turn at 90 degrees so you can move your trolley sideways.IDEO is structured around small design studios, seen as 'villages', each with their own identity. But all of their office furniture is on wheels allowing individuals to move between projects.

IDEO's methods are based on revolutionary principle of team creativity including:* The best asset you have is your own brain* The first set in building a fresh and creative corporate culture is the willingness to change* Collaboration - not isolation - is the key to unleashing creativityCreativity increases profits, and The Art of Innovation demonstrates how to boost morale, productivity and consumer satisfaction - while having fun in the process.

Customer Reviews

Dont live up to full potential..
I am a Product Designer working for a London based Design Consultancy.

I bought this book because of my personal interest in innovation and the design process, wondering how a global professional design consultancy process may differ from another firm.

It was fun to read how IDEO started out, where they came from etc, however, it seems to be a book more of case-studies and promotional material of their own projects, rather than discussing the design process and what a designer/ engineer/ management team do in the different stages of the projects.

I found it a well written and easy to read book, but that said I was a little disappointed as the content as for me did not live up to its potential.

A True Inspiration
I had this book for Christmas and I became so wrapped up in it that it's now started a chain reaction with my purchase of many more books all (literally) piled up.

This title is the first from Tom Kelley, and since he has released "The Ten Faces of Innovation" which builds upon the foundations within this title. The Art of Innovation is highly addictive and the content is extremely insightful into the innovation process at IDEO. Many of the case studies are spot on at explaining the various chapters.

Brainstorming, Hot Groups and Prototyping are just a few of the subjects covered within this book, and in just the right amount of depth for you to take the information away and use it to your full benifit.

Whilst aimed at the heads of companies and people who are in business in a bid to get them to explore their companies creative side, it is also a great tool for those who dream of working for IDEO or a similar company. The ideas communicated are based around how the company innovates but their methods for sparking their innovation are as wide as you could imagine.

This is a fantastic title and as the book is only pocket sized, you really have no excuse to get a copy and read it. Perfect for picking up during short or long periods of time. I couldn't put it down and finished in record time!

Definitely worth reading but...
The book discusses innovation under the light of the author’s experience at IDEO. IDEO, perhaps the most successful design company in the Silicon Valley, was formed in 1990 as the result of the merger of three design firms: David Kelley Design, founded by Tom Kelley’s brother and Stanford professor David Kelley, ID Two and Matrix Product Design. The company extends its reaches to many fields, from computers to furniture, medical equipment to toys.

The book is a very involving narrative of cases, which the author uses to illustrate each and every point he makes. However, most readers would probably gladly exchange some of the examples for more structured analyses. Although the author defends the use of diagrams and schematics, there is not a single illustration in the book to help explain the concepts IDEO so successfully uses on its daily operations.

Still, the opportunity to learn from Tom Kelley’s experience with IDEO is very much worth the reading, which is enjoyable and captivating.