"fascinating...best practice as the smartest way to beat the competition" FINANCIAL TIMES (lead review) 24 June '97
other press comment
What are the driving forces that prompt small companies to develop new products and services ? And how do these companies use design to innovate? These are the key themes in WINNERS! Managers reviewing the book describe it as "brilliant", "original", "fascinating" and "state-of-the-art".
WINNERS! focusses on the why of innovation and the how of design. Lively essays summarise the new drivers of innovation: an ageing population; the need to differentiate products; customisation; usability and safety issues; microchips in 'things that think'; smart materials; ecological limits; the internet and disintermediation.
At the centre of WINNERS! are real-life examples - successful small businesses that use design to innovate in the new economy. WINNERS! is more about knowledge-sharing among managers, than about experts telling them what to do.
WINNERS! is designed to be highly visual and easy-to-use. Statistical data are explained in specially-developed information graphics. WINNERS! is heavily illustrated. And in addition to the essays, and the company case studies, there are numerous small stories, quotes and other innovation miscellany.This book is also fun!
WINNERS! is written by John Thackara, director of the Netherlands Design Institute, the 'think-and-do tank' in Amsterdam. An expert on design, innovation, and the Internet, John Thackara has lectured and consulted for governments, companies and cities in many countries. He founded the Doors of Perception conferences, on multimedia and the Internet, is chairman of the European Design Summit, and is an advisor to the European Union on its innovation policy.
"a major achievement...stories of innovation, shining examples of design effectiveness"
William Drenttel (ID magazine, New York)
PRAISE FOR JOHN THACKARA'S BOOK
WINNERS!
How Today's Successful Companies Innovate by Design
"fascinating... best practice as the smartest way to beat the competition"
FINANCIAL TIMES, England (lead review)
"the sort of text that makes you leap up, grab the nearest person, and share with them a fact, forecast, or statistic"
ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS JOURNAL, England
"small is brainy: why innovation and creativity are just as important for the smaller company"
DIRECTOR MAGAZINE, England
"business success stories, eloquently told: how innovation and design have paid off"
ID MAGAZINE, USA
"original ideas, fascinating examples: highly recommended"
EZIO MANZINI, Domus Academy, Italy
"quite brilliant... enough for an army of managers"
RICHARD STANLEY (Espoo, Finland)
"central issues, exhaustive information... fascinating"
DOMUS MAGAZINE, Italy
"state of the art - timely, factual, insightful"
JAMES WOUDHUYSEN Director of Worldwide Market Intelligence, Philips
"the elegance of hand, eye and mind... a little brick of design"
DERRICK DE KERCKHOVE (Toronto) Director, McCluhan Program, Canada
"a really beautiful job...."
TIBOR KALMAN (New York) - designer
"fascinating information,...an indispensable little bible"
ROWAN GIBSON (London) - Design Business Association
"a major achievement...stories of innovation, shining examples of design effectiveness"
ID MAGAZINE USA
"making waves in design... challenging propositions, pertinent statistics, unexpected information"
DOROTHY MACKENZIE (Dragon International, London)
"cutting edge...how new designs are changing your life"
HOLLAND HERALD, The Netherlands
"Congratulations...it looks like a winner!"
LOUIS ROSSETTO (San Francisco) - editor and publisher, Wired