I wanted to make a different kind of review, one where I could share personally BIASED views based on my previous experiences with design thinking and with what I like and don't like about this book. First, my overall advise is TO GET THIS BOOK and its companion field work, if you plan to use design thinking (or your adaptation of it) in a business setup. The cost is nothing compared to a well thought out process that demystifies the topic and gets you a broader repertoire of tools that you can use in many different contexts.
Positive feelings about the book
- Well laid out process in general and important warnings at key moments
- Clear language and well written
- Nice, clear and logical structure
- Handy starter templates
- Pedagogic as it has a combination of ideas, questions, examples, explanations, quotes to make subject alive.
- Concise enough to not get lost
- Very good job on connecting the tools into a (maybe too linear) pipeline. This is a bit done on purpuse
What I think I get
- Process clarity
- Ideas of how to conduct each phase that are actionable
- Ideas on how to sell Design Thinking in a business environment
- One point of view on each tool that incrementally builds knowledge about proper use
- The desire to try out these ideas or understand their value in context (do's and don't, when it's best, when to avoid, what you can get, etc.)
Negative feelings about the book
- Uninspired examples in general
- Lack of any "break-through" innovation in examples
- Most of the "filled out templates" are "imagined by authors", not real outputs of any design thinking process
- Boring tasks to "Do at home". eg. reorganizing fridge or bookshelf... gets reduced to finding a taxonomy and doesn't unleash any innovation. I understand why there logical and pedagogic mind makes is so simple. But some exercises are uninspired.
- Criteria and examples likely will fail to capture essence and true insights one can get with design thinking (my biggest gripe).
- Lack of commitment to the process - for example, the Darden Experience example should be replaced in the second edition. It is very biased and seeks to please faculty, even portraying people based on laziness and lack of clarity in student goal. I think this was the biggest detracting element of the book -but forgive that and understand this book emerged as part of an academic effort, not consultancy work.
- Lack of street-smart advise is evident. It has a lot of detail around conceptual advise which is just amazing and awesome. It has very little advise on managing the flow and groups. I think it bay be the subject for another book, but advise on how to manage actual sessions is not at all trivial and is non-existant. Look for D-School B-tapes for an example of that, or watch live sessions of good moderators/facilitators.
Why get the book?
You are planning to use design thinking and want a second opinion on flow. You want templates. You want additional examples (even some are quite dry or rather uninspired). You are very far from creative processes and need a stepping stone, even if you land close to where you where. If you want to see a well structure flow start to end. If you want a reference book on basics for the tooling across the pipeline. If you are building competency and plan to read 3-4 books, attend some workshops, and complement with online material. Well, in those cases, this book is a GREAT companion. It's an easy read. It has many useful ideas. It's clear. Even if dry and muted a little bit, it represents a good starting point if you want to use Design Thinking in a very boring conservative environment - one which you management may accept. But be careful - you'll still need to develop much deeper intuitions and a refined sense of what it is, this is a starter, reference book only.
When not to get this book
If you are looking for practical advise that is usually required to make Design Thinking produce great results (execution and setup details).
If you want to learn by example this book will fall short and you'll may end up with lackluster results (but maybe not)
If you want a deeper journey into the use of design ideas for innovation to inspire you on a longer term journey
Get this book if
- You want a clear exposition of (one take at) Design Thinking
- You want a logical approach and explanation that gives you confidence as a non-creative person
- You want a starter book with templates to start transpiring some of what DT is about
- You want to complement and expand ideas, as the book generally packs good advise all along
- You want other people to understand the core ideas of design thinking
Why 5 stars?
If you want a clear exposition, well written book to help connect the dots, and you plan to fill in the gaps through a lot of mistakes, learnings, and deeper insights borrowed from other sources, the book will serve you well. Like a close friend, learn that nothing is perfect, but this a relationship to keep and nurture. The book is PACKED with advise, and it is sound advise, with a few pitfalls
Biggest pitfall to avoid?
Be especially careful about the 4 aids. The approach proposed is lovely, and they warn that the process isn't really linear. The aids to help you transition from phases effectively, connecting each phase with the rest of the effort smartly. However, I have seen several design thinking projects where these blur, where the transitions are much simpler CLIENT FOCUSED criteria, and where the transitions CAN'T be described in a napkin at all.
Some of the best concepts I have seen defied verbal explanations (which still allows you to specify what resources you'll need, but avoid limiting what the Aid must contact and question what's in the proposed Aid).
Overall
A huge project by the authors, with great insights, that shows dedication, and that accomplishes that in a succinct manner. As they state, that you are getting a book like this at this price is a gift. And capturing this subject in any single book is very difficult. Overall, this book is a must get and a great resource for the clarity it brings, the wealth of advise, the careful writing and the amazing wealth of hard learned wisdom that it sets free.
Final though
If this book ever gets pulled out of Kindle Store and goes out of print, you'll regret not having purchased it. It rarely happens that you see so much advise (most of it awesome little bits of hard earned wisdom) in such a compact form. I have purchased both Kindle version and print version. While is has some weaknesses, the book is a true companion, and I will update this review (hopefully) with comments as I put some of the ideas to practice, the actual intent of the whole process.
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ilkiser87
Da leggere se interessati al Design Thinking
Reviewed in Italy on March 23, 2017