Categories: Book RapperDesign Thinking

Design Advantage : The Secret to Creating Long-Term Value 2

BR Review : The Design of Business
Roger Martin, The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage; Harvard Business Press, Boston, 2009.

Précis
If you want short term results stick to your numbers that prove the past. If you want long term sustainable results operate as a design firm. It’s the key to innovation and growth – and staying competitive!

Features

Prominent model: the Knowledge Funnel which is the backbone of Martin’s Design Thinking framework.
Chapters on leading an organization and developing yourself as a design thinker.
Case studies of McDonalds, Proctor & Gamble, Cirque du Soleil, Herman Miller and Research In Motion (RIM) – creators of the Blackberry.

Benefits
Martin’s book is a big picture strategy book.
He explains why Design Thinking is important and provides a key model for making it happen.
Plus there’s enough clues and examples to get you started.

Who’s It’s For

It’s for anyone interested in creating a world that works.
For leaders who want to step out of short-termism and create long-term value for their organization.
For intrapreneurs wanting to improve their lot.
For individuals wanting control over their lives.

Roger Martin?

Roger’s a Canadian with both academic and business experience.
He’s a Harvard Grad in Economics and an MBA. And, the Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He’s been dean since 1998… that’s a big rap!
Roger’s had extensive consulting experience, is a former director at Monitor Company and he sits on a number of company boards.
He writes columns for Business Week, the Washington Post and the Financial Times.
Roger’s a leading advocate of Design Thinking and this is his fourth book. His previous tome, The Opposable Mind is worth a read too!
And, he’s got his own Wikipedia Page

Book Rapper Thinks…
Deee – Zine! Deee – Zine! Deee – Zine!
As a designer, this books sings sweet sonnets to my ears.
It’s the story I wanted to tell and didn’t have the words to say it.
Roger’s my new design hero!
He’s put design back in the centre of business conversations!

Geoff McDonald