The best strategic design books
After some years of practical experience as strategic designer /design strategist in different companies around Europe and quite a lot of time spent reading about this discipline, its evolution in these years (very new as a formal profession), its methodologies, its principles… I have decided to make a list with the most interesting books on strategic design I got to read. There are plenty of books addressing strategy from different perspectives: UI, UX, pure business… and different contexts: corporates, consultancies, entrepreneurs…
This brief list focuses on enlightening the strategic value of design and try answer this question: why should companies use design as strategic tool to create desirable, viable and feasible product/services?
Another important objective of this article is to get to know new books worth reading. So, please share your favourites! :)
Design thinking at work. David Dunne. https://amzn.to/2SMWSrV Essential reading to understand the application of design thinking in organizations, the different models applied by world leaders, its pros and cons, and the tensions generated in the implementation of design programs. This book can help managers to introduce design thinking in their companies, but also consultants to reflect on their practices within organizations. Definitely a really valuable reading!
The Design of business. Roger Martin. http://amzn.to/2rMFWDo In my opinion, this book summaries the power of bringing analytical and intuitive thinking together to solve complex problems. It is slightly theoretical with some real examples, but it adds a lot of value to the reader. Together with Tim Brown, Roger Martin is one of the pioneers using design thinking and a strong advocate of the strategic role of design to innovate. This book is a must read in the field.
Strategic design. Giulia Calabretta, Ingo Karpen, Gerda Gemser.http://amzn.to/2ranSaa Personally I think it is the first book that formally gathers the existent knowledge about “strategic design”. It is an excellent compilation of key skills for strategic designers illustrated with clear case studies that explain the potential benefits to have this kind of profile within corporates. It has a good balance between theory and practice.
Design works: How to Tackle Your Toughest Innovation Challenges Through Business Design. Heather Fraser. http://amzn.to/2rMb6v0Hands-on book where Heather Fraser presents a series of tools to implement strategic business design in corporations including analyzing and building capabilities, but also taking into account the strategic implications and the fit of new innovative product/services might have in the organization. One key take away from the book is the importance of thinking holistically, looking at the ecosystem surrounding the product/ service to understand the whole user experience.
Design driven innovation. Roberto Verganti. http://amzn.to/2raCJ4y This book explains how design can help organizations to create disruptive innovation and a competitive advantage in the market through differentiation. Although most of the examples are from Italian companies, and it may seem culturally biased, the book goes through interesting topics such design meaning, design driven labs and cultural transformation.
Value proposition design. Osterwalder, Pigneur, Bernarda and Smith.http://amzn.to/2rMr0W2 After their worldly known “Business model generation”, Osterwalder and co. used a similar format to the highly successful canvas to focus this time in the design of value propositions. The book is a useful tool to iteratively play with throughout the design process. I would say that Value proposition design distils the basics perfectly to create a quick and decent version of a value proposition. In case you would like to read something more advanced in the topic, I really recommend Marc Meyer’s, Venturing: Innovation and business planning for entrepreneurs http://amzn.to/2rbD5YO
The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company. Steve Blank and Bob Dorf. http://amzn.to/2rMc3U7 I am not discovering anything new adding this book to the list, and although it is not a pure strategic design book, it embraces many strategic thinking in the process of building a new company. Media refer to it as the bible for entrepreneurs, and it is totally right, this book brings a lot of value to the audience. One of my key learnings from this book was “state and test business model hypotheses, verify them and pivot or proceed”. It sounds simple,but it is not! :)
As I said previously, this is my personal list, not in any specific order. I am sure you have many books to add, so I am looking forward to hear your favourite strategic design books.
If you are so kind to share this article, we will find more relevant books on the topic and we all will benefit from it.
Thanks for reading, I hope you like it :)
