The Designful Company is the latest installation in an intriguing series of books by Marty Neumeier, who has also authored The Brand Gap, and ZAG.

I think it is quite appropriate that I write this blog entry on the heels of today’s historic Presidential Inauguration. After reading Marty Neumeier’s latest book, I will  think of Obama as the Designer in Chief….even if he did not use the word “design” in his inaugural address.

Each of Marty Neumeier’s books is described as a whiteboard overview, and in fact, the books are not your typical business book or design compendium. Mr. Neumeier (and I will refer to him as Marty, from here on) proposes big ideas in simple words that leave you wanting for more. I find that his books raise more questions than they provide answers…and it is my experience that they stimulate great professional dialogue and a fair share of stimulating thinking.

In The Brand Gap, Marty tackled the gap that exists between business strategy and creative execution…or, as he eloquently puts it, “how to bridge the gap between logic and magic”. In ZAG, he discussed the need for radical differentiation, advocating the advantages of zagging when everyone is zigging.

The premise of The Designful Company is that in order to gain control of a company’s future we need to embrace the practice of design. Of course, in Marty’s language  “design” is a very powerful transformational tool that does a lot more than just “styling”.  Instead, Marty’s design is about process and people and ideas driven by a desire to improve “performance” not aesthetics.

Within our business, I’ve always insisted that “design” has little or nothing to do with “art”. I believe that design is about creating purposeful change for the better…and I think that for design to be effective one must have a clear set of goals. In his book, Marty argues that the ultimate goal of a sustainable business is long term profit….and design is the starting point for a chain reaction that goes something like this: Design drives innovation; innovation powers brand development; brand builds loyalty; and loyalty results in profits.

Of course, I don’t agree with everything that Marty proposes…but there’s plenty in the book that I found to be intriguing and inspiring. For example, I loved the way that Marty re-invents the idea of aesthetics, and catapults it to an entirely new level that goes well beyond making things pretty. Marty’s chart titled the “Aesthetics of Management” completely redefines the meaning of aesthetic principles in terms of business issues…and I will definitely be using this in future meetings and presentations (and, obsequiously credit the author). In this chart “Contrast” deals with “How do we differentiate ourselves?”. “Depth” defines “How can we succeed at many levels”. And, “Focus” refers to “What should we NOT do?”.

Halfway through the book, Marty suggests that there are 16 “levers for change”…and that these “levers” hold the key to designing a new future for business. Apparently, you don’t have to use all of them…and they need not be applied in any particular order. I found that some are more helpful than others…but I guess that this is exactly the point: Marty is inviting us to pick and choose which to use and which not to use…and therefore become the designers he invites us all to be.

In summary I really recommend this book, however, I found Marty Neumeier to be a little misleading when he described his book as a “quick read”. That may very well be, but The Designful Company is far from light reading. It is a thought provoking, idea changing, extremely powerful book that will greatly influence the way I think about how design can change my company, the companies of my clients, and the world as a whole.

I’d love to hear what any of you think about this book.

Alfredo Muccino
Chief Creative Officer
Liquid Agency

Author: Alfredo
Category: Brands in general