Designing For Growth A Design Thinking Tool Kit For Managers2011

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· 847 ratings · 60 reviews

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My expectations for this book were quite high -- I wanted the promised thinking tool kit for managers in a fun-to-read package as advertised in the book title.

I was a little disappointed. It is a good read, and the authors did a nice job of making the book visually compelling. I was disappointed in the depth of the content though. The authors presented what I felt was a very surface-level explanation of the design process. The primary "tool" was a phased approach to design that separated creativ

My expectations for this book were quite high -- I wanted the promised thinking tool kit for managers in a fun-to-read package as advertised in the book title.

I am struggling a little bit with the question "who would I recommend the book to?" It is generally well-written, and the illustrative stories are also kind of interesting. In all fairness, some of the organizing outlines are also useful. However, it is too surface-level to be useful to an expert audience, and it won't really help novice designers grow in expertise.

This book could be useful as a group read. For example, I could imagine a professional design group reading this book together (like a book discussion group) as a way to explore their own thoughts about the design process. For most everyone else, I would not recommend this volume.

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This is one of the first book recommendations from the Singularity University that I actually jumped on. Of course, I'm super late to this party. Turns out my colleagues in Design and Visual Communication have been teaching whole courses on this topic.

That said, it has been a minute since I finished this book, and I am ALREADY adopting techniques and behaviors the book relates and it all starts with these four questions:
What is?
What if?
What wows?
What works?

These are convergent divergent an

These are convergent divergent and once again convergent moments in the process of innovation. The best thing is, this structure can be more or less utilized in many many contexts - in no particular order: Art, Team/Personal Projects, Teams, Self/Business Improvement, Creativity, Education, Innovation, Immersion, Artificial Intelligence. Ugh…

I love that the authors frame design as a type of future thinking. That 'Innovation is born out of discontent,' in the same vein as 'Don't fix it if it ain't broken.' I immediately used parts of this book in an important email, and then utilized it on a collaborative team that I was invited to join! They're in on it- even though they shouldn't be, but I'm not the manager or leader so I figure inviting them to this process (as teachers) isn't bad.

The main takeaways:
-Innovation/Invention is all about visualization.
-Storytelling is key! (Supplement this with data.)
-Journey-mapping and Personas are ways to understand
-Assumptions help develop design criteria; but they need to be tested in a group
-There are tons of team building, mangagment, and interview techniques.

I'm sure there are more cool things… but you get the idea?

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Great book on the Design Thinking.

As a former management consultant, my dominant thinking is left-brained, linear, and very structured. However, through a 7+ year career post MBA, I found that I was weak when it came to generating creative yet business value generating ideas. I took up Prof. Liedtka's Coursera class on Design Thinking to supplement my arsenal of skills and found the design thinking approach in this book to be a great complement to my existing skill set.

The book is simple to read and understand; plenty of illust

The book is simple to read and understand; plenty of illustrative examples bring the principles to life and impart a basic understanding of how to apply principles to a real world situation. But as the book concludes, design doing is more important than merely design thinking so now to march forth and apply these in those situations which can benefit from a different problem solving approach than the B-school "case method".

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Dec 04, 2013 Michele rated it it was amazing

I'm reading this book for my online Design thinking class, am learning a lot from the course and forum thread discussions. I'm reading this book for my online Design thinking class, am learning a lot from the course and forum thread discussions. ...more

The modern business conducting methodologies have definitely changed the landscape of how the industry works today. The ecosystem of combining market research with lean management techniques have come a long way in minimising the scope of error across multiple façade of business zone, around the world. Who would had thought that corporates would become so customer centric that before even launching any product, the co-creation with consumers would become such an important point that they would i The modern business conducting methodologies have definitely changed the landscape of how the industry works today. The ecosystem of combining market research with lean management techniques have come a long way in minimising the scope of error across multiple façade of business zone, around the world. Who would had thought that corporates would become so customer centric that before even launching any product, the co-creation with consumers would become such an important point that they would invite a set of diverse audience to come and judge their product long before it's launch?

Such is the disruption in marketplace that 100% of the consumer product companies are monitoring each and every expression of the people testing their prototypes from behind the glass wall. So, essentially this is the new normal. And if this is the new normal then what would be the fate of innovation in future? What would an organization do to stand apart from the competition? How would they understand the consumer even better?

Some of such worrisome questions are being answered by the book "Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Tool Kit for Managers" authored by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie. Before hopping onto the book, it is my fiduciary duty to introduce the concept of 'Design Thinking' to people like me who had no idea about this technique before. Design thinking is a strategic and practical tool to innovate existing process and develop new concepts by using creative techniques to achieve goals & transform the future. In a nutshell, it is the answer to all the questions posted above.

For the complete review, visit: https://afictionaltale.wordpress.com/...

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F*** this book, why I even thought I should read this or it may be useful for growing as a designer? That's why you should add notes on "who and why and when recommended this" to every book you add to your "read later" list.

As for the book itself: just a generic description of corporate design process which pretends to be an innovative way of thinking about design at your company. But if you "know the difference between UX and UI" or/and work at a company which even tries to think of itself as o

Sure the ideas are not wrong, but they are dry, surface level, corporate and already generic and definitely irrelevant for anything that I do or might do as a professional. I'm too lazy to even continue listening to it in an audio format. Narrator not being the author doesn't help either.

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Great primer on design thinking

If you look up design thinking on Google images, you'll see something with a bunch of hexagons or circles that each represent a step in the process. That part is pretty easy to find. The not so easy part to find is what each of those steps consist of. This book will help fill that void, and will provide some tools you can use to complete each of the steps of the design thinking process. I use the word process loosely, because as with any creative endeavor, there is

Great primer on design thinking

I would mostly recommend this for those who are newer to design thinking.

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Feb 19, 2020 Andrew rated it it was ok

This is a decent overview of how to design a product with the consumer in mind. The authors don't clearly define "design thinking" but I think that's what they mean.

The authors provide a nine-step path for product development, from putting yourself in the customer's shoes to a soft launch of your product. They ask four questions along the way - what is (problem statement), what if, what wows, and what works? It seems like pretty reasonable stuff.

I finished the book without any strong takeaways.

This is a decent overview of how to design a product with the consumer in mind. The authors don't clearly define "design thinking" but I think that's what they mean.

I finished the book without any strong takeaways...

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Oct 12, 2017 Tommy rated it liked it

I want to like design books so badly, but I am having a hard time. This book started off strong by describing design thinking, but got really prescriptive, really fast. In retrospect, I'm having a hard time picking out novel and useful concepts differing from AGILE thinking and Lean Startup methodology.

I do think there are a few concepts in this book--a few tools rather--that I may revisit.

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Jun 18, 2019 George Velez rated it it was amazing

Whoa! What a deep study of a cohesive way to structure growth with a design basis. This is the perfect framework and set of tools any leader seeking true scalable growth should be using. Wonderful information and so creatively exposed. Loved the images and colors and the way the information was displayed on the pages.

Read this as a supplement to the MOOC run out of Darden. The subject matter was great, and the format helped with placing the learning into action. I felt there were too many stories, and many of them unqualified, and uninteresting.

Excellent primer for your first "dive in" in Design Thinking concepts. The book scores high because it is based on successful case studies of Design Thinking. I am sure you will be able to relate at least one of them with your problem. Excellent primer for your first "dive in" in Design Thinking concepts. The book scores high because it is based on successful case studies of Design Thinking. I am sure you will be able to relate at least one of them with your problem. ...more

Jun 28, 2018 Partha rated it it was amazing

I recommend that this book be read right after Tim Brown's 'Change by design'. When observed together they form a strong base for design thinking driven work. By itself this book is direct and crisp to follow. I recommend that this book be read right after Tim Brown's 'Change by design'. When observed together they form a strong base for design thinking driven work. By itself this book is direct and crisp to follow. ...more

Dec 22, 2018 Deborah rated it really liked it

Good supplement to an online course. This is just an introduction to the subject. But it does have some pointers and some tings I could try now at work. The authors suggest you start small until you get familiar with the process.

Very good, very complete

This really is an excellent book. You can learn from source of design thinking. The tools are very well explained, the home exercises help you to better understanding of concepts. I really enjoy the actual stories about design thinking implementation.

Sep 18, 2019 Satyajit Lele rated it really liked it

A great book, even if you don't have intentions of doing design thinking, the book offers quite a lot of useful tools and techniques which we can use in our professions. You need not be working on a life changing project, the tools and techniques are pretty much practical and useful even on a routine project.

This is a great read for individuals who are new to the design thinking process--It is short, clear, and explains both why and how to do design thinking. I am thinking about purchasing it as a reference book for work.

Sep 19, 2021 Stephen rated it it was amazing

READ SEP 2021

Well done piece that would benefit any manager regardless of function. My focus was on how design thinking can be integrated into learning and development projects. I believe it pares well will the ADDIE model and rapid development approaches for L&D.

Sep 17, 2017 Anu George rated it really liked it

some good tools on how to practice design thinking. Also liked the model of Design for Growth .. what is, what if, what wows, what now

Nov 06, 2017 Sertac rated it really liked it

There are very useful tools and tips for managers and designers who want to establish better relationships with managements, clients.

Apr 23, 2018 Natalia Rox rated it really liked it

A little dry, but the concepts are so important. Glad I read it .

I couldn't finish this. Perhaps I've already read too many books on this topic, but the material was trivial and pedantic. Perhaps if the ideas are all new to you this would be much better.

The book has many steps and ideas to follow. Thus, it is hard to integrate those ideas in the working.

Aug 17, 2020 Roberta rated it it was amazing

Good introduction to Design Thinking, easy to follow and great case studies.

Read review on my blog

Value for money
5/10

Year, Price, Pages, Cover design
2011 by Columbia University Press; EUR 25,99; 197 pages (with Appendix, Notes, About the Authors 227 pages); Hardcover
Gorgeous book layout by Daniel Lombardi, exceptional cover design by Noah Arlow, the exquisite reading experience

5 sentences about the book
Book is not about design thinking as such; it is not about design thinking "philosophy". It is supposed to be a book — "bridge" which allows managers to cross from the tr

Read review on my blog

Value for money
5/10

5 sentences about the book
Book is not about design thinking as such; it is not about design thinking "philosophy". It is supposed to be a book — "bridge" which allows managers to cross from the traditional MBA approach to design thinking. Authors apply design thinking principles in business: "What would be different if managers thought more like designers?"

Authors introduce four staged framework (1. What Is?, 2. What If?, 3. What Wows?, 4. What Works?) which is linked to four project management templates (1. Design Brief, 2. Design Criteria, 3. Napkin Pitch, 4. Learning Guide) and ten tools (1. Visualisation, 2. Journey Mapping, 3. Value Chain Analysis, 4. Mind Mapping, 5. Brainstorming, 6. Concept Development, 7. Assumption testing, 8. Rapid Prototyping, 9. Customer Co-creation, 10. Customer Launch). The framework will teach you to

- Explore current reality and framing the challenge (What is)
- Generate new possibilities for growth (What if)
- Test assumptions and refining and prototyping the concept (What wows)
- Enrol customers to shape it into something you can execute (What works) 178

The book is divided into sections that depict a particular framework stage. Sections consist of chapters describing a particular tool. Tool description follows the same scheme: definition, when it is used, how tool de-risk project, a few bullet points "Getting started" and quick homework "Try this at home".

If you are a non-designer and especially a corporate manager and if you've never read anything about this topic before, then this book might be for you.

What did I learn?
- In spite of what I wrote in "What was missing", I've learned that every invention and creativity starts with rigorous analysis of the current state. It is not a coincidence, that What is? stage requires the most work and tools.

- I've found project management templates, mainly Design Brief and Design Criteria, very useful during product prediscovery

- The last section, Leading Growth and Innovation in Your Organisation, reminds me of unnecessary steps and rules related to the change management process. When you want to introduce design thinking in your organization — the recap of pitfalls is very useful.

What was missing?
- This was certainly not light reading. I have had a problem motivating myself to finish the book. The last section, Leading Growth and Innovation in Your Organisation, returned me back to the game.

- (In comparison to the Sprint,) Design for growth is a toolkit that is much more complex and heavier to flip from "words and sentences" into practice. Yes, "Getting started" and "Try this at home" sections and many examples from real life should help managers translate what they read into day-to-day practice. But in my opinion, the book is in many places vague: it is up to the reader's interpretation and imagination how to execute the final step to the realisation. In regards to this "last mile" — how to prepare/facilitate workshops — Sprint is much more transparent and focused on details, so you have a pretty good understanding of the workshops' timing, prerequisites and inventory.

- To be fair, the book was written 10 years ago and many books since then build their wisdom on such pioneering guides as Design for Growth

- Unnecessary "wording" differences. Brainstorming is not brainstorming, but ideation; Mind mapping is not mind mapping (as you usually know it — a diagram), but "describe the process of extracting meaning from a vast amount of information" 81. And do not confuse napkin pitch with elevator pitch: napkin pitch is napkin pitch and elevator pitch is an elevator pitch. I would not be so surprised if these wording confusions are results of academic writing.

- Missing index.

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Jun 25, 2013 Synexe rated it really liked it

THE MAIN IDEA

This book is a 'one-stop' tool kit for managers wanting to utilize design and design-thinking in their work. From visualization strategies all the way through to product launch the book provides a how-to guide and associated frameworks and tools to help managers incorporate design thinking into all stages of their business operations.

INTERESTING TIDBIT

"Designing for Growth" was awarded 2011 Best Business Book for Management by 800-CEO-READ.

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW

Design thi

THE MAIN IDEA

INTERESTING TIDBIT

"Designing for Growth" was awarded 2011 Best Business Book for Management by 800-CEO-READ.

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW

Design thinking is a way of harnessing innovation within your organization. By using an open-ended process of analysis and discovery organizations are able to harness the creative aspects of their staff and end-users to ensure the suitability and fit-for-purpose nature of their products and services. This book provides a very concrete and concise introduction and guide book to utilizing these processes in an organization.

THE GENERAL OVERVIEW

Design is everywhere. Business schools around the world are teaching design as part of their curriculum.

The book is a few years old now but it's still the best book of its type out in the market. It's necessary reading in our firm with all new employees get a copy when they join.

The real strengths of this work are the simplicity of its writing style and the way in which it has been crafted to readily use-able as a practical 'how-to' guide for design thinking.

The criticism, if we had to have one, is that – like many other design in business books – it focuses largely on product innovation and production and the strategic innovation process without much detail or space at all being spent exploring how design thinking could actually improve the actual operations of an organization. This is a general weakness in the field as a whole though so we can't fault Liedtka and Ogilvie too much for this.

That said, that is where we think the next evolution of design-thinking is heading so it's going to be exciting to see how design-thinking is incorporated in the very heart of organizations.

All in all this is a great book and a great resource for all who are interested in ensuring that their organization is able to maintain their innovative and creative edge.

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May 12, 2012 Dennis Deery rated it it was amazing

This book is a good introduction to applying design thinking principles to business. While it's focused mainly on business growth, I think it can easily be applied to any facet of business.

Design thinking entails a set of skills different than what most business people use on a daily basis. The authors lay out an easy-to-follow set of steps that can be applied to any business problem. The steps walk the users through soliciting ideas from a wide-ranging group of people and using those ideas as

This book is a good introduction to applying design thinking principles to business. While it's focused mainly on business growth, I think it can easily be applied to any facet of business.

As a wanna-be designer, I found the authors' approach to be easy to understand, I can definitely see how I'll make use of some of their suggestions on my own projects.

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Awesome book, the authors really break down the steps of Design Thinking and emphasize the importance of starting with human needs (which is what other books miss) A lot of books talk about the value of having a 'Massive Idea' or starting by 'Thinking Big' but this book shows that it's better to start small and find a deep underlying human need to connect with and that you should observe current reality (What is) and focus on meeting genuine human needs. Which means so much.

I can tell the author

I can tell the authors really get what they are talking about because their own insights really resonate with the missing links and things which make sense in my mind.

Very practical, very insightful A+

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ِAn American strategist and professor of business administration at the Darden School of the University of Virginia, particularly known for her work on strategic thinking, design thinking and organic growth.

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"Observing, it turns out, does more than activate our visual perceptions; observed actions are mapped onto our motor systems. So if you are watching someone hitting a baseball, you're actually practicing your swing in your head. You are working all the neurological connections that you need to actually stand up and swing the bat. And so seeing can be a powerful enabler of doing (as well as a powerful enabler of empathy)." — 2 likes

"Storytelling is the difference between solving a problem and creating a cause. Lists solve a problem: Here's an issue we face, let's create a pro and con list about how to solve it and then pick the best option. A cause is something that ignites people and unites people. That is what a good story does: It creates a cause." — 1 likes

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