Do You Matter?: How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company

by Robert J. Brunner, Stewart Emery, Russ Hall

“Definitely, a game changer! Design experience is the power shift to our era what mass marketing was to the last century.” John Sculley  former CEO, Pepsi and Apple   “Great design is about creating a deep relationship with your customers. If you don’t, you’re roadkill. This book shows you how and much, much more. Be prepared to have your mind blown.” Bill Burnett  Executive Director, Design Program, Stanford University   “Design is the last great differentiator, and yet so few really understand it. Do You Matter? offers a marvelous series of direct, in-your-face observations and drives home the means to an absolutely integrated design strategy.” Ray Riley  Design GM, Entertainment and Devices, Microsoft   “This book will challenge you to ask and answer what arguably are the most important questions an executive can ponder today. So open up.”  Noah Kerner  CEO, Noise and coauthor, Chasing Cool   More and more companies are coming to understand the competitive advantage offered by outstanding design. With this, you can create products, services, and experiences that truly matter to your customers' lives and thereby drive powerful, sustainable improvements in business performance. But delivering great designs is not easy. Many companies accomplish it once, or twice; few do it consistently. The building a truly design-driven business, in which design is central to everything you do. Do You Matter? shows how to do precisely that. Legendary industrial designer Robert Brunner (who laid the groundwork for Apple's brilliant design language) and Stewart Emery ( Success Built to Last ) begin by making an incontrovertible case for the power of design in making emotional connections, deepening relationships, and strengthening brands. You'll learn what it really means to be "design-driven" and how that translates into action at Nike, Apple, BMW and IKEA. You'll learn design-driven techniques for managing your entire experience chain; define effective design strategies and languages; and learn how to manage design from the top, encouraging "risky" design innovations that lead to entirely new markets. The authors show how (and how not) to use research; how to extend design values into marketing, manufacturing, and beyond; and how to keep building on your progress, truly "baking" design into all your processes and culture.

Genres: Design, Business, Nonfiction, Self Help

236 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2006

Reviews

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This concept seemed important but it did little to explain past the obvious. Great design inside and out of your company sell more.

The book is built around small case studies and I do find these helpful when learning to strategize for a business. However, I begun to realize that Robert Brunner (Director of Industrial Design at Apple) includes Apple in every other case study. The book's title should be changed to "Why Apple is Awesome."

When Brunner delivers a case example the engines seem to be running in place; and after it reveals the better designed company of the two in the study, it stalls out failing to reveal how it applies to the reader.

It was a lovely book about Apple and how Apple is a designed centered company and why Apple designs it's products for it's customers, and how Apple sells the products with the customer in mind and how Apple runs their company, etc. Doesn't it seem a bit repetitive?

I would advise against this unless you're eager to read more about Apple.

[James Felkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book felt like designer self-flattery. I wish it did more to convince business leaders of the value of design and how to successfully invest in and integrate designers into criticism decisions.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest word on why good design sells

To create a company that really matters to other people, design a unique, positive customer experience into every aspect of your product or service. That requires becoming a “design-driven” firm, with leaders who understand that great design is the only thing that saves a product from becoming a commodity. Inspirational design turns your product into something bigger than the sum of its parts. To demonstrate this desirable design experience, authors Robert Brunner and Stewart Emery (writing with Russ Hall) point to iconic products, such as iPods and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Their passion for corporate devotion to design permeates every page, becoming, alas, weaker with repetition, and then getting refortified in chapter eight, which offers a solid method for achieving successful design. getAbstract recommends this book to managers since most designers already agree that superior, comprehensive design is good for business.

[Geoff Bartakovics · Rating 1 out of 5]

Does not answer the question posed in the title.
Book design looks great, reads great, feels great. Contents lacking. Proves the point that great form doesn't compensate for poor function.
I sense the authors wanted to write yet another book about Apple and the iPod/iPhone but were rejected; the examples of companies that "get it" vs. those that don't is so cliched that I won't bother listing them -- you can guess.

I will never get back the three hours I spent reading this thing.

[Joshua Trathen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read !

Love the references to well know companies and brands that use the discussed design language to appeal to their customers/consumers & cliental. E.g. Apple, Coca-Cola (Coke) etc.

Highly recommended for those user-centred designers out there who are in need of real scenarios, to reflect on from the past, where design has gone to/from incredible heights to complete catastrophe.

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good content, but you'd think a book so focused on making sure you pay attention to every detail wouldn't have so many design screw-ups itself. There are not only typos but some weird layout problems, especially as you get toward the end. Lazy editing!

[Amy Levitin Graver · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had such a promising title, but sadly, fell short of its promise. For me, anyway, it just didn't deliver. The first reason was because the example of how Apple runs its company was way over used. Apple, Brunner's former employer, was used in every single chapter. I understand that Apple is an awesome company built on a philosophy of being a design-centric business. And to be fair, the authors did use some other examples such as OXO and Whole Foods, however, I grew tired of the Apple examples because no matter what other company was referenced, they always came back to Apple.

Next, I thought the book would be more about designers and the importance of our role in corporations and society on the whole. It - (sigh) wasn't exactly focused on that. Instead the authors spoke mainly to CEO's in companies who make products. Not service-based companies or to professional designers. Just companies who make products. Leaves out quite a few of us, don't you think?

On the plus side, this book did give me several great examples of why design is so important in business that, okay, wasn't exactly news to me - but was put in such a way and packaged with a solid example (usually about Apple and Apple products) that I wanted to jot some passages down and share them with my clients if only to make a point that I would otherwise struggle to convey.

And that was the best take-away I can offer from this book as the "CEO" of a service-focused company or as a graphic designer. If you are a marketing director, I hope you will keep reading while I excerpt the best of the best - and save everyone a whole lot of time from reading this entire book (that's again, mostly about Apple).

Here are my notes, all excerpted directly from the book "Do You Matter?":

1. "Become brillant at using design to provide an amazing customer experience."
2. "The difference between a great product and a merely good product is that a great product embodies an idea that people can understand and learn about – an idea that grows in their minds, one they emotionally engage with.
3. "When it's all said and done, your customer doesn't care about your process. In the end, none of this matters if the design experience is wrong."
4. "Great products are about ideas; they are not just objects."
5. Effective design establishes the emotional relationship you develop with a brand through the total experience, to which a service or product provides a portal."
6. "Who are you? What do you do? Why does it matter? Would the world be a darker place without you? If someone took a poll today of your customers, constituents, followers, whatever, and asked if you matter to them, how do you think you would come out? If you ceased to exist tomorrow, do you think anyone would really care? In other words, has your product, service, or brand established an emotional connection with your customers to the extent that they are invested in the interest that you not only survive, but also prosper?
7. "Developing an awareness of excellent design as the connective tissue that defines and ensures an excellent experience for your customers is a vital key to the future of your business."
8. "Don't just play the game, change the game."
9. "Design is a living, ongoing process that has to learn from mistakes, refresh itself, and take new risks all the time.
10. "The idea behind Whole Foods is more than being a market. It is an informative, rewarding experience."
11. "Learn what you can change, because that's how you achieve longevity."
12. Oh, how I love this one: "If, on the other hand, you start by saying, 'OK, we're going to do this product - let's ask people what they like,' you wind up with the sort of mediocre outcome that comes of designing by committee. When people think as a group, they end up liking a bland type of product because that's what makes most of them feel comfortable." Raise your hand, designers, if you've ever been part of that scenario. I know, right? Design by committee = EPIC FAIL.
13. "Mediocrity is what you end up with if you try to make something everybody likes." Yes, yes and yes.
14 "Most customers have a difficult time articulating their design preferences. You can do far better by watching, listening, and observing."
15. "When your brand communicates well, you create a context of expectations. The product is emotionally prequalified before the purchase is made."
16. "There is still a gap in business culture, at least American business culture, of really viewing design as a business partner." True!
17. Another good one: "You need to believe that design matters, you need to believe that experience is important, and you need to look at the things that create great experience. We are talking about emotional reality here, and you can't put emotions on a spreadsheet."
18. "Look to design to uncover new territory."
19. "The core aspects of a design-driven company ... can be arranged to form the acronym FLAVOR. Here is what the letters stand for: Focus, Long-term, Authentic, Vigilant, Original, Repeatable."
Focus: on the customer experience;
Long-term: becoming a design-driven company takes deliberate practice and time.
Authentic: "If your slogan is 'We Care,' this had better be the case."
Vigilance: "It is also 'forward looking' as well as keeping track of what is going on around you. In a way, it's like continuous due diligence."
Original: "We apply the 80/20 rule. You want 80 percent of the market to love it. But you'd also like 20 percent to be challenged by it."
Risk: "You have to take chance to keep moving ahead. Try to balance risk with research. It doesn't mean that you can't cross a boundary when designing - it just means you have to know when you've crossed it so you can assess and discuss."
20. "The creative process is really hard to compress; it really is very difficult. You just need time to experiment and try things. Because when you get compressed, what you do is you revert to what you know."

###

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rather than providing measurable, rational tactics on how to use the utility of design to improve business success, Do You Matter articulates very clearly the importance of recognising and validating the more emotional and whimsical aspects of human behaviour. Design is ultimately about improving an experience, not merely about increasing utility and efficiency, and this very concept is not a comfortable idea for many business people to recognise and accept, as focus often tends to be inwards on how one can make a profit rather than how one can best inject value into the lives of others. The phrase "know thyself" is an apt summary of this book's ideas, and is a fitting philosophical observation on how before anyone is able to best provide a customer experience that will resonate authentically with others, one must be in tune with one's, or in this case, a business' core truths and motivations.

[Bart Breen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apple! (and some other companies)

"Do you matter? How great design will make people love your company" is a book that deserves attention first based upon the credentials of the authors. Robert Brunner, is a former Director of Industrial Design at (as will come as no surprise to those who read the book) Apple Computer. Since that time he has been a notably successful consultant with his firm Pentagram, which not coincidentally did the cover design of the book which is very distinctive. Steward Emery is a know factor as well. His former efforts include successful books as well as a strong academic and coaching background that emphasized executive team building and motivational techniques. Russ Hall appears to be involved in this project primarily to lend his writing skills which have been used to good effect in past writing projects many of which are outside this genre of business writing.

Based upon the collaborative efforts of these authors and their past successes, you would expect this book to draw primarily upon the design experience of Brunner, the leadership and management input of Emery and the polishing efforts of Russ Hall to help make the book understandable for the average reader, including perhaps the reader who isn't necessarily a business academic or design related executive.

In fact, that is pretty much what this book delivers. The title however, isn't completely accurate. Certainly the primary focus is upon product or service design and how it can either be just a component of the traditional product development, introduction and other lifecycle elements, or it can be part of what the authors term as "design driven". When the term "design driven" is used however, it means something more than just what you might presume. Certainly design of the product or service is the driving force, but more than that what is being referenced is a holistic, all encompassing approach that includes branding, marketing and making an emotional connection with your target audience.
Not surprisingly, given the background of Robert Brunner, there is an inordinate focus upon the electronics industry in general and Apple computer in particular. In fact, a quick glance at the index reveals that of the roughly 200 pages in the book, about 20% of the pages contain some level of reference to Apple. In some places the references almost feel like a mantra repeating and driving home the tie between the design process and the promotion of innovative and cutting edge products and services. Tied into this as well is what is more popularly being referred to as EQ, or emotional quotient elements in the marketing, branding and target population selection. Relevant information is given on all these areas.

This is not a "how-to" book however by any means. Guidelines are laid out certainly, but by definition, much falls into the category of the somewhat intangible. In fact, I was reminded in places of the sage advice of John Paul Getty to "rise early, work hard and strike oil." While not quite that trite, this book is going to be valuable to those looking for some inspiration to break out of traditional thinking. The contribution of Stewart Emery in this regard, is evident and it broadens the target audience beyond the CEO or Chief Design Officer of a multi-national electronics firms to include entrepreneurs of all bents.

For all that it has going for it however, some of the advice may well prove frustrating to those reading this book looking for things they can latch onto for their small or mid-size company. Sometimes the advice is as broad as just to hire outside consultants to get an outside perspective. Good advice, but hardly necessary in a book that some may have picked up looking for a little more specificity and yes, maybe even some step by step guidance. The closest the book gets to that is the advice (good as far as it goes) to build a culture within your company or organization to understand and move at all levels in accordance with the philosophy being projected here. Many reading that however are inevitably going to want just a little more direction than what is provided. Emery's guidance comes through in that context but the discerning reader is probably going to sense two sets of messages coming through and see some good general advice on the one hand coupled with some good cheerleading but then walk away from the experience wondering where to go from here.

A few side notes are worth examining. The book design and layout itself is a good argument for the message being presented. The use of bright colors, presumably expensive inset lettering on the cover and the high grade paper used along with the sturdy binding mirrors in a very subtle yet strong way the message of the book. Sweat the details. Over-think and do all you can to enhance the consumers experience. What would it say about the convictions of the author if their message about quality did not impact their choices and selections? This is a book physically designed to last and remain in your professional library for future reference.

It's a tall order to cover all that can be said on this topic. There's certainly a lot of value to this book and it's worth reading. Whether it will live up to the needs of those reading it, particularly those outside of the large scale electronics firms and service companies that are primarily focused upon, isn't completely clear to this reviewer. If nothing else, it's a good start to the conversation.

4 stars.

Bart Breen

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a small business owner it was a great reminder to keep focused on your core design and central concepts. It's getting dated quickly, but still held true to the concepts. Worth a read for any small business owner who is maybe getting a little lost in the weeds.

[Reinhardt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty thin. Let me save you the time of reading it.

The entire company should be built around designing the customer experience. Apple, Apple. Apple. BMW, not Starbucks. It hard to do and takes a long time.

That’s it.

[Leo · Rating 2 out of 5]

真佩服作者能把这么点内容写成一本书，罗罗嗦嗦言之无物。

[Carl Gauger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems to be a business book about design, rather than a design book. That is to say the target audience seems to be, in the main, non-design business people. Nevertheless it is a good summary of principles for a design-centered perspective, and well worth perusal by most designers as well. If that perspective is quite familiar to you you might just skip to the last two chapters, which summarize the whole book quite well and will save you a lot of time. If you are not I recommend reading the entire book. What is that perspective? That by creating products that people love to use--and would hate to lose--your company can survive, and will probably thrive. I.e., you will matter. If you are not doing this now, you must, and if you are, you cannot stop. How do you do that? By making design the center of

everything you do (or, in the jargon of this book, "customer experience supply chain management"). People will pay for things that they really love, that really work, that are deeply beautiful (I don't just mean visually), and that create real value for them and enrich their lives. These products engage them emotionally and command loyalty. If you think this perspective was just created by self-important designers to pat themselves on the back you should read this book. Oh, and by the way, if Apple looms a little large in these pages, get over it--they are after all doing a lot of things right.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so convinced that this was going to be a transformational read, but I was really disappointed. The author has great creds, and the design of the book itself is interesting. But where's the beef? It reads like it was tacked together from some powerpoint scripts and speeches. There are many assertions but no detail, many citations but no footnotes or sources. There are even some downright dopey sentences.

I decided to read it again just to see if I hadn't missed something, but booh. My principal gripe is that the author fails to offer anything material or useful that pays off his compelling subtitle.

[Aman Kohli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book, focusing on a simple premise for companies and products - if your company goes away will your customers notice and will they care. Some good examples are used - apple, of course - but also BMW, Oxo. And how design of the whole company and all interactions with customers can make a difference. Design should not be limited to just the products but to services, packaging, customer interaction, advertising.

I read this on the recommendation of core77 - http://www.core77.com/blog/book_revie...

[Leader Summaries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde Leader Summaries recomendamos la lectura del libro El diseño sí importa, de Robert Brunner y Stewart Emery.
Las personas interesadas en las siguientes temáticas lo encontrarán práctico y útil: marketing y ventas, atraer y retener a los clientes.
En el siguiente enlace tienes el resumen del libro El diseño sí importa, Cómo identificarse emocionalmente con los clientes a través del diseño de experiencias memorables: El diseño sí importa

[Matthew Pfahlert · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, I matter. From Publisher's Weekly: "Ikea, Samsung and Whole Foods are all given props, though highest praise is reserved for Brunner's old employer, Apple, so much so that at times this book reads like an Apple promotional product. Combining their knowledge of design, organizational structure, branding and product placement, the authors have essentially repackaged a simple idea: the customer's feelings matter."

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author lays on the love for Apple a bit thick, but the book succeeds in showing the importance of great design in the success of a number of companies.

The idea that a company's employees are also its customers is a good one. While it isn't an original idea, it's almost subversive in this age of outsourcing.

[Hunter Johnson]

Engaging and thoughtful, with many real-world examples and should-have-been-obvious-but-wasn't advice. Now, the physical design of the book could use a little work -- stiff cover stock and particular size made it hard to hold comfortably.

[Tim Bensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good anecdote based primer in design driven innovation (from the first head of design at Apple, Robert Brunner. He was succeeded by Jonathan Ive). Strongly recommended by Mauro Porcini, the head of design for pepsiCo and former head of design at #M and Phillips.

[Franklin Heijnen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspirerend boek over de kracht van product design. Bevat sterke cases over bedrijven die design en (dus) de gebruiker echt serieus nemen. Apple (niet te vermijden), BMW en Samsung zijn terechte hoofdrolspelers in dit boek.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brands are what the consumer thinks they are...not what the company tells them.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on wholistic thinking

[Ms. Bayer · Rating 1 out of 5]

A thinly veiled extended ad for Apple? Enough with the excessive flattery of this admittedly design-savvy company.

[Bayu Amus]

Interesting book on how great design could leverage your business above the competition

[Widgets &]

Only halfway through, but finding this book a little of a letdown... expected more insights from it.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend to anyone in PD. A great read with high-level case studies of some of the most interesting product launches (and failures) of the past decade+.

[Dallas · Rating 3 out of 5]

good stuff. wishing i had read back in 2012. not quite a groundbreaking anymore, but excellent concepts.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

"go Apple...."

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful for seeing how Apple and design-driven companies work.