Glimmer: How design can transform your business, your life, and maybe even the world Paperback – 2 Jun. 2011

The whole meaning of 'Design' has changed - it is now about being the catalyst of change rather than the perceived art of form and colour, and about identifying the unarticulated requirements of customers. It is the best kept secret that design driven organisations far out perform those that ignore it. Glimmer sums this up simply and intelligently. Buy this book. Then give copies to all your clients.

Despite one of the founders of "design thinking", Bruce Nussbaum, now declaring it a failed project (see here: [...]), I found this book to be an inspiring insight into how the process of design can change organisations for the better. Not just for designers, but for anyone wishing to make a difference to the world.

I have now lent the book to more business folks that are engaging with a design centric firm, or just engaging with designers. It's clearly written in an enjoyable style. No that the book is out of print I must repatriate my copy....

I love this book. It has inspired me to create and design and get going at making something better.It took a little while to get going, but persevere and the later chapters are fantastic. If nothing else, the ideas and stories that are showcased are inspiring and thought provoking.I'm new to this arena of reading so can't comment on how it compares to other books in the genre, but I really enjoyed this one!

Main focus of the book seems to be Bruce Mau and his approach to Design - of his philosophy re Design and its place in the world.The 'Glimmer Principles' are:Ask Stupid Questions, Jump Fences, make hope visible, Go deep, Work the metaphor, Design what you do. Face consequences. Embrace constraints, Design for emergence and BEGIN ANYWHERE.The book and the examples are built around these principles.There are basic entry level introductions to a number of frameworks and concepts e.g. Doblin Inc.'s five phases of a consumer experience: attraction, entry, engagement, exit, extension (pp 134-137).As someone who has been involved in BPR for many years now I could certainly relate to the principles referenced. Asking Stupid Questions and Going Deep are critical to any effort. I think current focus on lean processes in start ups also echoes many of the key principles, in particular Make Hope Visible and Face Consequences - in the context of maximising learning/ experimentation with the potential users of the solution.In summary, I found the book more to be an interesting introduction to Mau and a number of other Designers rather than a 'how to' type book. In this sense I found the title a little misleading and the book a little disappointing. On the positive side the book is a call to action for everyone to put on their Designer Hat - that design is not something limited to a small few creative types.