Overview of Review: Morgen Witzel of the London Financial Times read and reviewed the book “The Design of Business”. The original article was picked up by the LA Times and reprinted.
Thoughts on this Review: It seems a bit odd to review a book review, but it seemed important to offer an opinion in this case.. Overall, Witzel seems to give a pretty solid overview of the book. However, in what seems to be an attempt to belittle the Design Thinking process that the book outlines, Witzel says that this is a rehash of old concepts that date back to the 1800’s. I assume (maybe incorrectly) that Morgen Witzel has read the book that he references, but I do not agree with the comparison and conclusion. I have included a link to the book in the article below for those of you who have A LOT of time to read pages of very detailed manufacturing issues. The concept that Babbage introduced in that book was one of strict and detailed systematic analysis – not design as Martin makes the case for in his book.While Morgan Witzel is a very respected historian and business author, I think the “added” information in the review takes away from his credibility as a reviewer on this topic.
What makes innovation work isn’t really a mystery…
The idea that a systematic approach to design is key to success isn’t as novel as ‘The Design of Business’ may make it seem — the concept was introduced in the 1800s. Still, the book is worth a read.
How McDonald’s Corp. got its start is discussed in “The Design of Business.” In the 1950s, the McDonald brothers figured out what American families wanted to eat when they went out for the evening: a simple, quick and tasty meal. (Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times / March 12, 2009)
By Morgen Witzel November 9, 2009
What distinguishes truly innovative businesses?
Over the years, we have been told that innovative companies master the art of knowledge management; focus on their core competencies; get close to and listen to customers; have a long-term strategy for innovation and invest in the future; or are superior in identifying disruptive technologies.
Now, in “The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking Is the Next Competitive Advantage” comes a new idea, or what purports to be one. Roger L. Martin, dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, argues that the key to success is design, or what he calls “design thinking.”
This attempts to harness the creative talents within a business and give them a focus toward a goal. Traditionally, says Martin, businesses have relied on one of two models of creative thinking. (more…)
Overview of Video: Roger Martin, dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, talks with BusinessWeek about the design approach to solving problems and how to apply it to recent events, including the financial crisis. Thoughts on this Video: Martins’ definition of Design Thinking hit me as odd initially, by made more sense as the interview progressed. I don’t always think Design Thinking has to create a “model”. However, his definition may be more suited to the business world than some others.
How McDonald’s Corp. got its start is discussed in “The Design of Business.” In the 1950s, the McDonald brothers figured out what American families wanted to eat when they went out for the evening: a simple, quick and tasty meal.