The Art of Innovation [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Thomas Kelley (Author), Jonathan Littman (Author), Dick Hill (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2001

Subtitled: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm IDEO, the widely admired, award-winning design and development firm that brought the world the Apple mouse, Polaroid's I-Zone instant camera, the Palm V, and hundreds of other cutting edge products, reveals its secret for fostering innovative, out-of-the-box thinking across the world of business. There isn't a business in America that doesn't want to be more innovative and creative in their thinking, products, and processes. At many companies, being first with a concept and first to market are critical just to survive. In The Art of Innovation, the general manager of the world-renowned design firm IDEO, Thomas Kelley, takes readers behind the scenes of this wildly imaginative and energized company to reveal strategies and secrets it uses to turn out hit after hit. IDEO doesn't believe in the myth of the lone genius working away in isolation, waiting for great ideas to strike. The fact is, as Kelley points out, everyone is creative, and the goal at IDEO is to tap into the wellspring of creativity among its employees. How does it do that? First, IDEO fosters an atmosphere conducive to freely expressing ideas, throwing out (most of ) the standard rules, and freeing people to design their workspaces and environment to fit their personalities. It is IDEO's focus on teams that has resulted in its countless innovative breakthroughs - the constant give-and-take among people willing to share ideas and trust in the group process, dubbed "the deep dive" by IDEO. In entertaining anecdotes illustrating some of IDEO's own successes (and mistakes), as well as pioneering efforts at other leading companies, Kelley shows how teams research and completely immerse themselves in every possible aspect of a concept or problem, examining it from the perspective of the companies they are designing for, from the perspective of safety, and from the perspective of consumers. IDEO has won more awards in the last ten years than any other design firm, and full half-hour Nightline presentation of its creative process received one of the highest ratings in the program's history. Total immersion in The Art of Innovation will provide business leaders with the insights and tools they need to make their companies the leading-edge, top-rated stars of their industries.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Kelley runs the marketing side of the hugely successful industrial product design firm IDEO. His brother, David, started the company in 1977 in Palo Alto, CA. One of his earliest projects was designing the first mouse for Steve Jobs at Apple Computers.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio Unabridged; Unabridged edition (January 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567403794
• ISBN-13: 978-1567403794
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,918,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Innovation, March 1, 2001

By 

John Allen (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Innovation (Audio Cassette)

Thanks Tom! We're just starting a new technology business and we're wanting and needing to create the sort of culture that you have at Ideo. Our industry is dynamic, so if we're not dynamic then we will not succeed. For us that means innovate - deliver true value to our customers - learn - innovate - deliver more value to our customers, in a continuous cycle. You have given us some practical ideas about how we can ingrain innovation into our culture as we grow. Thanks.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this Book, February 25, 2002

By 

michael & laura nibbi (Belmont, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Innovation (Audio Cassette)

I read this book awile back during a vacation and couldn't put it down. I only read no-fiction books and this one was the best I'd ever read. I've never felt compelled to review a book before, but his one was worth it. It was very well written, informative as well as inspirational. It made me want to go work at Ideo. Well worth your time.

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, October 7, 2011

By 

Mary Louise - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art of Innovation (Paperback)

A well-written book that, at times goes a little overboard with the IDEO-praise, motivates everyone to think a little more about innovation and how possible it really is. A great read for anyone considering product design in any industry.