Ideo Eyes Open: London (Paperback)

by Fred Dust (Author), IDEO (Author) "Sometimes it's about finding truly unique experiences in the worldyou'll find several described in this book..." (more)
Key Phrases: dinosaur hall, Brick Lane, Paul Smith, Exmouth Market (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Trust one of the most inventive companies in the world to come up with an entirely fresh take on travel books. IDEO, the world-renowned design and innovation firm, shifts the attention of the traveler and everyday observer from mere sightseeing toward looking—really looking—at their surroundings. City by city, each book reveals authentic discoveries at every turn. Culled from the experiences and observations of IDEO's designers, cultural anthropologists, and architects, this volume delves into the social, architectural, and epicurean scenes of London. Insightful, easy-to-use, packed with photographs, and presented in a convenient on-the-go format, IDEO Eyes Open rekindles curiosity and invites visitors—and residents—to see these cities with fresh eyes.

About the Author
Fred Dust is the global design lead for IDEO's Smart Space practice. He lives in San Francisco.

IDEO uses first-hand observations to inform and inspire the design of delightful and useful products, services, and environments.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811861732
• ISBN-13: 978-0811861731
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #285,206 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new way to see London, May 27, 2008

By	Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I'm posting similar reviews for this pair of Ideo Eyes Open guides, one for Ideo Eyes Open: New York and one for Ideo Eyes Open: London, because they were released at the same time and share a common approach, with some promise of more guides to follow in the series.

Ideo is a design and image consulting firm that has created this series incorporating some of its more general design approaches and hoping the reader will slow down and look at usual things in an unusual way: "It's really just a matter of getting out there and opening yourself up to it all." Both books are beautifully designed, handy in the back pack or purse, with some clever "for your comments" stickers to highlight your own favorites.

The firm made its name in designing products, including the Palm V, but more recently has focused on environment design. Fred Dust is team leader of Smart Space, the company's real estate division and the editor of this series. One of Dust's first projects was Dilbert's Ultimate Cubicle designed in consultation with Scott Adams. It featured a boss monitor, an electronic window, a fold down Murphy chair, an Aquarium module and a roll up hammock.

In their projects, the team the starts with a "deep dive," during which "Smart Space designers, anthropologists and researchers spend days -- sometimes weeks -- shadowing people to observe how they live: when and where they eat, what time they go to bed, what their hobbies are, how they spend their money." The Eyes Open website and guide books follow the same approach: they publish unique experiences shared by IDEO staff and friends, and offering site visitors the opportunity to submit their own unique experiences in text and imagery.

Here are a couple of examples from the London guide of suggestions:

"Instead of taking high tea at a hotel lounge, go to Coffee@157. The light fixtures in this coffeehouse, as you can see, are made of to-go cups. Outside, a yellow vending machine dispenses artworks for less than 5 pounds each."

"Crumbs and Doilies is a boutique cupcake shop in the Sunday UpMarket, which is a spontaneous gathering of people selling arts and crafts and playing carom."

I'm not entirely sure who these guides will appeal to; there is precious little of the traditional guidebook information about prices, opening hours, travel directions, etc. But the goal is certainly worthy: opening yourself to your surroundings while traveling can be a wonderful experience. I remember once sitting in a shady cave high above a canyon in Utah one hot summer day enjoying the scenery. Suddenly, I realized my body fit the hollow perfectly, and saw to my surprise that the rock had been hollowed out to make a comfortable seat. All at once I was engulfed in a culture several hundred years old, re-living the life of sentries watching for approaching enemies.

These guidebooks promise the same flashes of discovery, and so far they have delivered on a couple of occasions in New York City. I can hardly wait to try out this edition in London later this year.

Robert C. Ross 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars London as it truly should be seen, January 4, 2009

By	Curious Reader (Londonderry, NH) - See all my reviews

As an avid visitor to London, this book caught my eye as I browsed the bargain bin at our local bookshop. I took it home based on price alone, thinking that it would be little more than another look at usual tourist attractions. When I got it home and finally opened it, I was absolutely gobsmacked by the contents. Just fifty London places are included in the book, each with gorgeous photos and a brief narrative with a stunningly beautiful page layout. The opening line of the book itself is "Surrender yourself and admit that you love it." My answer is yes indeed to both the city and the book. The places that have been selected range from the familiar (The British Museum) to the more esoteric (Labour and Wait in Shoreditch). If a visit to London is in your travel plans, do not just take the Big Bus Tour and think that you have seen London. Grab this book and go to as many of the 50 sites as you can, preferably by foot or from the top of a local double decker. To quote from the book again "Trade in expectations for explorations".