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The Business of Design [Hardcover]

Keith Granet
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 24, 2011
For thirty years, consultant Keith Granet has enjoyed helping design professionals turn their passion into profit. In his new book, The Business of Design: Balancing Creativity and Profitability, Granet debunks the myth that business sense and creative talent are mutually exclusive. The Business of Design: Balancing Creativity and Profitability provides all of the necessary tools to create and run a thriving design business - from billing and human resources to branding and project management to marketing and licensing- in one easy-to-use guide.

Inspired by Granet's own course on running a successful design practice as well as his experience guiding over four hundred design firms, The Business of Design is organized into six clear chapters interwoven with stories, the author's own experiences and life lessons. The Business of Design guides the reader through the steps of creating a successful firm, from the initial foundation of a design practice, to financial management, marketing and public relations, human resources, and project management. The last chapter, on product development, explores the growing trend in the design profession to develop products and bring them to the marketplace, allowing designers to share their voice with a larger audience. The Business of Design includes a foreword by M. Arthur Gensler and interviews with individual architects and designers who have made their mark on the profession, including Michael Graves, John Merrill, A. Eugene Kohn, Victoria Hagan, and Richard Meier. These esteemed architects and designers share the benefits of their experience as well as their own take on the business of design. A vibrant and enticing look at the business side of design practice, this graphically beautiful book is neither dry nor intimidating.



"Think it's impossible to make a business using your creativity? Think again! Keith Granet shows you how to make your design business a success. This book is a must-read for every designer."-Jonathan Adler

"The Business of Design is the essential guide about the design business. It's filled with invaluable information that covers all aspects of this often complicated and challenging business. Keith's straightforward, no-nonsense approach to finding success makes this a must-read for established designers or anyone just starting out. I've made this mandatory reading for everyone at Thom Filicia Incorporated!" - Thom Filicia

"Down to earth , common sense advice drawn from good old fashioned experience, Keith Granet gives the industry what it has been waiting for, THE book on just that. Concise, clearly written, this is NO textbook boilerplate. Trust me, you will underline. . . and feel good about what you do know and aspire to all the rest. READ ON. You will be referring to it often." - Charlotte Moss

"Architecture may be an art, but it's also a service profession. To become a good architect requires a passionate dedication to the creative design process. To become a successful one means also understanding that it's a business, a unique one perhaps, but still a business. Keith Granet's The Business of Design will help get you there faster, creative talent intact." - Marc Appleton

Frequently Bought Together

The Business of Design + Interior Design Clients: The Designer's Guide to Building and Keeping a Great Clientele + Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers
Price for all three: $65.31

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

Review

"Granet's book isn't about designing a room-- it's about designing a career-- or giving an existing one a better bottom line." --Veranda.com

"In an industry perceived more for its beauty than its money-making ability, Granet's book offers the first steps for designers and architects to start, as the title suggests, balancing creativity and profitability... The business advice he imparts could be applicable to any small-business owner." --USA Today

"Keith Granet's new book The Business of Design is especially welcome... His Los Angeles company, Granet and Associates, provides management consultant services to some of the best-known architecture and interior design offices in the country." --AIArchitect.org

"Mr. Granet has become to decorators what Swifty Lazar was to screenwriters and starlets." --The New York Times

"The book is truly encyclopedic, offering advise and practical examples... Interviews with five eminently successful designers (including Interior Design Hall of Fame members Michael Graves, Victoria Hagan, and Richard Meier) join the nuts-and-bolts information." --Interior Design

"A comprehensive and approachable guide to making a living while following your bliss... Filled with helpful (and attractive) illustrations and easy-to-follow advice tailored specifically to the needs of creative types." --Lonny magazine

"Asking yourself what you would do for work if you didn't need money can help you choose a career. But keeping your business afloat requires financial savvy. In The Business of Design, Keith Granet interviews architects Michael Graves, A. Eugene Kohn, Richard Meier, and John Merrill to supplement his own years of business knowledge." -- Architect magazine

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; First Edition edition (August 24, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1616890185
  • ISBN-13: 978-1616890186
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.9 x 10 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Keith Granet formed Granet & Associates, Inc. in 1991 to support designers in running their practices as viable and profitable businesses by providing strategic, financial, and operational management services. Soon after the firm's formation, Granet was working with the leaders in the profession to manage their financial and operational needs. In 1994, with an interest in licensing their client's designs, Granet helped launch the most successful furniture line in the history of Baker furniture.

Known as the go-to firm for licensing and management consulting, Granet & Associates has serviced over 400 design firms to manage, develop and expand their brand positions. Keith Granet is the founder of the Designer Speakers Bureau and co-founder of the Design Leadership Summit, an annual event that attracts the top design professionals from across the nation.

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
(11)
4.8 out of 5 stars
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This book is everything I hoped it would be and more. Elisa Garcia, Garcia Architects Inc., Architect  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
I finished the book within days of picking it up. Sean Saint-Louis  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A road map to profitability September 20, 2011
Format:Hardcover
I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of this book while in Europe last May. My first reaction was to possibly dismiss it as yet another book trying to bridge the gap between design and business.

I was surprised to find myself reading this book through the night. Each page seemed to resonate greater than the last. I finished the book within days of picking it up. "Lots of applicable material" I thought to myself (I have said that on numerous occasions once a book is completed) but then a strange thing happened, I began treating the "Business of Design" as a reference book; it now hardly leaves my side. Daily I find myself utilizing it as a road map to success. My business has grown stronger because of what I have extracted from those pages. I personally want to thank Keith Granet for putting on paper the words that I needed to read in order to elevate my practice. My only question is, when is your next book coming out?
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I've read on running a design firm December 16, 2011
Format:Hardcover
I've been a senior project manager for large architectural firms like Gensler, have also run my own successful practice, and have long awaited a book like this. This book is everything I hoped it would be and more. It gives detailed instruction on how to run an architectural design firm profitably and professionally. Much of the proprietary training I learned at Gensler is shared in this book, and many small firm owners would learn a great deal from it. It promotes strong business planning, organizational structure, staff development, and open communication. I am hopeful that this book will revive our noble profession which has become more and more commoditized by clients due to the fact that too many architects do not run their practices like professional businesses. I highly recommend this book for not only firm owners, but for employees who want to get ahead at their firms.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative Business Book March 8, 2013
By A. Matz
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
it's geared more for a full studio rather than an individual, but the pricing information and approach to projects was very helpful and the product design section was enlightening.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book February 26, 2013
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
It was in great condition. The content is interesting and easy to read. Assigned for a Grad Elective, Design Management,
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars This book reads as well as it looks! February 23, 2013
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great information presented in an easy to understand format with lots of useful illustrations and practical knowledge. It will help us immensely.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Design Professionals November 27, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I know Keith professionally and I had wanted to get his book for some time now. So happy I did! I've found it to be such an insightful & useful tool for planning the growth of my business and its full of clear examples of how to apply them. Kudos to Keith and his team...a must read!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book October 26, 2012
By Raffy
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
As an architect outside of the US, this book gives me a clear picture of how an architectural practice is in the US. I like how ideas and basic managerial aspects of an architectural firm is shown here. Also, this book is clearly aimed to us in this industry - the packaging and page layouts of this book are very well designed. Lastly, I think the interviews with some of the popular architects add great insight.

I do expected more information but at the price of this book, it'll suffice! I guess I just wanted to learn more.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars exactly what i needed July 15, 2012
By Hamda
Format:Hardcover
I am a designer, reading a lot is not for me! but this book is just amazing! directed to a designers mind.
the layout, the text, the FIGURES! everything is beautiful in this book and esp the information!
simple and clear steps to follow, totally recommend it for designers thinking of starting their own business!
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