The Design Entrepreneur: Turning Graphic Design Into Goods That Sell (Design Field Guide) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Lita Talarico (Author)
Key Phrases: design observer, type foundry, tibor kalman, Cataloging Ideas, The Design Entrepreneur, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book will survey the innovative entrepreneurial options a broad group of contemporary graphic designers have engaged in over the past decade, while also addressing the creative, fabrication and promotion issues necessary to bring unique products to the marketplace. It stems from the School of Visual Arts MFA “Designer as Author/Entrepreneur Program” (most notably, Deborah Adler's unique reinvention of prescription drug packages adopted by Target* and other successful alumni) as well as other well-known and up and coming designers who have created successful cottage and mainstream design businesses (i.e. Charles Spencer Anderson's CSA** image archive and Doug Powell’s HealthSimple*** product line). These firms and individuals have wed their designers’ talents and entrepreneurial spirit to viable products or lines of products.

About the Author

Steven Heller is the art director of the NY Times Book Review and co-chair of the MFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts. He is the editor of the AIGA online journal, VOICE. He is a contributing editor to PRINT, EYE, Baseline, and ID. He writes frequently for Metropolis and other design magazines. He is author, co-author, and editor of over 90 books on design and popular culture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Rockport Publishers (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159253421X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592534210
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #296,941 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is for a very targeted audience, November 28, 2008

By	Parka (Singapore) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Length:: 0:20 Mins

This is red softcover book that's housed in a black die-cut cardboard case. I wonder why the designer included the case, which has no particular use.

This book is for graphic designers, specifically those who want to turn their designs into products, and product designers.

There are three chapters with talking about the general process of conceptualizing an idea to selling of the product. These tips on selling the product is good to know, but they are really general. Any entrepreneurial book from the Dummies series will provide much better depth, and be a better complement to this book. Further reading on the business starting is compulsory if you're really starting a business. There are many details to take note of.

If you do decide to go into creating your own product, this book offers a lot of insights. They come from more than over 60 interviews with designers who have designed and sold their own products -- they are the clients themselves.

It's inspiring to read about their success stories, to learn some tips and gain some experience off them. The number of interviews ensures that most of the business aspect to be talked about, such as distribution, business strategy formulating, funding and other stuff from the perspective of a designer.

I'll recommend this book to designers who are thinking of selling products designed by themselves.

My rating for this book is 4-stars because it's a book targeted to a very niche market. And even so, there should be more written on challenges and obstacles. Selling isn't as simple as the examples in the book suggest.

Side note - I once drew a calendar, got it bind and sold it. Only manage to sell 20 copies but it's fun. It's really hard work.

There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A nice looking book that doesn't deliver, August 14, 2009

By	Kathryn Downing "grphcpower" (West Des Moines, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The cover and description of this book are misleading. It claims to be about products that sell, but the many of the projects in the book make very little money, or are even losing money. Some examples are from the authors' students and I would rather read about products/projects that have been around longer and had more concrete results. The design of the book is nice, and the photos are nice. The non-interview portions of the book are very general, boring, and don't offer much practical advice. The interviews themselves give insight into the creator's thinking, but most don't address any specifics or the process they went through to get a final product. I started out trying to read the whole book, but ended up just skimming my way through most of it. Overall, I was disappointed and feel like I wasted my money on this one. If you want to read about why designers decide they want to create their own products and how happy they are (even if they don't make money at it) then this is the book for you. If you've already decided to make your own products and want specific practical advice about production, pricing, etc. look elsewhere.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good starting point for designers looking to branch out, June 15, 2009

By	W. Mate "I love books" (Beverly Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Designers are naturally entrepreneurial, but relatively few of them have taken that road to success. This book, co-written by the prolific design writer, Steven Heller, is a good starting point as a resource for designers who want to take that next step. In fact, I do not know of any other book which tackles this subject, so it may well be the only resource specifically for designers.

The interviews with design entrepreneurs are interesting to read, and there is much to be found in the resource section, but I feel the book falls a bit short in providing the specific information that designers truly need. For example, Chapter 2: From Idea to Product is a mere 5 pages long and amounts to a checklist. It's a good checklist, but it skimps on specifics.

The chapters of examples from designers offer some greater detail, but you have to dig through and consolidate the vital information for yourself. For instance, if a designer says that he or she first had a prototype made, that is fine to know. But it would be far more valuable to additionally learn something about the person who made the prototype, and how the designer initially found that person.

The sub-title of the book, Turning Graphic Design Into Goods That Sell, gives the impression that the book is going to help designers learn how to do that. There are some good tips, but any designer hoping to turn their ideas into products will have to go farther than this book for more specific help.

I do like this book for the inspiration it provides, as well as the list of resources at the back of the book. Heller and Talarico have included examples and interviews from a very wide swath of design styles and experiences.