Going into this book I was expecting an innovative read on how design can make a good company great -- what I got was a marketing book that talks about how design can work in a companies favor. No big break through, and nothing really any other marketing book wouldn't tell you.

The book looks at what makes people become evangelists for your company. Think of Apple and the iPod -- overnight Apple was able to design a product that revolutionized the portable music player industry. The book owes a lot of the success here to the design of the product, when some might argue that it was a combination of design plus a marketplace that was ready for such a product.

It's a decent read, and if you are into marketing something that might get you thinking more about design and presentation than most marketing books. However, it's not a revolutionary read -- merely an evolutionary read.

"Do you matter? How great design will make people love your company" is a book that deserves attention first based upon the credentials of the authors. Robert Brunner, is a former Director of Industrial Design at (as will come as no surprise to those who read the book) Apple Computer. Since that time he has been a notably successful consultant with his firm Pentagram, which not coincidentally did the cover design of the book which is very distinctive. Steward Emery is a know factor as well. His former efforts include successful books as well as a strong academic and coaching background that emphasized executive team building and motivational techniques. Russ Hall appears to be involved in this project primarily to lend his writing skills which have been used to good effect in past writing projects many of which are outside this genre of business writing.

Based upon the collaborative efforts of these authors and their past successes, you would expect this book to draw primarily upon the design experience of Brunner, the leadership and management input of Emery and the polishing efforts of Russ Hall to help make the book understandable for the average reader, including perhaps the reader who isn't necessarily a business academic or design related executive.

In fact, that is pretty much what this book delivers. The title however, isn't completely accurate. Certainly the primary focus is upon product or service design and how it can either be just a component of the traditional product development, introduction and other lifecycle elements, or it can be part of what the authors term as "design driven". When the term "design driven" is used however, it means something more than just what you might presume. Certainly design of the product or service is the driving force, but more than that what is being referenced is a holistic, all encompassing approach that includes branding, marketing and making an emotional connection with your target audience.
Not surprisingly, given the background of Robert Brunner, there is an inordinate focus upon the electronics industry in general and Apple computer in particular. In fact, a quick glance at the index reveals that of the roughly 200 pages in the book, about 20% of the pages contain some level of reference to Apple. In some places the references almost feel like a mantra repeating and driving home the tie between the design process and the promotion of innovative and cutting edge products and services. Tied into this as well is what is more popularly being referred to as EQ, or emotional quotient elements in the marketing, branding and target population selection. Relevant information is given on all these areas.

This is not a "how-to" book however by any means. Guidelines are laid out certainly, but by definition, much falls into the category of the somewhat intangible. In fact, I was reminded in places of the sage advice of John Paul Getty to "rise early, work hard and strike oil." While not quite that trite, this book is going to be valuable to those looking for some inspiration to break out of traditional thinking. The contribution of Stewart Emery in this regard, is evident and it broadens the target audience beyond the CEO or Chief Design Officer of a multi-national electronics firms to include entrepreneurs of all bents.

For all that it has going for it however, some of the advice may well prove frustrating to those reading this book looking for things they can latch onto for their small or mid-size company. Sometimes the advice is as broad as just to hire outside consultants to get an outside perspective. Good advice, but hardly necessary in a book that some may have picked up looking for a little more specificity and yes, maybe even some step by step guidance. The closest the book gets to that is the advice (good as far as it goes) to build a culture within your company or organization to understand and move at all levels in accordance with the philosophy being projected here. Many reading that however are inevitably going to want just a little more direction than what is provided. Emery's guidance comes through in that context but the discerning reader is probably going to sense two sets of messages coming through and see some good general advice on the one hand coupled with some good cheerleading but then walk away from the experience wondering where to go from here.

A few side notes are worth examining. The book design and layout itself is a good argument for the message being presented. The use of bright colors, presumably expensive inset lettering on the cover and the high grade paper used along with the sturdy binding mirrors in a very subtle yet strong way the message of the book. Sweat the details. Over-think and do all you can to enhance the consumers experience. What would it say about the convictions of the author if their message about quality did not impact their choices and selections? This is a book physically designed to last and remain in your professional library for future reference.

It's a tall order to cover all that can be said on this topic. There's certainly a lot of value to this book and it's worth reading. Whether it will live up to the needs of those reading it, particularly those outside of the large scale electronics firms and service companies that are primarily focused upon, isn't completely clear to this reviewer. If nothing else, it's a good start to the conversation.

4 stars.

Bart Breen

This colorful, beautifully designed book is more than just about design and how to market your product and service better. It is about a whole new perspective on life and how to approach every aspect of one's company with excellence. It is about listening to the people we serve and making a difference. The by-product is a seamless impactful success. Through company stories, I learned that everything matters and no detail in the process of creation is unimportant. It's up to you to keep doing it with consistency (no one-time magic pill here!) As a graphic designer and entrepreneur I found it very inspiring!

It reminded me of Ariel and Shya Kane and their Instantaneous Transformation book Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life and seminars, which support people in becoming experts in their fields by getting into the moment where all possibilities reside. With great skill, ease and fun they are excellent guides for managers and entrepreneurs; true catalysts for personal and business transformation.

"Do You Matter" took me a while to warm up to. It starts out mostly as an ode to the iPhone, and I have been bombarded by magazine articles, product reviews, blogs, emailed news summaries, radio stories and advertisements all waxing poetic about how the iPhone is so revolutionary. Not that these forums are lying or even exaggerating about the iPhone - it's the only Mac product that I own and it really is amazing. It's just that "Do You Matter" spends a lot of time in the first few chapters repeating what I have heard a 100 times before.

I will say that the list of products and innovators discussed expands after the first few chapters to include some familiar and perhaps some unlikely candidates. Unfortunately the products discussed are mass-market consumer oriented, and the companies are all mega-corporations. This can be a bit off-putting to me, as I work in a relatively small, business-to-business oriented company.

That being said, the overall point of the book is not any one product. Rather, the authors spend a lot of time discussing the principles of wholeness of design. To summarize, most companies tend to focus on mental silos. The accountants worry about cash coming in and out. Engineers have written function lists that cannot be strayed from. Marketing and Sales have their own views, as does the Customer Service department. Individually these groups all focus on what they need to do, and you cannot blame them for that. Unfortunately, sometimes it seems to the outside world that these groups are all working off of a different playbook. For example, you spend a lot of cash on a high-end stereo system. The sales man knows what he is talking about, and you leave the store looking forward to getting it delivered and installed. Unfortunately the guy who shows up is an imbecile who shows up late, doesn't have all the wires he needs and has no idea how to hook up the stereo to your high def television. Then the accounting people pester you about a past due charge that was not disclosed to you before hand. You end up with a terrible feeling about the company that sold you the system, and maybe you even end up not enjoying your stereo system as a result of the experience.

It's a perspective that I sometimes forget about in the midst of hectic days and tangible challenges. What it is like for a customer to do business with THE COMPANY as a whole. What it is like at every interaction point? Where can we improve these interactions and who is responsible for managing such a high-level review?

That's where a book like this comes in handy. Even if you don't care about the individual products, even if your company is not a Fortune 500 monolith, even if you're not designing new products for consumer use, it's always useful to force yourself to adapt a different perspective on your company AND your customers. This book made me do this and we have had a couple of successes as a result of small tweaks I made to our systems.

On one hand, this book's overall goal is one that I appreciate and believe is important. On the other hand, as a person working in a relatively small company, I wish that there were more examples that I could personally relate to. As ratings are deeply personal, I need to go with my own biases and give it 3 stars. That means that it met expectations - I am a believer in tough grading, and to get a 4 you need to exceed expectations. It's times like these that I wish that I could give half-star ratings. It would give it 3.5 stars if I could.

I like this book. It is an easy read. It especially helps those who could care less about design understand why "design" is important and critical to the world. In other words, this might not be anything new for those who are in the industry and already understand the concept that design means "customer's whole experience."