Overview

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Glimmer, by Warren Berger, was published in hardcover in late 2009 by The Penguin Press in the U.S. and Random House in Canada and Europe. The retitled U.S. paperback, CAD MONKEYS, DINOSAUR BABIES, AND T-SHAPED PEOPLE: Inside the World of Design Thinking and How It Can Spark Creativity and Innovation, was published by Penguin in January 2011.

See below Warren's introductory video: "Why Glimmer?" or click here to listen to his podcast about writing Glimmer.

BOOK SUMMARY:

Design has moved far beyond million-dollar interiors and cool new typefaces; today it’s all about optimism, action, and unlimited possibilities. In Glimmer, written by journalist Warren Berger in collaboration with Bruce Mau and other world-famous designers, ten groundbreaking principles of design are shown in action—addressing business, social, and personal challenges, and improving the way we think, work, and live.

Through hundreds of anecdotes and interviews, Berger presents the history and future of proactive design in a comprehensive, entertaining book that takes readers into the studios of international design stars such as Dean Kamen, Yves Behar, Brian Collins, Paula Scher, Stefan Sagmeister, and the eloquent and unforgettable Mau. The book examines, up-close, the ways in which designers approach problems, utilize unique tools and techniques, and ultimately arrive at solutions. Inspired by ideas from top designers, Berger shares actionable and sometimes counterintuitive design principles such as “Ask stupid questions;” “Make hope visible;” “Work the metaphor;” “Embrace constraints;” and “Begin anywhere,” and then fleshes out exactly what each one means and how it can be implemented in business and personal life.

Business readers will be fascinated by how “transformation design” is reinventing and injecting fresh creativity into companies ranging from the world’s largest packaged-goods firm to a leading dog food brand, all the way down to a phenomenally successful regional bank.

Equally remarkable are the stories, large and small, of how thorny social problems can be addressed through good design, spurred by a new wave of young designers flowing into the global problem-solving arena. Finally, Glimmer captures the emergence of ordinary people as designers with stories of how singed fingers, wrenched backs, mixed-up pills, and an inability to wake up all led to ingenious and sometimes lucrative new product designs.

We are living in a time of huge possibilities, with more creative tools and global idea sharing than ever before. But we also face enormous constraints due to unprecedented problems such as climate change, strained natural resources, and economic turmoil. The time is ripe for innovative ideas and solutions, and Glimmer, which curates the best thinking of the world’s top designers, lights the way forward.