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Rating: 
Summary: The Classic of Industrial Design
Review: Henry Dreyfuss is among the top industrial designers ever, and here he shares many of the experiences from his industrial design projects, many of them dealing with everyday objects that we take for granted.This book gives insight on many of the thought processes involved in the face of the many projects where he had essentially zero direct experience in. His unrelenting focus on "Joe and Josephine" -- the human actually using the product -- has resulted in an array of user-friendly products, even before that term was used. He also covers almost anything to do with industrial design, or running an industrial design firm, including starting off, relationships with clients, payment issues, staff management, etc. This book would be interesting for anyone interested in design in general, or even the merely curious who would like to know why some everyday objects are the way they are. An easy and interesting read.
Rating:
Summary: Written in 1955; still relevant and insightful
Review: This book, written in 1955, is relevant today in the same way that Fred Brooks' Mythical Man Month has retained its relevance over time. I found this book very pleasant to read, because Dreyfuss explains his approach to design consulting in an almost anecdotal way without sacrificing the seriousness of the subject. For example, while discussing the importance of investigating users needs, he tells stories about having driven locomotives, spread manure, and performing service calls for the phone company. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the tone of the book lacked the kind of egoism often seen in books like this. Dreyfuss uses language like "we," "our contribution," and "the industrial designer," and includes examples of mistakes and missteps as well as good design examples. In fact, chapter 15, "Not by Design," is devoted to instances where the practitioners made errors and mistaken assumptions. I recommend reading this book; the design principles put forth transcend many years, and it is as entertaining as it is informative..
Rating:
Summary: Written in 1955; still relevant and insightful
Review: This book, written in 1955, is relevant today in the same way that Fred Brooks' Mythical Man Month has retained its relevance over time. I found this book very pleasant to read, because Dreyfuss explains his approach to design consulting in an almost anecdotal way without sacrificing the seriousness of the subject. For example, while discussing the importance of investigating users needs, he tells stories about having driven locomotives, spread manure, and performing service calls for the phone company. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the tone of the book lacked the kind of egoism often seen in books like this. Dreyfuss uses language like "we," "our contribution," and "the industrial designer," and includes examples of mistakes and missteps as well as good design examples. In fact, chapter 15, "Not by Design," is devoted to instances where the practitioners made errors and mistaken assumptions. I recommend reading this book; the design principles put forth transcend many years, and it is as entertaining as it is informative..
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