Perhaps you’re a few years removed from college, but let’s revisit that existential philosophy class, shall we? This month’s book report is on Do You Matter? by Robert Brunner and Stewart Emery, with Russ Hall. (Does anyone else ever wonder about the “with” credit? Is Mr. Hall an idea guy, a permanent house guest, the one who makes the beer run when the cooler gets low? It’s not clear here.) When was the last time you pondered your impact on the universe? Well, this easy read – it’s just over 200 pages but with absurdly wide margins and, hello, pictures! – is perfect for businesspeople who get value from blurbs and stories that help them look at their business through their customers’ eyes. And if you’re thinking this is only meant to be read by those with an actual product to sell, think again. Sure, design can be of a product, but also of a service, an idea, or a philosophy. And as with last month’s featured book, The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, this one has far-reaching application because as nearly everyone can all relate to the overwhelming power of cravings, most can certainly relate to the idea of improving the design of whatever it is they sell.
This book was originally published a few years back, which gives today’s reader an interesting perspective, namely looking back on the authors’ musings. Take their look at Research in Motion (RIM), the developers of BlackBerry, for example. “The folks at BlackBerry are obviously aware of the iPhone,” stated the authors in 2008. “If they’re being true to their own culture, they are also looking to the future and a design strategy that will keep their brand alive and vigorous in the guts of their customers.” Whoops. Is it fair to say that RIM failed at what’s termed here as forward-looking vigilance and continuous due diligence? Well, sure. It’s one thing to “own” the business end of the smartphone market, quite another to recognize that the explosive growth in smartphone sales was going to come from individuals and those who demand the best in mobile Internet access. More meaningful than reading an after-the-fact summary of a company gone off the rails is a prescient writer saying that RIM had better “continue to lead with design that is both authentic and relentless” and more importantly, that the company “cannot start to chase.” In other words, the authors knew what would spell the death of a device that many have sworn by (and, let’s face it, been addicted to) for years.