Basics Product Design: Idea Searching

Where do great ideas come from? Linus Pauling said, “The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away.” Easy to say when your ideas have won the Nobel Prize—twice! How can the rest of us follow Pauling’s advice? Basics Product Design: Idea Searching lays out the steps—starting with “Question convention.” Why is something done the way it’s done? How could it be done faster, simpler, better? Inspiring visuals and case histories showcase a variety of product designs, some new, some old. Learn to think smarter with Basics Product Design: Idea Searching.

Summary: An excellent guide!
Rating: 5

Even though this book is divided into sections exploring the various stages of idea searching, the concepts are universally applicable in different orders. It can be dipped into to help with the development of ideas whenever they're needed. The book emphasises that to come up with design solutions, designers need to be constantly on the lookout for new experiences, influences and thought catalysts. To help with this process, the author offers different ways in which it's possible to `think outside the box'. Everything is important in triggering designers' imagination, and this book shows how to catch the inspiration and capture it in scrapbooks, sketchbooks and mood boards.
Finally the book provides a number of practical projects to trigger the imagination, which I've found very entertaining and useful. It's definitely the ideal introductory guide to the subject, which I suggest to anyone interested in innovative product design.