Top Design Thinking Books to Use and Learn From

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stay current on design thinking ideas with this literature

last update June 2022

Did you know that there is a wide range of design thinking literature available that can help you improve design thinking and innovation efforts in your organization? reading can be a powerful tool to help you discover best practices and tools for success. here are the best design thinking books to read this year. These books can help you if you’re just beginning to understand what design thinking is or if you’re developing your own design thinking training or leading a culture of innovation.

You are reading: Best design thinking books

Do you want to learn to think about design in a more applied way? Consider online design thinking training workshops or a design thinking certification course as a more in-depth alternative to learning from books alone.

1. creative confidence

This book by tom kelley, founder of ideo and creator of stanford d.school, provides the key principles and strategies for harnessing our creative potential. An entertaining and inspiring guide, this book is sure to help you be more productive and successful in his career and personal life. find it here.

creative confidence book description (from amazon):

Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the “creative types.” But two of the planet’s leading experts on innovation, design and creativity show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative drawing on countless stories from their work at Ideo, the Stanford D.School, and with many of the world’s top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to harness our creative potential in our work lives and in our personal lives, and they allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. is a book that will help each of us to be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers.

2. change by layout

an old classic, tim brown’s change by design is an excellent introduction to design thinking and the collaborative process of designing for your client’s needs. Labeled a book for “creative leaders looking to infuse design thinking at all levels of an organization, product, or service,” Change by Design is sure to get your thoughts moving. find it here.

change to design book description (from amazon):

The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas come fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a rigorous vetting process through which great ideas are identified and developed before materializing as new offerings and capabilities.

This book introduces the idea of design thinking‚ the collaborative process by which the designer’s sensibilities and methods are employed to match people’s needs with not just what is technically feasible and a viable business strategy. . In short, design thinking turns need into demand. it is a human-centered approach to problem solving that helps people and organizations become more innovative and creative.

design thinking is not only applicable to the so-called creative industries or to people who work in the field of design. It’s a methodology that organizations like Kaiser Permanente have used to increase the quality of patient care by reexamining the ways their nurses manage shift change, or Kraft to rethink supply chain management. This is not a designer’s book for designers; this is a book for creative leaders looking to infuse design thinking at all levels of an organization, product, or service to drive new alternatives for business and society.

3. design thinking

Nigel Cross’s Design Thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work sheds light on the creative process and provides case studies of how amazing designers work to help you develop the necessary design thinking skills in your organization. The book offers key insights into this process from many different industries, written by a leading designer in the field. find it here.

design thinking book description (from amazon):

design thinking is the central creative process for any designer; This book explores and explains this seemingly mysterious “design capacity.”

Focusing on what designers do when they design, Design Thinking is structured around a series of detailed case studies of leading designers and experts at work, interwoven with summaries and analysis. The range covered reflects the breadth of design, from hardware to software product design, from architecture to Formula One design. The book offers new insights and understanding of design thinking, based on evidence from observation and research of design practice.

design thinking is the distillation of the work of one of design’s most influential thinkers. nigel cross goes to the heart of what it means to think and work as a designer. the book is an ideal guide for anyone who wants to be a designer or to know how good designers work in the field of contemporary design.

4. business design

Roger Martin’s Business Design: Why Design Thinking Is the Next Competitive Advantage provides a compelling case for why innovation and design thinking should be important in your organization. The author covers how leading and prominent companies from around the world have used design thinking at every stage of their business to produce groundbreaking innovations and build competitive advantage in their field. find it here.

the design of the business book description (from amazon):

Most companies today are envious of innovation. they yearn to come up with a game: change innovation like apple ipod or create a whole new category like facebook. many make genuine efforts to be innovative: they spend on research and development, they bring in creative designers, they hire innovation consultants. but get disappointing results.

why? In business design, Roger Martin offers a compelling and provocative answer: We rely too exclusively on analytical thinking, which simply refines current knowledge, producing small improvements on the status quo.

To innovate and win, companies need to think about design. this way of thinking is based on how knowledge progresses from one stage to another, from mystery (something we cannot explain) to heuristics (a general rule that guides us towards the solution) and algorithm (a predictable formula for producing an answer). to code (when the formula becomes so predictable that it can be fully automated). As knowledge progresses through the stages, productivity grows and costs fall, creating massive value for companies.

martin shows how leading companies like procter & gamble, cirque du soleil, rim and others use design thinking to push knowledge through the stages in ways that lead to breakthrough innovations and competitive advantage.

Filled with deep insights and fresh perspectives, Business Design reveals the true foundation of successful and profitable innovation.

5. hbr’s 10 must reads on design thinking

hbr’s “10 Must Read” series is back, this time with a helpful collection of resources related to design thinking. The collection focuses on the core topics and articles related to modern innovation and the application and implementation of design thinking, including contributions from “Design Thinking” by Tim Brown and “Regain Your Creative Confidence” by Tom Kelley. find it here.

hbr’s 10 must reads on design thinking book description (from amazon):

If you don’t read anything else about design thinking, read these 10 articles. We’ve reviewed hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you use design thinking to produce game-changing innovations and transform your organization.

6. design for growth

designing for growth uncovers the mindset, techniques, and vocabulary of design thinking and teaches managers how to harness the potential of design to grow their business. find it here. see also the design for growth field book here.

design for growth book description (from amazon):

In Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers (D4G), Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie showed how design can drive innovation and drive growth. In this companion guide, also suitable as a stand-alone project workbook, the authors provide a step-by-step framework for applying the d4g toolkit and process to a particular project, systematically explaining how to address the four key questions in your thinking. approach design.

The field book maps the flow of the design process within the context of a specific project and reminds readers of d4g’s key points as they work. The text helps readers identify an opportunity, write a design brief, conduct research, establish design criteria, brainstorm, develop concepts, create napkin presentations, make prototypes, solicit stakeholder feedback, and run learning pitches. . The workbook demystifies the tools that have traditionally been the domain of designers—from direct observation to journey mapping, narration, and storyboarding—that drive the design thought process and help companies align around to a project to develop its full potential.

7. experiencing design: the journey of the innovator

“Go deeper” with design thinking by experiencing design for yourself. This guide offers practical advice for the mindset shifts and competencies that need to be achieved at every step of your journey. find it here.

experiencing design book description (from amazon):

In one-day hackathons, design thinking seems deceptively easy. On the surface, it involves a seemingly simple set of activities, such as data collection, insight identification, idea generation, prototyping, and experimentation. But practiced at a superficial level, even the best design tools don’t go deep enough to create the mindset and skill shifts required for transformative impact. Delving into design requires more than changing the activities of innovators; it implies creating the conditions that shape those who convert. people become design thinkers by experiencing design.

Drawing on decades of design thinking research and teaching it to people with no design training, Jeanne Liedtka, Karen Hold, and Jessica Eldridge offer guidance on how to create these deep experiences at every stage of the design thinking journey, from for an individual, a team or an organization. for each phase of experience, they specify the mindset shifts and competencies that need to be achieved, describe how different personality types experience different types of journeys, and show how to make the most of team diversity. experimenting design explores both the science and practicalities of design and includes two assessment instruments for individual and organizational development.

Ultimately, innovators must be new to create something new. this book shows you how to use design thinking to make it happen.

8. this is service design doing

You know that developing a customer-centric culture is important, but how do you do this in practice? This ambitious read by Marc Stickdorn attempts to answer this question with a careful practical guide. You’ll learn how to run workshops, productively create concepts, and turn your ideas into reality. find it here.

this is the design of the service making a description of the book (from amazon):

How can you establish a customer-centric culture in an organization? This is the first comprehensive book on how to design services to improve quality and interaction between service providers and customers. You will learn specific facilitation guidelines on how to run workshops, perform all major service design methods, implement concepts into reality, and integrate service design successfully into an organization.

A great customer experience needs a common language across disciplines to break down silos within an organization. This book provides a consistent blueprint for achieving this and offers practical descriptions of each step, tool, and method used. you will be able to focus on your customers and iteratively improve their experience.

Move from theory to practice and build sustainable business success.

9. this is service design thinking

another great design thinking book by marc stickdorn, this one focuses on service design thinking. You will learn how to improve the customer experience and the interactions between services and customers. By the end, you’ll have a good idea of how to market your business as unique and exactly what the customer is looking for. find it here.

this is the description from service design thinking book (from amazon):

service design thinking is the design and marketing of services that enhance the customer experience and the interactions between service providers and customers. if you have two coffee shops next to each other and each one sells exactly the same coffee at the same price, the design of the service is what makes you enter one and not the other. maybe one plays music and the other doesn’t. maybe one accepts credit cards and the other is cash only. maybe you like the design of one over the other, or one has more comfortable seats. perhaps one’s staff are friendlier or draw funny shapes on top of their lattes. all these nuances are related to the design of the service.

this is service design thinking combines the knowledge of twenty-three international authors and even more online contributors from the global service design community and is divided into three sections:

basic concepts: describes service design thinking along five basic principles
tools: describes a variety of tools and methods used in service design thinking
cases: vivid examples for the introduced the basics with real-life case studies of 5 companies that delivered inspiring projects within the field of service design

A one-page “customer journey canvas” is included at the end, which can be used to quickly outline any service on a single sheet of paper, capturing different stakeholder concerns: e.g. customers, front line staff and management.

10. designing your life

This book will guide you through how design thinking can be used to design and build your career and life, giving you the most productive, healthy, and happy experience you can find. Using the same techniques responsible for the best products and technology, you will find your own path in life through this reading. find it here.

designing your description of the book of life (from amazon):

Designers create worlds and solve problems using design thinking. Look around you in your office or at home: at the tablet or smartphone you may be holding or at the chair you’re sitting on. everything in our lives was designed by someone. and every design begins with a problem that a designer or team of designers seeks to solve.

In this book, bill burnett and dave evans show us how design thinking can help us create meaningful and fulfilling lives, no matter who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. old we are the same design thinking behind amazing technology, products and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of contentment and joy, constantly creative and productive, always with the ability to surprise.

11. the art of innovation

tom kelley’s classic, the art of innovation: lessons in creativity from ideo, the leading design firm in the united states, provides insights from industry leader ideo on fostering a continuous culture of innovation in your organization and develop a more collaborative work approach. find it here.

description of the book the art of innovation (from amazon):

ideo, the award-winning and widely admired design and development firm that brought the world the apple mouse, the polaroid i-zone instant camera, the palm v and hundreds of other cutting-edge products and services, reveals its secrets to fostering a culture and a continuous innovation process.

there is no company in the united states that does not want to be more creative in its way of thinking, products and processes. In many companies, being first with a concept and first to market is critical to survival. in the art of innovation, tom kelley, CEO of silicon valley-based design company ideo, takes readers behind the scenes of this wildly imaginative and energetic company to reveal the strategies and secrets it uses to produce hit after hit.

ideo doesn’t believe in the myth of the lone genius working in isolation, waiting for great ideas to emerge. Kelley believes that everyone can be creative and the goal of his company is to harness that source of creativity to make innovation a way of life. how do you do that? ideo fosters an environment conducive to freely expressing ideas, breaking the rules, and freeing people to design their own work environments. ideo’s focus on teamwork spawns countless breakthroughs, fueled by constant give-and-take between people ready to share ideas and reap the benefits of the group process. ideo has created an intense, rapid-response, brainstorming, and building process called “the deep dive.”

In entertaining anecdotes, Kelley illustrates some of the successes (and happy failures) of his own company, as well as pioneering efforts at other leading companies. the book reveals how teams research and immerse themselves in every possible aspect of a new product or service, examining it from the perspective of customers, consumers, and other critical audiences.

kelley walks the reader through ideo’s troubleshooting method:

carefully observe the behavior or “anthropology” of the people who will use a product or service
brainstorm high-energy sessions focused on tangible results
quickly prototyping ideas and designs every step of the way
cross-pollinating to find solutions from other fields
taking risks and failing your way to success
build a “greenhouse” for innovation

ideo has won more awards over the last ten years than any other company of its kind, and a full nightly half-hour presentation of their creative process received one of the highest ratings on the show. The art of innovation will provide business leaders with the insights and tools they need to make their companies the top-rated, cutting-edge stars of their industries.

12. the design thinking handbook

michael lewrick, patrick link, and larry leifer’s design thinking playbook: conscious digital transformation of teams, products, services, companies, and ecosystems provides a modern, practical guide to design thinking and the future of design thinking. business. The book outlines applied design thinking in a variety of industries, as well as the tools industry leaders use to grow their business. find it here.

the description of the design thinking playbook (from amazon):

The Design Thinking Playbook is a practical guide to the future of business. By stepping back and questioning the current mindset, the failures of the status quo are highlighted in stark relief, and this guide gives you the tools and frameworks you need to start a digital transformation. design thinking is about approaching things differently with a strong user orientation and rapid iterations with multi-disciplinary teams to solve complicated problems. it is equally applicable to the (re)design of products, services, processes, business models and ecosystems. it inspires radical innovation as a matter of course and ignites capabilities beyond mere potential. Unmatched as a source of competitive advantage, design thinking is the driving force behind those who will lead industries through transformations and evolutions.

This book describes how design thinking is applied in a variety of industries, enriched with other proven approaches, as well as the necessary tools and knowledge to use them effectively. Packed with solutions to common challenges, including digital transformation, this highly visual, practical discussion shows you how design thinking fits into agile methods within management, innovation, and startups.

explore the digitized future using new design criteria to create real value for the user
foster radical innovation through an inspiring framework for action
bring together the right people to build highly motivated teams
apply design thinking, systems thinking, big data analytics and lean start-up using new tools and a fresh new perspective
create minimum viable ecosystems (mves) for digital processes and services that become, for example, essential in the creation of blockchain applications

Practical frameworks, real-world solutions, and radical innovation wrapped in a whole new perspective give you the power to consciously drive to new heights. From systems and operations to people, projects, culture, digitization and more, this invaluable mind shift paves the way for organizations – and people – to do great things. When you’re ready to take your organization a big step forward, the Design Thinking Playbook is your practical guide to a more innovative future.

13. the design thinking toolbox

Michael Lewrick, Patrick Link, and Larry Leifer offer another excellent book to build on The Design Thinking Playbook: Mindful Digital Transformation of Teams, Products, Services, Businesses and Ecosystems. This book is a toolkit of dozens of activities that you can do as a part of a design thinking project…with details on how to conduct the activity. The Design Thinking Toolbox is subtitled as a guide to mastering the most popular and valuable innovation methods. It’s a good hardcopy to have and you will probably pick up some new tools to add to your own design thinking toolkit with this book. Find it here.

the description of the design thinking toolbox book (from amazon):

The Design Thinking Toolkit explains the most important tools and methods for putting design thinking into practice. Based on the largest international survey of the use of design thinking, the most popular methods are outlined in four pages each by an expert from the global design thinking community. If you’re involved in innovation, leadership, or design, these are the tools you need. Simple instructions, expert tips, templates, and images help you implement each tool or method.

quickly and thoroughly familiarize yourself with the best design thinking tools
select the right warm-ups, tools and methods
explore new avenues of thinking</li
plan the agenda for different design thinking workshops
get practical application tips

The Design Thinking Toolkit helps innovators master the early stages of the innovation process. is the perfect complement to the international bestselling Design Thinking Playbook.

14. designing for people

Henry Dreyfuss Design for People provides a historical perspective on how his innovative devices shaped the cultural landscape of the 20th century and provides professional advice, case studies, and history to help you enhance your design thinking efforts. find it here.

design book for people description (from amazon):

From the first answering machine (“the electronic brain”) and the hoover vacuum cleaner to the ss independent and the telephone bell, the creations of henry s. Dreyfuss have shaped the cultural landscape of the 20th century. Written in a strong, fresh style, this book offers an engaging blend of professional advice, case studies, and design history alongside historic black-and-white photographs and whimsical drawings by the author. plus, the author’s unwavering commitment to public service, design ethics, and responsibility make this masterful guide a timely read for today’s designers.

15. making space: how to set the stage for creative collaboration

This helpful guide is packed with ways to alter your space to fuel creative work and foster innovation. From tools to templates, you can learn how to control your environment for maximum innovation impact. find it here.

make space book description (from amazon):

make space is a new and dynamic resource to activate creativity, communication and innovation in institutions, corporations, teams and schools alike. Packed with tips and instructions that can be approached from a wide variety of angles, make space is a resource ready to empower anyone to take control of an environment.

16. the design of everyday things: revised and expanded edition

Design doesn’t have to be complicated. Human-Centered Design is as much about usability as it is about aesthetics, and this book by Don Norman is a fantastic resource to consider in the process. find it here.

description of the book the design of everyday things (from amazon):

The design of everyday things demonstrates that good usable design is possible. the rules are simple: make things visible, exploit the natural relationships that bind function and control, and make clever use of constraints. the goal: effortlessly guide the user to the right action on the right control at the right time.

the design of everyday things is a powerful foundation for how and why some products satisfy customers while others only frustrate them.

17. designing experiences

This 2019 release from Rossman and Duerden offers a comprehensive introduction to design and design thinking. Using detailed real-world examples, the authors present robust frameworks to use for all design-focused projects. find it here.

designing experiences book description (from amazon):

In an increasingly experience-driven economy, companies that deliver great experiences thrive and those that don’t die. however, many organizations face difficulties in implementing a vision of providing experiences beyond the provision of goods and services. Because experience design concepts and approaches span multiple, often disconnected, disciplines, there is no book that succinctly explains to students and aspiring professionals how to design them.

j. Robert Rossman and Matthew D. duerden present a comprehensive and accessible introduction to experience design. they synthesize fundamental theories and methods from multiple disciplines and present a process for designing experiences from start to finish. rossman and duerden challenge us to reflect on what constitutes a great experience from the user’s perspective. they provide a framework of experience types, explaining people’s engagement with products and services and what makes experiences personal and satisfying. The book presents interdisciplinary research underlying key concepts such as memory, intentionality, and dramatic structure in a realistic style, drawing attention to both macro and micro levels. Experience Design features detailed instructions and numerous real-world examples that clarify theoretical principles, making it useful for students and professionals. An invaluable overview of a growing field, the book gives readers the tools they need to design innovative, indelible experiences and move their organizations into the experience economy.

18. inclusive design for a digital world: design with accessibility in mind

launch of this design thinking book by regine m. gilbert offers a look and feel with an inclusive design intended to be as accessible as possible to as many different users as possible. Find step-by-step solutions to improve accessibility in your own design thinking projects in this book. find it here.

inclusive design book description (from amazon):

what is inclusive design? it is simple. it means that your product has been created with the intention of being accessible to as many different users as possible. For a long time, the concept of accessibility has been limited to defining only physical spaces. however, change is underway: personal technology now plays a role in the daily lives of most of us and therefore it is the responsibility of the designers of applications, web pages and more public-facing technology products to make them accessible for all. our digital age brings progressive ideas and paradigm shifts, but they are only truly progressive if everyone can participate.

in inclusive design for a digital world, multiple crucial aspects of technology accessibility are confronted, followed by step-by-step solutions from user experience design professor and author regine gilbert. think of every potential user who might be using her product. can they be visually impaired? have limited motor skills? be deaf or hard of hearing? this book addresses a host of web accessibility issues faced by people with disabilities. your app could be blocking an entire section of the population without you trying or realizing it. For example, is your instructional text full of animated words and emoji icons? this makes it difficult for a visually impaired user to properly use an assisted reading device, such as a speech synthesizer, in conjunction with your application. In inclusive design for a digital world, Gilbert covers Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 requirements, emerging technologies like VR and AR, best practices for web development, and more.

As a creator in the modern digital age, your goal should be to create products that include all people. technology has increased, in general, the connection and equality of information throughout the world. to continue its impact, access and usability of such technology must be a priority, and there is no better place to start than inclusive design for a digital world

These important design thinking books can help you learn more about the design thinking process and gain valuable tools, knowledge, and resources to help empower your organization to creatively innovate and become into a leader in its industry. For more resources, check out our design thinking and innovation blog. if you want to dive deeper into design thinking, check out these other links.

resources for design thinking training workshops design thinking training online design thinking “train the trainer” facilitator training

Email us if you are interested in a custom design thinking workshop based on a recommended framework or book. Drawing on our experience leading design thinking sessions for over 100 organizations, we like to hear what you’d like to achieve and design a workshop for your needs, users, and scenario.

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