A KnowledgeBlocks Book Giveaway!

Over on KnowledgeBlocks (powered by 800-CEO-READ) we're giving away 20 copies of Design Like Apple by John Edson. Entry is open to everyone! So stop on over and sign up to win this impressive and timely book!

The opening chapter of Design Like Apple is titled, "Design Makes All the Difference," and in the case of this book, that's quite true. There are so many books about Apple that sometimes it's hard to differentiate between them, but this one presents itself in a nifty 8x8 size, with slick pages, and bright graphics. Like Apple products, this book just begs to be picked up and used. (View pdfs of Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 over at Wiley.com for a sense of how well this book is laid out.) The other way this book differs from most "about Apple" books is its focus. Certainly there are plentiful references to Steve Jobs, and a bit of a peak into the company itself, but John Edson has a unique intention for this book:

I use my experience as a design professional to unravel how Apple and other companies use design to their best advantage and how Apple and other companies sometimes fail to do so...and why. I want you to come away from reading this book with a good idea of what design is and what it can do for you and your organization.

[...]

I wrote this book to champion design and to encourage everyone in an organization to appreciate the power of design and to use it as Steve Jobs did at Apple--to create "insanely great" products and attain outrageous business results.

That last line is the intent that Edson successfully meets throughout: he proves that "design can make an enormous difference to a business" and that you, like Apple did, can improve yours by following these 7 Principles:

1. Design Makes All the Difference: Beauty, ingenuity, and charisma create a unique competitive advantage.

2. Design the Organization: Nurture taste, talent, and a design culture.

3. The Product is the Marketing: Great products sell themselves.

4. Design is Systems Thinking: Product and context are one.

5. Design Out Loud: Prototype to perfection.

6. Design is for People: Connect with you customer.

7. Design with Conviction: Commit to a unique voice.

To learn how to Design Like Apple, visit KnowledgeBlocks and sign up to win your free copy. The giveaway is open until October 4th.