Brand Thinking offers 22 short interviews with an astounding array of heavy hitters in branding, identity design, and related disciplines. It’s a fascinating and invigorating read. Millman coaxes the likes of Tom Peters and Karim Rashid into moments of almost shocking candor; Dori Tunstall and Alex Bogusky unflinchingly address issues of social and environmental responsibility; Brian Collins’ insights into Apple’s brand left me literally open-mouthed. Millman’s interviews are wide-ranging, but reveal surprising commonalities in addition to the expected differences; I was surprised, for instance, by how many interviewees, apparently without coaxing, associated branding with religion. (On the other hand a few ‘fessed up to making some purchase decisions on the basis of price and features.)
One slight drawback: experiencing the work of any of the interview subjects is left as a homework exercise for the reader; Brand Thinking is strictly text-only. It’s an interesting counterpart to more visually oriented books like Sean Adam’s Masters of Design (Sean Adams is himself one of Millman’s interview subjects).
needs more demons? No. I thought this book was terrific. Recommended for anyone interested in branding and identity design.
Needs More Demons Or Not 