A historical narrative starts the book outlining four major ‘ages’:
1. Agricultural Age (farmers)
2. Industrial Age (factory workers)
3. Information Age (knowledge workers)
4. Conceptual Age (creators and empathizers)
The fourth stage is where Pink focuses and how businesses can be successful. Pink references three prevailing trends pointing towards the future of business and the economy: Abundance (consumers have too many choices, nothing is scarce), Asia (everything that can be outsourced, is) and Automation (computerization, robots, technology, processes). This brings up three crucial questions for the success of any business:
1. Can a computer do it faster?
2. Is what I’m offering in demand in an age of abundance?
3. Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
When these questions are present, creativity becomes the competitive difference that can differentiate commodities. Throughout the book Pink outlines six essential senses which will help you prevail in the conceptual age:
1. Design – Moving beyond function to engage the senses.
2. Story – Narrative added to products and services – not just argument.
3. Symphony – Adding invention and big picture thinking (not just detail focus).
4. Empathy – Going beyond logic and engaging emotion and intuition.
5. Play – Bringing humor and light-heartedness to business and products.
6. Meaning – Immaterial feelings and values of products.
After each chapter the book points out great resources that can help you develop these senses and further your learning. If you are interested in integrating design and business this book is a must read!
Jesse is a graphic designer who is passionate about developing business
concepts through the use of design. A graduate of the Design Management program at George Brown College in Toronto, Jesse has learned to bring business concepts to reality in unconventional but effective ways. After he receives his MBA, he aspires to become a business design consultant, bringing design thinking and practices into the corporate world. His favourite negotiating technique is the triangle choke.
“Design is everything, and everything is design. By integrating form,
function and design thinking & practices into business as usual, you can
create better products, procedures, strategies, and services which result in
a happier end user.” – Jesse Thompson