It’s been a few weeks since summer’s officially kicked off, but no matter what stage your product design project is in, it never hurts to take a bit of a breather. Of course that’s always easier to do when you’ve got an all-star product design company like MAKO Design backing you up.
Taking a beat, especially when the season changes, doesn’t have to mean derailing your productivity. You can use the time to relax, clear your mind, but also to dig deeper into concepts or ideas we’re already interested in. We previously listed out some insightful design podcasts you should tune into. Now we’re going old school with a summer reading list curated by everyone at our product design company. So sit back, put your feet up, have a cold beverage handy, and dive right in.
For Product Design Ideas and Concepts
The Design of Everyday Things – There’s a reason this is top of the list for our product design company. Don Norman is one of the originators of user-focused design, and his book zeroes in on the concepts and ideas that differentiate the products that have made a big impact, and those that haven’t.
One of our favorites at our product design company.
The Laws of Simplicity – Influential designer and technologist, John Maeda, outlines just how much drilling down an idea to its simplest form can help it succeed. You can read most of this one online, free of charge. This also follows our product design company’s moto: Brilliantly Simple Design.
Don’t Make Me Think – Steve Krug’s advice on web usability might seem out of place in the context of product design, but his basic principles can still be applied. Especially considering the amount of products (IoT designers, we’re looking at you) that include digital interfaces or use companion software. Krug’s work is accessible and has a lot of personality, making it an engaging read and a popular one at our product design company.
A little taste of the design-candy from Look Inside that we love.
For Extra Product Design Fun
Look Inside – Maybe a bit too big of a book to carry to the beach with you, this one’s all about the visual. Complete with striking illustrations and photographs that show what’s happening inside some iconic designs and architectural innovations. This is definitely more like design eye-candy.
Article Author: MAKO Design + Invent
Company Team
MAKO Design + Invent is a full-service consumer product development firm servicing both high-growth corporate manufacturers and invention startups. With a 25-person team across 3 offices (Austin, England, Toronto), MAKO has complete in-house industrial design, mechanical Engineering, and electrical engineering design and prototyping services. To assist our start-up inventor clients, we also have a subsidiary branch called Mako Invent that, in addition to above, helps start-ups with patenting, strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. For our corporate clients, MAKO Design develops world-class consumer electronics designs through our industrial, mechanical, and electrical design teams.
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