There are technical books that explain step by step how to carry out some activity or how to sell a specific service. Personally I have always preferred inspirational books, the ones that make you think and set ideas in motion. Then it will be up to us to choose what to do, if and how. In this regard, I reflected on which books had most influenced some of my recent thoughts. Thinking about it I came up with 3 books that improved my work as a designer. These 3 books inspired me, informed me and gave me access to privileged points of view. To sum up each book in one word, the first one is about work, the second one about color, the third about objects.
Oversubscribed
Oversubscribed, by Daniel Priestley, published by Capstone. The book teaches how to think big. Daniel Priestley helps us create demand that exceeds supply, stand out even in super crowded markets and increase profits through our business. He also focuses on events and how to build a successful team. Oversubscribed is not the classic reading of the American guru who explains how to make money, but indicates interesting reflections from which to take inspiration.
Plus: Daniel Priestley is an entrepreneur, world bestselling author, and a good example of strategic marketing. A second edition of Oversubscribed was also released in February 2020.
Cromorama
Cromorama, by Riccardo Falcinelli, published by Giulio Einaudi Editore. The book tells us about how color has changed our perceptions, investigating the world of painting, literature, movies, comics and everyday objects. The nearly 500 pages of Cromorama are enriched by 400 images, which explain the various concepts of color over time. From why yellow pencils are the ones that sell the most to how the mantle of the Virgin Mary from black as a sign of mourning is then became blue. A journey that enriches and explains how much technological evolution has changed the way we look at things.
Plus: Riccardo Falcinelli is a designer and a design theorist. His books are treasures of knowledge, very precise and detailed, capable of being interesting even to those who are not strictly involved in design. His pen is extraordinary, which is why I recommend that you also follow him on his Facebook page.
Tante care cose
Tante care cose, by Chiara Alessi, with illustrations by Paolo D’Altan, published by Longanesi.
«Things are concentrates of stories, memories, smells, affects, transitions, memories. When we lose an object, we lose a piece of the past». Things, objects, are also and above all stories. And Chiara Alessi told 74 of them, each dedicated to a different object. Among the pages of this book, which can be read not following the order in which it was written, but also choosing a story at will, the human aspect of those who thought, designed, created the objects emerges. And “tante care cose” is also the most serene form of wish (in Italian) that we should have in days like these.
Plus: Chiara Alessi, direct descendant of the Bialetti and Alessi families, is a connoisseur of design. Her way of spreading the culture and history of design fascinates many readers. In the 2020 lockdown, on Twitter, she launched the #designinpigiama hashtag. Over ninety episodes of historical details, curiosities, graphics and personal anecdotes related to the wide world of design. Her point of view is a reliable, precise and very pleasant voice.
