The Design Entrepreneur: Turning Graphic Design Into Goods that Sell

Steven Heller · Lita Talarico

Jan 2008 · Rockport Publishers

About this ebook

Designers are used to working for clients, but there is nothing better than when the client is oneself. Graphic and product designers, who are skilled with the tools and masters aesthetics, are now in the forefront of this growing entrepreneur movement.

Whether personal or collective, drive is the common denominator of all entrepreneurial pursuit; of course, then comes the brilliant idea; and finally the fervent wherewithal to make and market the result. The Design Entrepreneur is the first book to survey this new field and showcase the innovators who are creating everything from books to furniture, clothes to magazines, plates to surfboards, and more.

Through case studies with designers like Dave Eggers, Maira Kalman, Charles Spencer Anderson, Seymour Chwast, Jet Mous, Nicholas Callaway, Jordi Duró, and over thirty more from the United States and Europe, this book explores the whys, hows, and wherefores of the conception and production processes. The design entrepreneur must take the leap away from the safety of the traditional designer role into the precarious territory where the public decides what works and what doesn't. This is the book that shows how that is accomplished.

Ratings and reviews

This is red softcover book that's housed in a black die-cut cardboard case. I wonder why the designer included the case, which has no particular use. This book is for graphic designers, specifically those who want to turn their designs into products, and product designers. There are three chapters with talking about the general process of conceptualizing an idea to selling of the product. These tips on selling the product is good to know, but they are really general. Any entrepreneurial book from the Dummies series will provide much better depth, and be a better complement to this book. Further reading on the business starting is compulsory if you're really starting a business. There are many details to take note of. If you do decide to go into creating your own product, this book offers a lot of insights. They come from more than over 60 interviews with designers who have designed and sold their own products -- they are the clients themselves. It's inspiring to read about their success stories, to learn some tips and gain some experience off them. The number of interviews ensures that most of the business aspect to be talked about, such as distribution, business strategy formulating, funding and other stuff from the perspective of a designer. I'll recommend this book to designers who are thinking of selling products designed by themselves. My rating for this book is 4-stars because it's a book targeted to a very niche market. And even so, there should be more written on challenges and obstacles. Selling isn't as simple as the examples in the book suggest. Side note - I once drew a calendar, got it bind and sold it. Only manage to sell 20 copies but it's fun. It's really hard work. There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my library page for the link.

Simple, pretty and usable!

About the author

Steven Heller wears many hats (in addition to the New York Yankees): For 33 years he was an art director at the New York Times, originally on the OpEd Page and for almost 30 of those years with the New York Times Book Review. Currently, he is co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author Department, Special Consultant to the President of SVA for New Programs, and writes the Visuals column for the New York Times Book Review.