All gone! 10 design books for sharing your "champion of design"

The nice people at JKR have gave 10 copies of their brilliant book "Champions of Design" to the first 10 people  that are now to give to the first 10  next 7 last 5 people who commented on this post and share their own champion of design. Just think about who you would propose as a champion of design and add it as comment to this post [For those lucky 10 people who have posted, please include your email, so I can forward it to Amy at JKR.] 

The thinking of Andy Knowles, the "K" in JKR, has been a big influence on my brand thinking, and I did a post on some of his key ideas here. Most important is the idea of design being about identifying and amplifying the visual essence of your brand, or what Andy calls "brand charisma".

This is a lovely book, with in-depth, highly visual case studies on 40 brands.

To kick things off, here are my 3 personal picks.

1. Hunter for their brilliant brand revitalisation, remembering and refreshing that made them famous, that I posted on here.

2. Pret a Manger, for building a brand on product quality and design, with no advertising, that I posted on here.

3. Paul Smith, who I have to admit to being pretty much addicted to, for its highly disntinctive visual design, and attention to detail

So, over to you... what are your champions of design? Don't forget to include your email in the comment.

 

Comments

[Slawek]

Concerning design as a whole, unbeatable champion for me is IKEA. All activities and elements of the brand are consistent and show outstanding qualities both in term of beauty of design and UX (which cannot be separated if you are seeking for best examples).

However, the king of design of all times is Dieter Rams. All his works are inspiring, amazingly beautiful and exceptionaly functional. It is not a significant discovery that he has also been a key inspiration for Apple team creating their product lines.

[Christoper]

I would have to go with Yankee Candle. I recently noticed this brand and it made quite an impression on me. It's amazing what can be done with such a trivial product as candles. Their attention to detail and product quality is admirable. The brand cohesion in this case is also worth noticing as it is brilliantly done.

[Aribowo Sangkoyo]

I love MUJI from Japan. Their design minimalism enables customers to experience "function before fashion" shopping. Muji's "no-branding" policy also suitable for people who don't want to look like a walking store sign.

Aribowo Sangkoyo
ribosa@ymail.com

[Mark]

I am a big fan of Apple, ranging from their product design to their packaging. Clean. Uncluttered. Functional. Beautiful.

Mark
mark@sallywilliamsfinefoods.com

[David Airey]

Hi David, I have this book, so I'll not participate (the second book in the series is also great). I just wanted to say thanks to Jim, who commented before me, for the compliment!

[trish]

my champion of design would be method.

they've successfully used product design to reinvent the rather boring dish soap category.

and are using design to extend into and reinvent other categories.

similar to some examples above they've also built a brand with little advertising.

dyson would be my champion of product design.

i do think it's helpful to look at design in terms of both the veneer and the function.

[David Nichols]

I too am a big fan of the clarity & directness of JKR's 'Brand Charisma' idea in pack design. Too many brands are just 'packs on a shelf' and not 'brands in my head'.

My design champion would be Audi. They have brought their vehicle design philosophy right through their business, even to the architecture of their showrooms. They manage to command a price premium at the top of the mass market in these tough times - a brand that knows it's business.

David

[Tushar]

Supreme.

Why do I like their design?

1. The brand name itself screams teen over-confidence and "swagger".

2. The designs normally feature an overall simplistic and clean design, with at least one feature which is "wild" or out of the ordinary. This can be a very simple shoe in a bright red colour. Sometimes it can just be a very simple design t-shirt or hoodie with a huge red 'supreme' logo right in the centre. no external noise.

3. Their collaborations with other designers are memorable. The Supreme North Face Jacket brought a camo pattern to the range. For the more audacious, there was also a green leopard print pattern. A similar thing was done for Vans canvas shoes. The result is a juxtaposition, which panders to the over-confident and fashion conscious youth that is the target market for Supreme's clothing. The stop & stare designs mean that Supreme's influence on pop culture has been able to infiltrate rock, indie and hip-hop culture

- Tushar

www.atoosh.com
atooshme@gmail.com

http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/supreme-spring-2009-canvas-shoe-1.jpg

[Oliver Preece]

In terms of a company, I would say Virgin Atlantic - they have rebranded and refurbished their cabins and provided attractive, fashionable lounges and extras as part of their product. The brand is unique and eye-catching within the airline industry and it is desirable amongst young people to fly with them.

Oliver Preece
- themaskco@gmail.com

[Jim Schuett]

I am a BIG fan of David Airey (logodesignlove.com and others) constantly a source of inspiration. Jim

[Mason]

As a recent college graduate always active and on the move on of my "Champions of Design" would have to be Nike. They are always innovating new ways to help me preform better. From clothes that will keep warm or cool, to shoes that will put an extra spring in my step as well as my style.

Another one of my champions would have to be Patagonia. For their innovation with social awareness and marketing. They are helping the world well creating a better brand. Also their designs are amazing.

-Mason
theclarknetwork@gmail.com