A comprehensive new book by Roger Lehman, Emeritus Senior Affiliate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise at INSEAD, has brought the value of designing human experience into focus.
“Return on Experience” reflects the fundamental belief that explains the success of the world's leading companies: that all human existence has been the result of a progression of successful design outcomes, and that design is therefore integral to all we do.
Co-authored by Roger Lehman, a psychoanalyst and professor, and Tim Kobe, Founder of Eight Inc., the book dissects 12 themes that all professionals involved in the business of experience design will encounter. Themes such as risk, empathy, differentiation, and complexity. The human-focused insights revealed are those behind the iconic design projects that are yielding extraordinary business results—by first creating extraordinary human success.
These projects include: the Apple Store, a visionary innovation said to have been "obvious in retrospect"; Virgin Atlantic's lounges, aircraft experience, casinos, and hotels; and Lincoln China's celebrated entrance into the Chinese dealership market.
Presented in a question and answer format to give additional insight and context, “Return on Experience” will be at home on the shelves of designers and artists as it is on those of business leaders and educators. Far from being another treatise on the do's and don'ts of design or business, it offers a reflection on how we should see design, and how we can make sense of the things it creates.
According to Lehman, “Design creates that ‘instant impact’ and emotional connection between the company and its community. Businesses need to focus not only on the design but also how that design impacts the customer experience in everything they do.” He added that, “Return on Experience aims to inspire new ways of how businesses can interact with customers by applying innovative concepts that will disrupt current business beliefs.”
"Design is and always has been part of a conversation," says Kobe. "Return on Experience captures the dialogue that is taking place with the world's most successful people and companies. More than a single path, it reflects the beliefs and practice of the incredible business leaders, designers, colleagues, and collaborators we are fortunate to design with."
Roger Lehman is Emeritus Senior Affiliate Professor at INSEAD, a psychoanalyst as well as Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management. Through conversation with Kobe, Lehman contributes a systems psychodynamic perspective that builds on the concepts and ideas put forward. In doing so, he illuminates the role and impact of these concepts and ideas within organisations and society, as well as their impact on design.
Tim Kobe is the founder and CEO of Eight Inc., and founder of X8 Ventures. A design leader, author, and business innovator, he frequently speaks about creating value through design, leading creative teams, and how to bring innovation to business leaders and design teams around the world. A designer by training from the prestigious Art Center College of Design, he has won numerous design awards and lectures globally.
Eight Inc. is a global creative collective that specialises in designing innovative, integrated human experiences. Its 200+ business creatives and strategic designers collaborate across 11 studios, 7 time zones, and 3 continents.
Return on Experience is available to purchase on Amazon.com. For more information, see https://eightinc.com/.
