Book Review: The Design Entrepreneur

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.

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