Creative Confidence by Tom Kelley and David Kelley

"IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of the bestselling The Art of Innovation, have written a powerful and compelling book on unleashing the creativity that lies within each and every one of us. Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the "creative types." But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO and with many of the world's top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers. "--

This book was a 5-star read for me because it's coming at a time in my life when I really need to hear everything in it.

I'm starting to have a really big problem with IDEO and the way they use design. This book goes straight in the path of “everybody is a designer”, dispossessing designers of their expertise, craft and knowledge to transform “design” in a form of doodling activity for bored executives. The examples goes only one way, this executive went to become lead design director, this one became executive vision director, ... but strangely nowhere has a designer been integrated into those companies after being stripped of all their work and responsibilities.

I just can't stand anymore this vision of design as a set of recreational tools for bored white collars that will then transform more and more designer as simple tools they can use to achieve their “grand visions”.

As for the promise of the book to propose tool to give you the chance to discover your “creative confidence”, you will find it in the last 20 pages in the form of some poor workshops, after 200 pages of ego stroking as it's a bit too often the case with IDEO.