[Review] X: The Experience When Business Meets Design by Brian Solis
First off this book is gorgeous. The design, which is intentional, is so well done – it’s captivating. It’s hard not to pick it up and read it. Then you add the expertise that Brian Solis brings to the table and you have a bible of customer experience and how to make customers happy.
Brian Solis is a world renowned marketer, thinker, speaker, and author. His other books are all must reads. His two previous books, What’s The Future of Business? and The End of Business as Usual, are books that should be on any business or MBA students’ reading list.
I’ve had the pleasure of talking with Brian on a number of occasions, through social media and via podcasts. He is charming and very approachable. This is exactly what his new book, X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, instills in its readers.
The book was designed by the San Francisco advertising firm Mekanism and the design of the book, as I stated before, is truly a piece of art.
In the X, Solis talks about how it’s important for brands to know how your customers experience your brand online. You want them to have a good impression and say good things about your brand. But do you really know what is being said?
“Without defining experiences, brands will become victim to whatever people feel and share,” writes Solis. “In an always-on world where everyone is a connected to information and also one another, customer experience is your brand.”
Solis couldn’t have stated it better. One bad impression can lead to a waterfall of bad publicity and unwanted attention. But on the other hand, one great impression can build a business and lead to immense success. By having a fine-tuned and optimized customer experience, you can get a better handle on how you’re viewed in the market.
One of the best thing about his book, besides the immense wisdom that Solis brings to the table, are the bite sized chucks of knowledge at the start of each section.
For example here are some of my favorites:
“Comfort With The Old Must Make Way For The Thrill Of The New”
“If You Empathize With Customers, What You’ll See Through Their Eyes Will Surprise You”
“To Design Experiences You Must Experience The Journey For Yourself”
As stated before, this book should be on every business and MBA student’s reading list. Even at $30 USD and $36 CAN, it’s a must buy. Check out some of the reviews on Amazon (also Amazon currently has it for less than $17 USD).
To conclude, if you’re unaware of Brian Solis, or haven’t read his books, this book is a great start. Get reading!
Have you read the book? What do you think about it? Post your thoughts in the comments below.