Creative Selection by Ken Kocienda

An inside look at Apple's design process from a former engineer who worked on the original iPhone and iPad, revealing how Apple creates its groundbreaking products.

Key Concepts

• Creative Selection: An iterative demo-driven process for refining ideas and products
• Seven Essential Elements: Inspiration, collaboration, craft, diligence, decisiveness, taste, and empathy
• Demo-Driven Development: Using working prototypes to validate ideas early and often
• Intersection of Liberal Arts and Technology: Combining technical excellence with human-centered design

Personal Takeaways

Kocienda's description of Apple's iterative design process has significantly influenced my approach to product development. I've adopted the practice of creating working demos early to test ideas rather than spending time on lengthy specifications. This has helped our team at 5X make faster, more confident decisions about product direction.

Practical Applications

The principle of "making the smallest thing that will do" has been invaluable in my work. By focusing on core functionality first and perfecting it before adding complexity, we've been able to deliver more focused, higher-quality features. I've also implemented a simplified version of the demo review process described in the book for our feature development.

Recommendation

Essential reading for anyone involved in product design or software development. It provides rare insight into how one of the world's most successful companies approaches innovation and quality.