I love reading nonfiction that inspires my creativity. The Innovator’s Handbook is an easy read designed to do exactly that. The author, Husain Almossawi, is a designer who has worked with world renowned brands such as Adidas, Nike, EA Sports and more. He wrote this book with the intent to inspire creativity – and more specifically – innovation in young creatives entering the design field.
With that said, I wish the intended audience wasn’t mentioned at the beginning of this book. It had me wondering if I should even bother reading it. I’m far from young and much further down the path of my career (which involves much more than design alone). Honestly, just about anyone in the professional world (young or old; just starting their career or nearing retirement) can benefit from knowing how to cultivate their creativity and become more innovative. So I read on!
Almossawi lays out some tried and true practices for developing innovative thinking. He backs these practices up with real life examples that he experienced in his design career. None of the practices are new concepts, however the examples he uses put them in perspective and are interesting to read. My absolute favorite is curiosity. Always ask questions. Childlike wonder is a wonderful thing if you want to create new and innovative ideas.
Two other things I liked about the book were the book suggestions Almossawi mentions throughout and an entire section of challenges at the end of the book to put the practices he mentioned to the test.
Overall, this was a good overview of creative practices and ways to become more innovative. It’s exactly what was promised. I made some notes as I read and will be sure to put some of these ideas to work as I continue to try to think outside of my box and do thing differently from how they’ve always been done. This book gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Mysteries and Mayhem 