Read more
A book about
an alternative approach to design theory and the making of experiences. The
kinds of experience that define the spaces we live, work and play in ? the kinds
of experience that have the power to transform
lives. This book is an ode to that power. It is for
anyone interested in design, be they creator, communicator or consumer.
About the author
An architect, stone mason, designer and
teacher, Adam is something of a polymath and has won a number of
Cannes Lions, not least for Blackpool’s
Dune Grass, the tallest
freestanding kinetic public art installation in the world. Along with Dave and
his team at FreeState, working with some of the world’s greatest brands, urban
planners, developers, architects and place activators, he has helped pioneer
the concept of experience masterplanning for the likes of NIKE, Sony, Google,
MTV, Manchester City Football Club, The Crown Estate, University of Glasgow,
University of Melbourne, Network Rail, Transport for London and Melbourne
Airport. It is an approach designed to help architects and developers properly
meet the needs of the people they are designing and building for. As well as hosting the FreeState podcast, Adam’s
experience, knowledge and eloquent advocacy for the transformational experience
make him a sought-after keynote speaker, host and judge. In addition to helping
design Central Saint Martins’ narrative environment curriculum, Adam is a
visiting lecturer and mentor at the renowned London-based arts and design
college.
Summary
Contrary to
what one might imagine, there is no such thing as an experience designer. At
least not in the sense that we might talk of an individual recognised as such.
To make experiences is to be human. Shaman, architect, food engineer – you name
it, they are all experience designers. Informed by an understanding of people’s
needs and wants – our stories, our rituals, our myths – the beautifully
designed experience has the power to transform lives. The Experience Book is an ode to that power.
Essentially, it is a book about
time and how we use it to design and make experiences
that define the spaces we live, work and play in. Divided into a guidebook and
a sourcebook, it begins by explaining what it is about the human mind that so
deeply feasts on the notion of the experience, and then employs this knowledge
to suggest a method or framework for
designing experiences. The guidebook done, the sourcebook serves as
inspiration for the art of experience design, with precedents drawn from the past 35,000 years’ worth of
transformative experience making.
One of the first publications about the
attributes that together make what is fast becoming a recognised discipline, The Experience Book is beautifully presented. Comprised of a wonderfully eclectic range of written forms, illustrated
by a fantastic mix of drawings and photography, and backed by historical
and contemporary examples from the worlds of
architecture, branding, fashion, music, art, sport and business, it introduces
the maker of experiences as part ethnographer, storyteller, master planner and
performance artist.
Challenging the
orthodoxy of function, reasserting process over monument and product, delighting in the unexpected, and championing the spectator over the spectacle, this is a book for anyone interested in the power of design,
be they creator, communicator or consumer.
Foreword
Microsite and Instagram account established for the book
https://www.the-experience-book.com
#TheExperienceBook
Blanket PR coverage and full marketing campaign.
Authors regularly lecture on Urban Experience, Commerical/High Street experience,
Campus/Student experience, Workplace/Employee experience and Stakeholder
experience around the world.
Authors regularly
lecture to students at Central St Martins, Royal College of Art and the London
School of Architecture.
Authors regularly
talk at design industry events including New York Design Week, Melbourne Design
Week and London Architecture Festival.
Authors write
regularly for RIBA Journal, Design Week and Architectural Journal.
Authors appear on
regular podcasts including Estates Gazette Podcast, Business of Architecture
Podcast and FreeState Podcast.
