Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success

To Steve Jobs, Simplicity was a religion. It was also a weapon. Simplicity isn t just a design principle at Apple it s a value that permeates every level of the organization. The obsession with Simplicity is what separates Apple from other technology companies. It s what helped Apple recover from near death in 1997 to become the most valuable company on Earth in 2011. Thanks to Steve Jobs s uncompromising ways, you can see Simplicity in everything Apple does: the way it s structured, the way it innovates, and the way it speaks to its customers. It s by crushing the forces of Complexity that the company remains on its stellar trajectory. As ad agency creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple s resurrection, helping to create such critical marketing campaigns as Think different. By naming the iMac, he also laid the foundation for naming waves of i-products to come. Segall has a unique perspective, given his years of experience creating campaigns for other iconic tech companies, including IBM, Intel, and Dell. It was the stark contrast of Apple s ways that made Segall appreciate the power of Simplicity and inspired him to help others benefit from it. In "Insanely Simple," you ll be a fly on the wall inside a conference room with Steve Jobs, and on the receiving end of his midnight phone calls. You ll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster, sometimes saving millions in the process. You ll also learn, for example, how to: Think Minimal: Distilling choices to a minimum brings clarity to a company and its customers as Jobs proved when he replaced over twenty product models with a lineup of four. Think Small: Swearing allegiance to the concept of small groups of smart people raises both morale and productivity. Think Motion: Keeping project teams in constant motion focuses creative thinking on well-defined goals and minimizes distractions. Think Iconic: Using a simple, powerful image to symbolize the benefit of a product or idea creates a deeper impression in the minds of customers. Think War: Giving yourself an unfair advantage using every weapon at your disposal is the best way to ensure that your ideas survive unscathed. Segall brings Apple s quest for Simplicity to life using fascinating (and previously untold) stories from behind the scenes. Through his insight and wit, you ll discover how companies that leverage this power can stand out from competitors and individuals who master it can become critical assets to their organizations."

About the Author :
Ken Segall worked closely with Steve Jobs as ad agency creative director for NeXT and Apple. He was a member of the team that created Apple s legendary Think different campaign, and he s responsible for that little i that s a part of Apple s most popular products. Segall has also served as creative director for IBM, Intel, Dell, and BMW. He blogs about technology and marketing at kensegall.com/blog, and has fun with it all at scoopertino.com. Follow Segall on Twitter: @ksegall."

Review :
A blueprint for running a company the Steve Jobs way . . . should be required reading for anyone interested in management and marketing. "The Times "(London) Gets inside Apple s branding and marketing to explain its directness and power. "Financial Times" Required reading. "The Observer" Ken Segall has literally captured lightning in a bottle. "Insanely Simple "reveals the secret of Steve Jobs s success with such clarity, even we non-geniuses can make use of it. Ken shows us how to cut through the cobwebs of fuzzy thinking, bureaucracy and mediocrity, and clearly see what s most essential and therefore most important. Steve Hayden, legendary Apple creative director, author of the 1984 Super Bowl commercial"