An archive of stories about companies whose product designs make our lives easier--and more exciting.

Style Is King
(September 2006)

The Business of Design

In an economy where style is king, your imagination quotient may get you farther than the amount of intelligence you have.

How Pottery Barn Wins with Style

Plenty of companies compete on price and features. How do you keep demanding customers coming back for more? Pottery Barn's secret for growth in a brutally competitive business: "Our brand is a state of mind," says one top executive. "And customers can make it their own."

The Case for Fanaticism At Danish electronics maker Bang Olufsen, design always wins. Is that any way to run a business?

OXO: Hands-On Design
(July 2006)

OXO's Favorite Mistakes

The company behind some of the best-designed kitchen tools learns the most when it does something wrong.

Hands-On Design

Even in an economy that's driven by ideas, you can't succeed unless you get your hands dirty. Often, that means interacting more closely than ever with customers to make sure that your products address the real challenges of daily life.

Master of Design: Sam Farber

The OXO founder focuses on thoughtful design to create products that look and feel great.