By Richard Farson

Richard Farson has a knack for making people a little bit uncomfortable. Not that he minds, if it's for a good cause.

In The Power of Design, Farson asserts a deeply engaging premise: Design can transform the world. It can put right what is wrong in our communities. It can address society's most intractable ills. Properly mobilized, he argues, design could make a whopping impact on deep-rooted dilemmas such as the ravages of poverty, the miserable state of the American education system, and the failure of criminal justice. It could do nothing short of move mountains.

But the road to "metadesign" -- a transcendent level of design that seeks to rectify fundamental problems by addressing the needs of all people -- is no cake walk. Farson describes the many ways that designers of all types hold themselves back from serving society in meaningful ways. He exposes the evils of protectionism by professional societies, the ruinous results of commoditization, and the insidious nature of awards, for example.

In the end, Farson leaves us with a powerful message of hope. If we have the courage to embrace design’s unrealized potential, there appears to be no limit to the role it can play in the future of civilization.

"This is Richard Farson's masterpiece--the one and only book that illuminates the interdependence of design, organization, and leadership."
- Warren Bennis, University Professor, University of Southern California, and Author

Note: The Power of Design is a hardcover book.