The PRINT Book Club returned to its educational roots last week with a comprehensive discussion featuring three prominent figures in design and branding: Mark Kingsley, Tom Guarriello, and Richard Shear. Hosted by Debbie Millman and Steven Heller, the October session focused on three groundbreaking books that examine the past, present, and future of brand design and consumer psychology.
The discussion brought together decades of combined expertise from the three authors and educators, who shared insights that span from historical brand development to contemporary cultural movements. The conversation covered why emotional connection and empathy in design consistently triumph over large marketing budgets, and how early retail innovations like Piggly Wiggly fundamentally transformed American consumer behavior and shopping experiences.
Richard Shear, author of "A History of Brands," presented a compelling argument that Queen Elizabeth I should be considered the original brand strategist, demonstrating how historical perspective provides valuable lessons for modern design practices. Shear's book traces the origins and evolution of some of the world's most recognizable brands through a Western cultural lens, examining how branding has evolved from simple logos and trademarks into complex identity systems that create meaningful connections with consumers globally.
Mark Kingsley, creator of the book series and author of "Brands in the Age of AI," discussed the significant challenge of condensing 15 years of School of Visual Arts pedagogy into three coherent and accessible narratives. His book provides a timely examination of how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing branding, consumer engagement, and brand loyalty through AI-powered personalization, automation, and sophisticated data analytics that are fundamentally reshaping brand-consumer relationships.
Dr. Tom Guarriello, psychologist, professor, and branding expert, contributed his signature insights on consumer psychology in his book "The Meaning of Branded Objects." He explained how the science of human behavior can be compared to hardware, while the nuanced ways products appeal to consumers and influence their decisions represents the software component. Guarriello's work reveals the powerful mechanisms through which brands shape the meaning of everyday objects, directly influencing consumer behavior and contributing to personal identity formation.
The session featured engaging audience participation, with questions covering contemporary cultural phenomena and their relationship to branding and consumer behavior. Participants explored whether the recent evolution of Barbie's cultural representation over the past two years has contributed to a resurgence of feminist discourse, and what the return of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show might reveal about current societal attitudes and consumer preferences.
One particularly relatable question addressed a common consumer experience: whether people find it annoying when big box retailers refer to customers as "guests" rather than customers. This discussion highlighted how language choices in retail environments reflect broader branding strategies and consumer psychology principles.
The PRINT Book Club continues its mission to support independent bookstores through its affiliate relationship with Bookshop.org, with a portion of proceeds from book purchases supporting local booksellers. Those who missed the live October session can register to access the recording and purchase copies of all three books discussed during the comprehensive conversation.
