Kindle
$11.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Hardcover
$8.99
Paperback
$13.99
Buy new:
-26% $13.99
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$13.99 with 26 percent savings
List Price: $19.00

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Friday, May 10. Order within 14 hrs 31 mins
In Stock
$$13.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$13.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.49
Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less
FREE delivery May 16 - 22. Details
Or fastest delivery May 10 - 14. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$13.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$13.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Phoenix.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Ken Kocienda
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs Paperback – December 3, 2019

by Ken Kocienda (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,404 ratings
See all formats and editions
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
View Kindle Edition
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$13.99","priceAmount":13.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"m7PXVzheEbWuS0%2Bi1fzcIpp8m1Xx9WptJTUaB73LQ7uiz2b66FlBdNYZiddGsdqD9D0dLUTQiBEk3Vsm4E%2B%2B7rHXGFAQBe%2BuB0YTiBItZ80esZ%2Bk2PZCvk7YSQNxvoKtvkx4KdfsJ0WJtJN1NF4QSg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.49","priceAmount":9.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"m7PXVzheEbWuS0%2Bi1fzcIpp8m1Xx9Wpt3bPpDboQqOSjMO3Qu%2B1ZyWRIcc3noIwO0vsu0N%2F98YFYQFFLUca43r%2B6NJegUsnMdvP6dr7so3tvPFlALTFd%2Fl0f4J8hH9%2BWvcmIz%2FkdQZ6JcrIIUDWw0IbU2lCRR2ODukKzQsLFHl4bQta4RskknKO%2BIWIIYVE7","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

* WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER *

An insider's account of Apple's creative process during the golden years of Steve Jobs.

Hundreds of millions of people use Apple products every day; several thousand work on Apple's campus in Cupertino, California; but only a handful sit at the drawing board. Creative Selection recounts the life of one of the few who worked behind the scenes, a highly-respected software engineer who worked in the final years of the Steve Jobs era―the Golden Age of Apple.

Ken Kocienda offers an inside look at Apple’s creative process. For fifteen years, he was on the ground floor of the company as a specialist, directly responsible for experimenting with novel user interface concepts and writing powerful, easy-to-use software for products including the iPhone, the iPad, and the Safari web browser. His stories explain the symbiotic relationship between software and product development for those who have never dreamed of programming a computer, and reveal what it was like to work on the cutting edge of technology at one of the world's most admired companies.

Kocienda shares moments of struggle and success, crisis and collaboration, illuminating each with lessons learned over his Apple career. He introduces the essential elements of innovation―inspiration, collaboration, craft, diligence, decisiveness, taste, and empathy―and uses these as a lens through which to understand productive work culture.

An insider's tale of creativity and innovation at Apple, Creative Selection shows readers how a small group of people developed an evolutionary design model, and how they used this methodology to make groundbreaking and intuitive software which countless millions use every day.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 3, 2019
  4. Dimensions
    5.35 x 0.62 x 8.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1250203414
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1250203410
  7. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs
$13.99
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success
$17.00
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products
$15.00
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I’d be interested in the behind-the-scenes story of any Apple product. But if there is one I’m most interested in, it’s the iPhone. Kocienda delivers just that, and it truly is extraordinary. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in how Apple actually creates its products." ―John Gruber, Daring Fireball

“Kocienda reveals the real secret of Steve Jobs's leadership and Apple's magic: the ability to push people to think for themselves, and to empower them to turn their best thinking into reality. It is a story about the intersection of technology and humanity.” ―Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor

“I’ve literally been waiting a decade for this book. Ken Kocienda takes you inside Apple in way only a true insider, a veteran software developer, could. Creative Selection is the answer to the prayer uttered by anyone who wants to truly understand how Apple works. I couldn’t put it down.” ―Adam Lashinsky, New York Times bestselling author of Inside Apple

“Ken Kocienda played pivotal roles in the creation of both Safari and the original iPhone. One of the hardest problems―and biggest risks―of the first iPhone was the development of a multi-touch keyboard. I placed this formidable responsibility squarely in Ken’s hands, and the success of the keyboard emerged from his insights, collaboration, and dogged pursuit of excellence. He now offers readers, in his own words, a window into his experiences and insights from the trenches.” ―Scott Forstall, Original iPhone Software Team Leader and SVP iOS, Apple

“If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in a hotbed of innovation, you’ll enjoy this inside view of life at Apple. Ken Kocienda pioneered the iPhone keyboard, and this book gives a play-by-play of their creative process―from generating ideas to doing a demo for Steve Jobs.” ―Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals, Give and Take, and Option B (with Sheryl Sandberg)

About the Author

Ken Kocienda was a principal engineer of iPhone software at Apple for over fifteen years. After graduating from Yale, he fixed motorcycles, worked in the editorial library of a newspaper, taught English in Japan, and made fine art photographs. Eventually, he discovered the internet, taught himself computer programming, and made his way through a succession of dot-com-era startups, before landing at Apple in 2001, where he worked on the software teams that created the Safari web browser, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Ken lives in San Jose, California with his wife. Creative Selection is his first book.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Picador; Reprint edition (December 3, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250203414
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250203410
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 0.62 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,404 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ken Kocienda

Ken Kocienda

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ken Kocienda was a software engineer and designer at Apple for over fifteen years. After graduating from Yale with a degree in history, he fixed motorcycles in Arizona, worked in the editorial library of a newspaper in New York, taught English in Japan, and made fine art photographs in all those places. Eventually, he discovered the internet, taught himself computer programming, and made his way through a succession of dot-com-era startups, before landing at Apple in 2001, where he worked on the software teams that created the Safari web browser, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Ken lives in San Jose, California with his wife.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,404 global ratings
A sneak peak behind the scenes at Apple
5 Stars
A sneak peak behind the scenes at Apple
When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone In 2007 he commented he had waited 2 years for that day to arrive. He was quite proud of the Apple iPhone and said the iPhone would change the world. How right he was. If you will recall, before the introduction of iPhone cell phones had plastic keypads that were hard to use. The iPhone revolutionized the way we interact with the phone by replacing plastic keys with pixels. The multi-touch keypad was born and there was no looking back. Today, almost all cell phones use this technology.In “Creative Selection” Ken Kocienda takes us behind the scenes at Apple to see exactly how the iPhone was developed and the keyboard in particular. That is because creating the keyboard for the new iPhone was his primary responsibility. He provides an insider view of what went on inside Apple’s secretive environment during the development stages of the iPhone and how decisions were painstakingly made on all iPhones features. It is quite an interesting journey and I found the book to be a page turner. It made me appreciate my iPhones even more. Bottom line, I love the book. It is for anyone who loves technology and wonders how the amazing products we use today come into existence. It is highly recommended and I give it 5 stars.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Brian Dunn
5.0 out of 5 stars Creative Selection – Apple’s Design Process for Creating Magical Products
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
Creative Selection, Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs, by Ken Kocienda is well written and a thoroughly enjoyable read regarding Apple’s constant reiterative demo process, where Apple creates concrete and specific demos so peers can make judgements/comments/criticisms/improvements based off actual ‘physical’ samples. Substantial work is put into each demo, similar to the way ideas are pitched at Amazon in detailed memo form, rather than simple power point presentations. Unlike Amazon memos that are polished, complete plans, Apple demos are down and dirty focusing on the specific area/item being demoed, with the background staged (potentially a Hollywood-type façade) to engross to the viewer into experiencing the demo portion as if the viewer is using the complete product. The comprehensive due diligence/research involved in creating the demo (or memo for Amazon), helps to continually refine the idea.

Concrete, specific demos allow peers to discuss the item being created in explicit detail, and offer distinct criticisms and suggestions. Ken Kocienda presents an interesting illustration of the importance of having a specific ‘physical’ item to discuss and critique. He uses puppies as an example. Think of a cute puppy in your mind and imagine as many details about your puppy as you can. I’ll think of one as well, I bet my puppy is cuter than yours. Under this scenario, we both have imagined cute puppies, but there is no way to distinguish which one is cuter. We can argue as we each describe our puppy, but we cannot resolve which is cuter without concrete and specific examples. However, if we have physical pictures of each puppy, we can easily discuss their actual merits. This example is relatively silly, but it demonstrates the importance of concrete examples. Without them the theoretical argument is virtually impossible, with them the discussion is efficient and relatively simple.

The production of the demos at Apple forces the creator to get a true understanding of the underlying issues with his creation. The comments/criticisms received from peers utilizing the physical demo (rather than discussing theoretical images) are integrated into the following demo version. Each demo, building on all prior work. The best ideas survive, while the weaker ideas go extinct. From these constant, reiterative improvements, magical, one-of a kind generational products have been created.
Helpful
 Report
BookFan
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but a little self-absorbed
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Creative is a well-written book and affords interesting insights relative to software development for Apple, at least for us who are clueless about this process. It is pretty highly focused on how specific pieces of software were conceived and perfected, and reveals little about how strategic decisions were made at Apple, nor hardware design (Jony Ive, for example, was never mentioned). For those looking for a discussion of those sots of topics, there are far better books. other books that do a better job.
I say self-absorbed in the title as the author pedantically and strongly made the point that design has to do with how something works-good design at Apple was design that the user found intuitive, easy, and efficient to use. True enough, but more broadly considered, especially as design is applied to physical objects such as toasters and cars, good design is also related to how something looks-- two objects may function, and interface with the user identically, but the more esthetically pleasing object is the better object. You get the sense that the author is trying to generalize the nature of good design more broadly than is warranted from the perspective of software development. Also, many words are devoted to the design-build-test-improve iterative scheme as though that is something new or unique to Apple. But mechanical (and other types of) engineers have been doing that for literally thousands of years.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
reed
5.0 out of 5 stars Great history book. Good takeaways
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book since it goes into Apple's history, but I think the author is reading way too much into the process. I don't think that this "creative selection" process is actually what made Apple products great. Apple was successful because Steve Jobs and Scott Forstall knew how to lead.

Giving demos (aka "Creative Selection") seems like a simple trust building exercise. It could have been any number of things, I assume it just so happened to fit Steve's management style (after all he started off by giving demos at computer expos) so that's what he decided to do since that's what he knew best. I don't think you need to read into it more than that. Like, sure, it's a great way to give/receive feedback, demos are quite fun. But it also could have been like, I dunno, something else too. And that probably would have been fine as well.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Herve Gbedji
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for developers, technology managers, startup founders
Reviewed in Canada on August 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
In the book you learn way more than the history of some of Apple's defining products. You learn about why listening to employees matter, why self control and empathy are a leader's best friend. You also learn about the endless payoffs of being practical at every level of the organization. It's simply well written Ken
Report
Ignacio Carretero Molero
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirador y revelador
Reviewed in Spain on March 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
A veces profundiza en exceso en temas técnicos, pero en general aporta mucha información interesante y reveladora sobre cómo trabajaba el Apple de Steve Jobs y el proceso para crear grandes productos. Muy inspirador.
Report
Natarajan Mahalingam
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read on the Apple design & product development approach!
Reviewed in India on June 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
As I continued reading towards the end of the book, my iPhone's screen brightened and chimed a message - that was such a nostalgic moment as I saw Ken Kocienda and the Purple (the iPhone's project name) team in their lab working out the kinks on the software! The hard & smart work that had gone into the making of one of the most iconic technological products ever hit me hard - what we take for granted today with smartphones had an evolutionary history that Creative Selection details so well on many aspects

Ken's writing evokes shades of highly technical, philosophical, and deeply spiritual reverence to the Design methodology at Apple under Steve Jobs. If you're interested to learn how Apple produced such stellar products like Safari web browser, iPhone & iPad, etc., then look no further than Ken's book. A first person account of the entire product and project journey interspersed with Ken's vulnerable and humble writing style bring it all out in glory

Written primarily for the product development and programming crowd, there are certain chapters or sections that are highly technical, but for non-technical background readers, it's still easily digestible. In fact, some of us might even take a liking to understand more about the technical aspects of our browsing experience after reading this book (I did a little! :-))

Overall, if you would like to know more about that smartphone you hold in your hand, the autocorrection feature you use so frequently day-in and day-out or simply marvel at the glass screen into which you type and the characters stare back at you - then, this is THE book to grab and read. I promise, you'll enjoy every bit of this book as I did!
One person found this helpful
 Report
Victor
3.0 out of 5 stars Um bom livro
Reviewed in Brazil on July 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
Esse é um bom livro para quem busca a visão de dentro da apple, a visão de como as tomadas de decisão e reuniões semanais acontece. É contata sobre a perspectiva de um funcionário que compartilha a paixão pelos valores e produtos da empresa.

Uma boa leitura
Report
Karan Navani
5.0 out of 5 stars An insightful dive into product development at Apple
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book as someone who works in software development and is trying to build products that users love. Ken’s accounts of Apple’s principles and the creative selection process is not just fascinating to read about, but can also be applied to your own work. I also geeked out over the iterative journey to decide the iPhone autocorrect algorithm or to decide what the size of an icon should be.

This book is a window into how Apple built and continues to build incredible products that seamlessly mould into people’s lives. I highly recommend it for anyone who is curious about Apple or about developing products for people to use.
Report