Reading that design booklet was marvellous. I loved tracking the evolution of the idea.
However, I feel as if there's some risk taken in delivering an entire booklet that slowly tracks the germination of an idea. This risk seems to consist of two aspects:
1) the assumption is made that the entire booklet will actually be read, and that the reader doesn't become sidetracked by e.g. disagreeing with some statements early on
2) the idea proposed in the end has to be very good, a final proposition to merit the entire booklet. Booklet-style design probably doesn't lend itself to rapid, iterative generation of ideas.
Less of a risk when you are as established as he was by 1986. I think it was safe to assume that Steve Jobs would appreciate and digest the format. A standard 3 concepts on poster board presentation would have been much more risky, given the audience.
However, I feel as if there's some risk taken in delivering an entire booklet that slowly tracks the germination of an idea. This risk seems to consist of two aspects:
1) the assumption is made that the entire booklet will actually be read, and that the reader doesn't become sidetracked by e.g. disagreeing with some statements early on
2) the idea proposed in the end has to be very good, a final proposition to merit the entire booklet. Booklet-style design probably doesn't lend itself to rapid, iterative generation of ideas.