A Review of “Pretty, Sexy Toaster – Finding Empowerment in Design” by Megan Piunti
I was approached on LinkedIn by a woman by the name of Megan Piunti. She extended a kind offer to send me a copy of her book Pretty, Sexy Toaster after noticing we had a lot in common and that I might find it useful. Her intuition! As a woman in industrial design, a young one in fact, I had been desperately searching for something I could relate to. If you pay any attention to the design field it’s pretty obvious that the more popular creatives or industrial designers are usually men. Similarly to engineering, but the problem is a bit smaller. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to know a book like this existed. I was so used to reading design books that were dense, textbook-like compositions packed with information. In contrast, Pretty, Sexy Toaster was refreshing and packed full of inspiration from a novel perspective.
Throughout the book Megan takes us through her personal and professional evolution, going from high school to design school and then to the professional world. Along with these accounts, she shares her viewpoints on the intricacies of the design industry and gives us insights into how we can fit into it while still maintaining our own personal values.
About the Author
In 2020, Megan received her Bachelor of Fine Art in Industrial Design from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.
While in college, she was involved in a diverse array of projects with Delta Faucets, Milwaukee Public Schools, and General Motors. She was even named Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design’s IDSA Student Merit Award Finalist. She is currently living in Madison, WI and working as an Industrial Designer at Credo Product Development. Pretty, Sexy Toaster is her first book.
If you’d like to learn more about her or see some of her work, visit her site here, https://meganpiunti.wixsite.com/design
Chapter Summaries
1. Art Foundations
In this chapter, Megan discusses how she chose to major in Industrial Design and begins to analyze some of her feelings and increased sense of responsibility as she was first starting out.
2. Intro to Design Ethics
This chapter really struck a chord with me because it talked about the “existential crisis” a lot of us young designers face. Knowing that we could be designing things that really, really help people, instead of something more trivial, like a spatula. Becoming a designer comes with an added sense of responsibility knowing that we have the power to negatively or positively impact people’s lives.
3. Portfolio Development
This chapter observes the development of Megan’s perception of a portfolio as she progressed throughout her design journey. She began seeing portfolios as a way to show others her artwork but later saw her portfolios as a refection of herself as a designer.
4. Social Media Management
This next chapter describes the advantages to using social media as a designer, as well as it’s cons, such as glamourization of the industry.
5. Trend Analysis
Trends are something to pay attention to and take into consideration, but not to the point where all design becomes monogamous. That’s the case Megan makes in this chapter.
6. Sustainable Strategies
Megan cares deeply about the sustainability of products, like all designers should. I never stopped to consider the difference between something being eco-friendly and being sustainable until I read this book. In fact, I used to weigh them the same.
7. Product(ivity) Design
Having just come out of my first year of design school I had been struggling to find a balance between school and taking time for myself. In this chapter Megan writes about the various ways to be productive as a designer and the fact taking time for yourself is also being productive!
8. Creative Thinking
Similarly to Megan, I came from an art background. I watched to be an artist at one point and had been called creative my whole life. In this chapter she dives into why creativity shouldn’t be limited to art, how to “steal” like an artist/designer, and ways we can gain inspiration in those moments we feel empty.
9. Sponsored Studio
I loved how this chapter touched on the need for validation we all feel after creating something. It’s a normal feeling to have. Who doesn’t want people to like their work? Megan emphasizes that we should find our self worth in ourselves and not let the pressure from others get to us.
10. Professional Practice
As the book reaches its finale, Megan reflects on her time in design school and how it lead her to where she is now and the ongoing challenges she faces. This chapter tied the rest of the book together beautifully and left me feeling inspired and connected to her.
Quotes
- “I think that it boils down to this: the work of artists drives the way people think, and the way people think drives the work of designers.” Chapter 3, Page 30
- “Maybe if we’re procrastinating something we want to do, it’s because we’ve set high expectations for ourselves and are nervous about it not going the way we imagined.” Chapter, Page 64
- “If spending an extra five hours on a project would make it five percent better, is it worth your time? Should you work to make a career out of a passion of yours, or are you happy keeping it as a hobby? These are things that everyone can decide for themselves. You’re allowed to prioritize other things in your life over design or whatever it is you create. Life is full of tradeoffs and sacrifices, but you should be thinking about how your work fits into your life, not how your life fits into your work.” Chapter 7, Page 74
- “Although it may come more naturally to some people than others, I believe that creativity is a skill, not a trait. I think the fact that creativity is so often confused with art discourages a lot of people who might not have traditional artistic skills from ever considering themselves creative.” Chapter 8, Page 83
- “Especially if your job is demanding creatively, give yourself room to play outside of constraints. Be a little selfish sometimes! When it feels like we’re constantly producing things to go out in the world, allow yourself to make something for nobody but yourself.” Chapter 8, Page 85
What I Liked About It
Each page of her work felt like a reflection of my own thoughts! It was relatable. It was nice to feel seen and even nicer to know that I wasn’t alone in what I’ve been experiencing. Her writing style makes it sound like you’re talking to your best friend over a latte. It was humorous as well, which I loved!
What I Didn’t Like About It
To be completely honest, there wasn’t anything I disliked about it.
It would be interesting to read more content from this author. I’m hoping she writes more in the future! I liked the style this book was in and I think there’s a lot of potential for her to also create “how-to” books. I would definitely read them.
Should You Read It?
Absolutely! There’s a huge value in reading about someone’s experiences, what they learned from them, and being taught how to apply those lessons. It’s rare to find young, female authors in the design community and it’s made even harder when their voices aren’t being amplified.
If heavier books that are packed with information are more your taste this might not be the book for you, but then again, it was refreshing for me.
So yes, you should read it! Go now! Buy it! Here’s the link, https://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Sexy-Toaster-Finding-Empowerment/dp/B08QLNSBY7/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=. It’s only about 5 bucks, splurge a little and support her! You won’t regret it.