DESMA 25 - Michael Doherty

IDEO helps companies innovate. They design products,

services, environments, & digital experiences. Their process is to

observe, brainstorm, prototype & repeat. IDEO is comprised of

more than 10 multidisciplinary teams from human factors to

business. Different teams focus on every part of production,

starting with the research & design of products. After a design is

conceived, the teams of mechanical, electrical & software

engineers come in to turn the designs into manufacturable

realities. Manufacturing teams then put the products in to

production.

The first step in the design process at IDEO is Observation. The

methodology simultaneously examines user desirability, technical

feasibility, & business viability. Techniques such as visualization,

evaluation, & redefinition are used in development.

Next comes brainstorming. The rules are stenciled on the

walls: "Be Visual. Defer judgment. Encourage Wild Ideas. Build on

the Ideas of Others. Go for Quantity. One Conversation at a Time.

Stay Focused on the Topic."

Prototyping is the language of innovation & a way of life

at IDEO. It allows engineers to problem-solving in three

dimensions. Prototypes range from simple proofs of the concept

models to models that look or work like & that are practically

finished products. Prototyping allows IDEO to find its mistakes

quicker in order to succeed sooner.

IDEO’s founder & chairman is David Kelley, Professor of

Mechanical Engineering in Stanford University’s unique Product

Design program. Tim Brown, formerly director of IDEO's London

office, serves as CEO & president. They employ nearly 350 people

worldwide at offices in Palo Alto, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston,

London, & Munich. IDEO’s international presence gives them a

global perspective that is reflected in their design strategy.