Information Density: IDEO – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[IMG: The human-centered design company]
[H1] Human-centered
designbreakthroughsfuturesgrowthintelligenceingenuityleadershipcollaborationsorganizationsdesignWe envision new businesses and brands, and we design the experiences and capabilities that bring them to life.Build your next era of growthDesign human-centered strategiesGet to market with confidence
[H3] Latest
[H2] The IDEO IQ 2026 Report : What separates great companies from the rest?
For the 2026 IDEO IQ, we surveyed leaders from 100 of the world's largest companies about five core behaviors, then mapped their scores against key business outcomes. The results? In a world of rapid tech change, the behaviors associated with design and creativity set the conditions that support lasting growth.Read nowArticle
[IMG: The best inventions of 2025]
[H2] In the AI era, growth depends on people, not tech
Here are the 5 human strengths that help orgs thrive.Read moreArticle
[H2] AI x Design Thinking Certificate Program
Combine AI & creativity to amplify your problem-solving skills.Learn moreNew IDEO U Course
[H3] Featured work
[H2] Store of the future
Reinventing the in-store experience for digital-first shoppers with Sephora.Read moreSephora
[H2] Better sales, less waste
H&M transforms its operations to cut excess inventory.Read moreH&M
[H2] Building a culture of creativity and innovation
How Ford transformed itself to take on the future of mobility.Read moreFord
[H2] Accelerating the future of air travel
Reinventing supersonic flight with Boom.Read moreBoom Supersonic
[H2] Turning culture into a catalyst for growth
Moderna defines its Mindsets to preserve its future.Read moreModernaLearn more about our design services
[H3] More about IDEO
[H2] Experience, expertise, and wide-eyed imagination
For nearly 50 years, IDEO has been helping the world’s most imaginative leaders create products, services, and organizations that shape the future.“We’re experts on the process of how you make stuff a reality. So we don’t care if you give us a toothpaste tube, a tractor, a space shuttle, a school, or a whole Fortune 500 company. We innovate by applying our process, expertise, and decades of experience to bring completely new ideas to life.”David Kelley, IDEO Founder
[H2] Jim Hackett
"Changing how people think is hard. Changing how an organization fundamentally operates is almost unimaginable. IDEO helped us do both. Their strategic clarity, radical creativity, and deep partnership turned what felt like an impossible task into one of the most successful transformations we’ve ever unlocked."Read moreFormer CEO, Ford Motor Company
[H2] Kara Egan
"We were blown away by the thoughtfulness, talent, and diversity of the team and loved every step of this collaborative process. Through our work with IDEO we’ve transformed an industry, and set the foundation of a culture focused on elevating the woman’s experience in every decision we make.”Read moreCEO & Co-Founder, Teal Health
[H2] Carlos Rodríguez-Pastor
"For over a decade, we have partnered with IDEO to build new innovation capabilities and learn through IDEO's network and global exposure. Together, we created new businesses in education and healthcare, reimagined customer experiences in financial services and entertainment, and strengthened our organization in critical ways that ultimately help lift families across Peru. But most importantly to me, our collaboration with IDEO has led us to be more flexible and creative thinkers, and this has really helped us look further out on the horizon."Read moreChairman of Intercorp
[H2] Najoh Tita-Reid
“IDEO has been an exceptional partner in helping us evaluate our organization’s current capabilities and uncover key opportunities through a human-centered approach. Their collaboration enabled us to deeply understand the needs of both consumers and internal stakeholders, co-create a strategic framework tailored to those insights, and clearly quantify the expected impact on our business outcomes and organizational capabilities."Global Chief Growth Officer, Mars Petcare
[H2] Aaron Sefi
“Working with IDEO enabled Kooth to supercharge the development of Soluna as a product-led initiative. With their help developing key conceptual themes and dreaming the art of the possible, we were able to design, develop, and launch at an incredible pace. The result—the numbers speak for themselves—but most importantly, youth in California recognize Soluna as a mental health app that speaks to them.”Read moreChief Product & Research Officer, Kooth
[H2] Sean Duffy
“Over a decade later, I still reflect on the ‘North-Stars’ I learned at IDEO, and the power of deeply, reflectively listening to the needs of users and watching their behaviors as the one and only truth. Our IDEO roots helped grow branches that still benefit the business and our members today.”Read moreCo-Founder & CEO, Omada HealthAsk us for references
[H3] Frequently asked questions
What is human-centered design, and how does IDEO apply it?How does IDEO help organizations innovate?Which industries does IDEO work with?How is IDEO’s approach to design evolving in the era of AI and emerging technology?What makes IDEO different from other design consultancies?Learn more about IDEO and what it’s like to partner with us
[H3] Subscribe
[H2] Want more IDEO in your life?Sign up for our newsletter.
We send out regular newsletters with thought leadership, stories behind our new work, events we’re hosting or attending, and a whole bunch more.

[H2] Define the strategy.Design the organization.Differentiate in the market.
We’ve designed it all. Our human-centered approach means we can help you at any stage of your journey—from ideation and strategic vision-building to physical and digital products, and bringing those brands and businesses to market.
[H2] 1/3Build your next frontier of serious growth
Purpose articulationOrganizational transformationVision activationExperiential prototypesWhen 2 percent YoY isn’t enough, come work with us. We’ll help you design futures that excite and energize your team and your org. Strategies, action plans, research you won’t find anywhere else, prototypes you can physically experience—let’s get to it.
[H2] Better sales, less waste
H&M transforms its operations to cut excess inventory.Read moreH&M
[H2] Building a culture of creativity and innovation
How Ford transformed itself to take on the future of mobility.Read moreFord
[H2] Transforming a community hospital from the inside out
Designing for caregivers to create world-class care for patients.Read moreNewton-Wellesley Hospital
[H2] Accelerating the future of air travel
Reinventing supersonic flight with Boom.Read moreBoom Supersonic
[H2] Turning culture into a catalyst for growth
Moderna defines its Mindsets to preserve its future.Read moreModernaLet's get growing
[H2] 2/3Design your strategy around humans, not hype
Customer and employee researchEmerging tech audit and planningFuturing and strategy designOrganizational changeAI is moving too fast. Customer trends are shifting daily. It’s hard enough to pin down a strategy let alone a business plan. Come work with us. We can help you quickly get a handle on the latest signals and emerging technologies, then design a human-centered strategy and the organization you need to make it happen.
[H2] An in-store experience for the digital era
Reinventing the in-store experience for digital-first shoppers with Sephora.Read moreSephora
[H2] A revolutionary digital retail experience for 20M+ Mexicans
FEMSA creates a digital ecosystem to increase customer value at its network of OXXO stores.Read moreFEMSA
[H2] Expanding IHG with a brand designed for new travel paradigms
IHG introduces Garner, a midsize brand elevated by thoughtful design.Read moreIHG
[H2] Battling LA’s mental health crisis with a team of first responders
Helping a kinder, safer emergency support arrive first on the scene.Read moreLA County Department of Mental Health
[H2] A more efficient and equitable way to teach writing, with AI
Ethiqly empowers time-strapped teachers to provide feedback at scale.Read moreEthiqlyLet's make your future
[H2] 3/3Get to market with confidence, faster
Rapid prototyping and researchIndustrial designDigital product designGo-to-market strategiesHave a big vision, but not sure you have the setup to make it happen? Come work with us. We can help you prototype, test, learn, and launch faster. We’ve designed everything from hard drives to hospitals, and we’re always ready to get our hands dirty.
[H2] Creating a new market with a more comfortable pap smear
Designing a system for at-home cervical cancer screening with Teal Health.Read moreTeal Health
[H2] Increasing engagement by making voting easier
The country’s largest jurisdiction creates a more accessible voting experience.Read moreLos Angeles County
[H2] Making headroom in a new product category
Renowned cycling brand Fizik expands its offerings with a line of helmets.Read moreFizik
[H2] Consolidating market leadership with a next-gen airway visualization system
Improving patient outcomes with the GlideScope ClearFit Video Laryngoscope.Read moreVerathon
[H2] Mental health, co-designed
Kooth works to transform how young people enrich their mental health.Read moreKoothLet's get to making
[H2] If you’d rather chat than scroll through our site, we’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to include any details or anecdotes about what brought you to us.  It will help make sure we get you connected to the best person right away.
[H2] We have nearly 50 years of experience in making the future
Check out our archive of case studies

[H1] We'd love to hear from you.
If you're curious about joining the IDEO team and want to see what opportunities are available, check out our careers page.
[H2] If you’d rather just chat than scroll through our site, we’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to include any details or anecdotes about what brought you here today, it will help make sure we get you connected to the best person right away.
[H3] We have five physical locations around the world.
[H3] Cambridge, MA
[H4] 80 Prospect St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Google Maps
[H3] Chicago, IL
[H4] 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661+1 (312) 869 6000
Google Maps
[H3] London, UK
[H4] Herbal House, 8 Back Hill, London EC1R 5EN+44 (01)207 713 2600
Google Maps
[H3] San Francisco, CA
[H4] 350 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94103+1 (415) 615 5000
Google Maps
[H3] Shanghai, CN
[H4] 上海市⻓宁区延安⻄路1262号上生新所11号楼, Shanghai, China, 200050
Google Maps

[H3] One liner
[H1] We envision new businesses and brands, and we design the experiences and capabilities that bring them to life.
[H2] A history of making the future
For nearly 50 years, we have been helping the world’s most imaginative leaders create human-centered products, services, and organizations that drive business, inspire culture, and shape the future.David Kelley, Bill Moggridge, and Mike Nuttall founded IDEO in Palo Alto in 1991, at the dawn of a world-changing era of innovation in Silicon Valley. From the beginning, the company was built on a simple philosophy—that creativity is the most powerful tool for solving complex challenges.Today, IDEO is a global design and innovation company with studios and collaborators around the world. We continue to help all kinds of organizations imagine what’s next—and, more importantly, how to make it a reality.
[H2] Designing the first mouse for Apple
Creating a new kind of computer navigation device that was less expensive and more reliable than any other on the market.Read more1990
[H2] PillPack: From startup to Amazon Pharmacy
Launching a nationwide venture that redefines and simplifies how customers engage with their pharmacy. It would later be purchased by Amazon for $750M+.Read more2012
[H2] Transforming Ford to take on the future of mobility.
When a company has been in business for over 120 years and employs 183,000 people, changing how it works is like turning an ocean liner.Read more2017
[H2] Launching an innovation lab with Intercorp to benefit Peruvians
Catalyzing rapid growth and transformation within a broad portfolio of businesses, including retail ventures, healthcare services, insurance, and banking.Read more2019
[H2] Culture as a catalyst for growth
Helping Moderna to define its Mindsets to preserve its future.Read more2021
[H2] The home of human-centered design
From its inception, IDEO has differentiated itself by understanding people better than anyone else—whether they’re customers or users, our own partners, entire organizations, or slices of a generation.Designers like Jane Fulton Suri (pictured below) and our early research teams pioneered methods for studying human behavior and translating insights into meaningful new ideas. That process of observation, understanding, and creative interpretation is still one of our most valuable capabilities.By embracing our values of empathy, humility, and open-mindedness, we're able to ask the best questions and design the best solutions.
[H2] “We need to think about the kind of trust, comfort, and safety that we can provide as leaders and facilitators of these curiosity moments."
[H3] Jane Fulton Suri
The Art of the Insight: Learnings from 30 Years of Curiosity and Empathy
[H2] Pioneers of design thinking
In his 2009 book Change By Design, then-IDEO CEO Tim Brown put into words a process IDEO had been practicing for decades. The philosophy of design thinking—a repetition of testing hypotheses and building on your findings to create more human-centered solutions—was completely novel in the business world at the time. Alongside Tim’s appearance on the TED stage in 2009, IDEO’s work with our partners shined a spotlight on the potential of design and the impact it could have on the world.Today, we’re still applying this progressive, iterative approach to everything from healthcare systems to emerging technologies, and supersonic jet planes, while testing our assumptions and tweaking the process along the way.
[H2] “Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.”
[H3] Tim Brown
[H3] Watch Tim's TED Talk from 2009
[H2] Experience, expertise, and wide-eyed imagination
Our greatest strength lies in our people—and we don’t just hire designers. From registered nurses to magicians, architects to chefs, photographers to data analysts, the alchemy of our lived experiences and expertise means you won’t find our flavor of creativity and craft anywhere else.Zoey ZhuSenior Software DesignerZoey is a software designer at IDEO San Francisco. Her approaches to design include storytelling, data visualization, XR, space design, software platform, installation, and creative prototyping.Prior to IDEO, she worked with companies and academic institutions to explore the potential of leveraging technology to boost social engagement via technology and design tools. Beyond her digital realm, Zoey is a multimedia and textile artist, translating data and digital graphics into weaving patterns to create new forms of storytellingZachary HobbsCommunications Design DirectorZach is a communication design director at IDEO Cambridge. He's inspired by the challenge of using creativity to foster belonging and connection, bringing a maker's ethos and hands-on experimentation to his work. Zach's first foray into design was when he started creating xeroxed fliers for his college punk band, which would mark the beginning of more than two decades of designing posters, album covers and merchandise for both major label releases and independent bands at the vanguard of the DIY underground. Zach has since participated in a number of group and solo exhibitions around the United States and Europe.Wai TongBusiness Design LeadPrior to IDEO, Wai spent over seven years in primary and secondary market investment and commercial data analysis for large multinational corporations. In his previous roles, he led investment and M&A strategies in the global tobacco and adjacent markets.When he’s not focused on charting business strategy, Wai is an avid hardcore gamer, enjoying the challenges of complex strategy and competitive systems.Esha ReddySenior Design ResearcherEsha is a design researcher and experience designer at IDEO's Play Lab. With a background in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and an early career in Talent, her work has always centered people.Esha’s perspective is shaped by nearly a decade living in intentional communities with 150+ housemates across the San Francisco Bay Area, exploring alternative housing, shared food systems, and do-ocracy. Outside of IDEO, you may find Esha doing immersive art, DJing for hours, or daydreaming about their next pop-up experience dubbed "Get On My Lawn".Jess HallGlobal Senior Marketing DirectorJess develops and runs IDEO's global marketing functions, strategies, and teams. She has experience in brand and agency side in VR, art tech, SaaS, events, consumer goods, fintech, entertainment, recruitment and luxury.Prior to moving into marketing Jess was an artist (shortlisted for the Jerwood Drawing Prize), a graphic designer, a media buyer, a professional face painter, an arts workshop leader, and to date she's run more than 45 marathons and ultramarathons, plus three Ironman triathlons.Peter HyerPartnerPeter has cultivated key relationships and business partnerships with C-suite partners to grow a multi-million dollar, industry-facing consulting portfolio in media and technology.Peter's also known for the kaleidoscope of perspectives he brings to IDEO; he's been an ice-cream store manager, a trained Apple technician, he's worked on a chicken farm, he competed in swimming at a national level, and is a qualified architect.He's now been at IDEO for over 15 years.Matt HovdeSenior Design LeadMatt loves exploring challenges through the lenses of game design and storytelling. He believes that play is built into our DNA, guiding us toward social and creative well being. He's a facilitator, an experience designer, a dungeon master. He reads board game instructions for fun, so you don’t have to.Before joining IDEO, Matt was the Artistic Director for The Second City theater in Chicago, where he harnessed improvisation as a dynamic process for deep collaboration, ideation, and learning. He runs workshops for clients and teams on creativity, teaches comedy at DePaul University, and never turns down a chance to host a game show.Chuli DuanDesign Research LeadChuli helps organizations turn human and cultural complexity into opportunities where business realities meet emerging technologies. She’s known for helping teams see the invisible forces—norms, power, status, and identity—that shape decisions and behavior, and turning those insights into clear direction.Before IDEO, Chuli worked across the U.S. and China with international nonprofits and global development organizations. With a background in International Relations, she brings a grounded, systems perspective to every project.Outside of work, she surfs for balance—body and mind.Sarica Robyn BalsariDesign Research LeadSarica Robyn is an anthropologist of crisis and change, and a documentary filmmaker. She combines strategy, ethnography, behavioural science and human-centred design to help organisations understand complexity, navigate disruption and ground innovation in people’s lived realities. Her work focuses on using methods from academia to surface human needs and translate them into stories, services and products that drive real behaviour change.Prior to IDEO, she completed her PhD in Visual Anthropology. In her free time, she curates photography exhibitions, plays jazz piano and is a trained sommelier.Sergio FregoniExecutive Design DirectorSergio leads IDEO’s AI work in Europe, helping organizations turn big ambitions, often around the climate transition, into real product, service, and venture portfolios that scale. Trained as a software engineer, he’s spent over a decade translating complex systems into human-centered solutions across industries, from luxury retail and AI at YOOX Net-a-Porter to media, construction, and grocery startups. Outside of IDEO he speaks regularly on the future of AI and sustainability, and can usually be found exploring contemporary art spaces and plant-based bakeries in whatever city he lands in.
[H3] Subscribe
[H2] Want more IDEO in your life? Sign up for our newsletter.
We send out regular newsletters with thought leadership, the stories behind our new work, events we’re hosting or attending, and a whole bunch more.