Ideo Paper

R. J.

September 20, 2014

Changing the Status Quo

IDEO, pronounced as “eye-dee-oh” as their website keeps on reiterating, started changing the world of corporate America since 1978. It is not your ordinary design firm. IDEO is a global design and innovation consultancy that aims to create impact through design. It considers the needs and desires of people while making sure it would be technologically and economically feasible. They call this approach design-thinking. Their wide variety of products ranges from toys to medical products to 25-foot whales. Yes, I am talking about Free Willy. IDEO does not only develop products and services, but also strategies to help other organizations. An example of this is the retail brand and strategy service model for Converse wherein IDEO helped Converse customize their first stand-alone retail store.

Unlike other organizations, in IDEO, status is based on who has the best ideas, not on who has the best titles or who has been in the company for the longest time. For IDEO, real people are those who go out there and listen to what the world has to say, not those who stay on their desks the longest. Their workplace has a playful ambiance, from throwing hoops to shooting nerfs all over the place. It is like a playground for creative minds. People are encouraged to play, to be creative, and to have fun. This is because they believe that playfulness leads to innovation. Chaos is encouraged in IDEO. Clearly, IDEO aims to change the status quo.

As the book would say, work teams allow employees to develop new skills increasing motivation and satisfaction. In a work team, when members are greatly empowered to do their jobs, it leads to higher motivation. But it is not easy to form an effective team. People are not simply asked to work together as a team. The success of IDEO’s projects can be credited to their effectiveness in developing and managing teams that constantly work as one.

Groups of individuals who have the same goal...