IDEO

It can happen overnight. A change in condition, an unexpected accident, a life-changing diagnosis. In moments like these, with little time to prepare, someone can be suddenly thrust into the role of being a caregiver. The invisible labor of informal caregivers, who are neither professionally trained nor paid, is often undermined when tools and services are designed around the patient alone, leaving caregivers unsupported in the background. IDEO’s Sierra Hillman Hilman and John Won share their first-hand experiences and five principles to design better support and tools for caregivers. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gqqRKzH8

“Five years ago, loyalty meant points, tiers, and discounts. Points are a primitive marketing tool. They assume loyalty is making a purchase. The real loyalty currency is participation, productized through contributions, rituals, and culture-shaping moments.” Check out the conversation with IDEO’s Diana 周游 Tobey and rediem’s Sarah Ganzenmuller and Regan Jayne where they discussed the future of customer loyalty in the age of #AI → https://lnkd.in/gjAjMw9K

How do you reach 34 million people at the last mile of financial services? Over 1.3 billion people worldwide in low-income and rural areas are excluded from formal financial services, including savings and credit, making it harder for them to move out of poverty. To address this gap, The Gates Foundation partnered with IDEO on Last Mile Money to expand access to digital financial services even in the most remote areas of the world. The impact? Working with 70+ global partners—including Google, Unilever, Grab, Standard Chartered, Cargill, airtel, Celo Foundation, and BNI (Business Network International)—and high-growth local startups, the program launched 100+ inclusive financial services in underbanked communities worldwide. See how they did it → https://lnkd.in/gRvqZm8R

Have you ever gone to buy something online just to get stopped by a spin-the-wheel pop-up that demands your email and phone number in exchange for 10 percent off? Or had a cashier push a store-branded credit card on you when you already have one? It doesn’t feel like loyalty when a brand doesn’t even know who you are. And yet, loyalty is growing more important than ever, as commerce becomes increasingly mediated by AI. That’s why IDEO’s Diana 周游 Tobey sat down with Sarah Ganzenmuller and Regan Jayne, cofounders of rediem, a community-driven loyalty platform that has helped brands like Sun Bum and OLIPOP PBC nurture and grow a community of passionate fans. Check out their conversation about redesigning the future of loyalty from the inside out → https://lnkd.in/gjAjMw9K

“The foundation of mutualism is to think of technology not as static, but as something dynamic, something closer to a living entity, even if it isn’t and may never become one.” In a recent article, Savannah Kunovsky and Alex Gallafent explore how mutualism can reshape the way we design AI, and outline three design principles guiding IDEO’s AI work. Discover the three design principles → https://lnkd.in/gvduhVuP

Personal care is one of the most profitable markets in Peru—and difficult to break into. For years, the country’s hair care category was dominated by multinational beauty giants such as P&G, Unilever, and L’Oréal. Alicorp, headquartered in Peru and one of the largest CPGs in Latin America, had struggled to break into the highly competitive and lucrative personal care market. But after a transformational multi-year collaboration with IDEO, Alicorp went up against the giants again. This time, it won. The impact: • 7.5% market share for Amarás within the first three months—a goal originally set for year three • 7M+ organic views and 300+ fan-created TikTok videos during the brand’s launch Curious how it happened? Find out how → https://lnkd.in/gz6Fdt3T

Innovation isn’t just about having a great idea—it’s about creating the space for that idea to take shape. Last week we joined our long-time partners at Sanofi’s headquarters in Paris to celebrate the Global Student Innovation Challenge. With coaching from IDEO and Sanofi, finalist teams framed meaningful design opportunities, prototyped innovative solutions, and brought compelling, human-centered solutions to life. Teams Waveform, Blossom, and Zefira were recognized for bold, user-centered approaches to large-volume drug delivery devices and awarded $2 million dollars collectively. Here are three design principles that helped shape the winning projects: 1. Great design starts with a well-framed problem Our design coaching helped team Waveform translate their unwavering focus on injection pain reduction into defensible, differentiated device IP–earning them first place. 2. Prototyping builds confidence in innovation By making design questions concrete, prototyping reveals what works, what doesn’t, and what to do next. Using nothing more than a toilet paper roll and a penny, team Zefira explored how elements of their device needed to be positioned and which affordances would make it usable in real contexts. 3. Storytelling brings complex visions to life Team Blossom leveraged the design process to translate a highly technical concept into a cohesive ecosystem of branded elements, bringing their innovation to life as a clear, compelling, and holistic system. It’s been an honor to partner with Sanofi to help generate bold new ideas for drug delivery and equip the next generation of leaders with the skills to turn insight into impact! Miguel Herrera Macias Hannah Rosenfeld Matthew Higham Sara McGuyer

What if we treated our relationship with advanced technologies, such as AI, as we would treat relationships with new life forms? This question sits behind a powerful old idea: mutualism. In biology, mutualism describes relationships where different species support one another’s survival. It offers a framework for imagining a world where humans and advanced technologies can coexist and flourish together. And while the idea may sound out there, some companies are already designing AI tools intended to benefit humans at their core. What would happen if we chose to evolve together? And how might that change design? Find out how mutualism can reframe the way we think about AI → https://lnkd.in/gvduhVuP Savannah Kunovsky Alex Gallafent

NEW! Applied Futuring Workshop You probably feel it already. Assumptions that felt solid six months ago now feel shaky, and trend reports give you predictions without clear ways to act. Most teams are reacting. Few feel truly prepared.   That’s why we created our Applied Futuring Workshop, a new live, one-time offer from IDEO U designed to help you look ahead far enough to make better decisions today. Taught by IDEO’s own Futurist-in-Residence, Jennifer Lo. Workshop enrollment closes on March 3rd. Learn more and enroll today at https://lnkd.in/gH4Wg7z5