IDEO.org

In our final perspective of the year, we revisited the questions we asked—and those asked of us—that shaped our work in 2024. Themes of loneliness, connection, and care felt more urgent than ever, influencing how we approached our work, partnered with communities, and supported one another. These ideas guided our designs and challenged us to think deeply about building a more compassionate world. This piece, written by Diane D'Costa, Claudia Sosa Lazo, Ankita Roy, Harmonie Coleman, Belinda Jivapong, Edwin Mwai, Nakhanu Wafula, Aya Jaffar, and Chi Offomah, is both a reflection on the year that’s been and an invitation to continue exploring as we move forward. As we step into 2025, we wish you rest, connection, and care this holiday season. Thank you for being part of our community, for your endless curiosity, and for your commitment to creating futures worth building. Until next year, IDEO.org https://lnkd.in/etZndrdW

BIG NEWS! 💥 We’ve partnered with Canva to launch an accessible, self-paced, Human-Centered Design course designed for anyone eager to catalyze change in their community, workplace, and beyond. Packed with practical tools and real-world examples, this course takes you beyond brainstorming to build solutions that truly stick. We’re big believers that HCD is for everyone; that’s why this course is approachable, and crafted to empower changemakers at every level. As we step into the new year, it’s the perfect time to set bold intentions and explore fresh ways to make an impact. Check out the course here: #canva #design #humancentereddesign #designthinking #HCD

Great design shifts paradigms. It redefines what’s possible, revealing futures that are more joyful and just. Through programs like Reimagine Care and the Health Equity Collective, we’ve partnered with community leaders, families, activists, experts, and organizations to create a new collective vision for healthcare and childcare in the U.S. Together, we’ve launched bold campaigns and co-designed services and products that set a more compassionate and dignified standard for what care and well-being can feel like across the country. We know that when design strives beyond “good enough,” it shifts paradigms, transforming how we see the world and the possibilities within it. This giving season, join us in designing solutions that rewrite the rules. With your support, we’ve already impacted over 65 million lives globally. In the next five years, we aim to reach 100 million more—because everyone deserves great. And great is what we’re here for. https://lnkd.in/eYj86Y54

Great design doesn’t stop after it solves. It scales. It adapts to new contexts, evolves with minimal resources, and reaches new communities again and again. From a family planning game that helps young couples and their influencers in Burkina Faso make informed decisions—later adapted to the contexts of three additional countries in the Sahel—to an open-source vaccine confidence toolkit designed to address evolving COVID-19 fears in communities across the U.S., our designs are built to scale impact. This giving season, join us in supporting great design solutions that don’t settle. With your help, we’ve transformed the futures of over 65 million lives globally. In the next five years, we aim to reach 100 million more—because everyone deserves access to great. And great is what we’re here for https://lnkd.in/eYj86Y54

When you were a teen, how did you learn about sexual health? Who did you trust? For many young people today, sex-ed is defined by misinformation, stigma, and a lack of open conversations. In partnership with Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL)'s Trust Her initiative, we flipped the script on the dreaded “talk” and transformed the conversation around sexual health into a team-oriented and approachable experience. Through a mobile pop-up that meets teens and their parents where they already are—farmers' markets, street fairs, and community events—we created a space where curiosity and education thrive. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gYsCD-Pf #sexualhealth #teenhealth #herchoice #sexed

In impossible times, constraints feel defining, pressuring us to settle for “good enough.” But at IDEO.org, we know what great can do. Great design saves lives, empowering 53 million people through COVID-19 campaigns. It fosters safety, driving a 154% increase in HIV testing for men who have sex with men in Zimbabwe. And it creates access, reaching 4.7 million people with digital finance tools. This giving season, join us in delivering great design solutions that adapt to shifting realities, implement with ease, and create lasting impact. With your support, we’ve already impacted over 65 million lives—and over 5 years, we aim to reach 100 million more. Because everyone deserves great. And great is what we’re here for. https://lnkd.in/eYj86Y54

Tomorrow, our Executive Design Director, Mary Katica, and Partnerships Director, Luan Nio, will lead two Creative Tensions sessions at #SOCAP2024, tackling the complexities of systems change, both broadly and in the context of carbon markets. We'll explore the push-and-pull dynamics driving social impact work: balancing speed with trust, navigating between global frameworks and local adaptations, and choosing when to scale vs. shift mindsets. Join us as we confront the tough questions and lean into the tensions that fuel meaningful transformation—see you there! Oct 29, 10:45am | Creative Tensions: Risk & Rewards of the Carbon Market with Luan Nio and Liz Diebold Oct 29, 1:30pm | Creative Tensions: Powering Systems Change with Mary Katica and Luan Nio

Last week, our Senior Business Designer Agnes Ogallo spoke at #FinclusionWeek about our work designing Bright Futures—a financial empowerment program supporting garment workers in Vietnam. During our panel with local design partner Doodle Design, Agnes shared how designing for financial inclusion isn’t just about economic mobility—it’s an opportunity to transform gender narratives, norms, and inequities. By designing with the whole human experience in mind, we create solutions that address the root causes of exclusion and foster impact beyond surface-level fixes. Check out a recording of the session here: https://lnkd.in/e7wexZgE Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) #FinancialInclusion #BrightFutures #GenderEquality #FIW24

Excited for this chat with Mary Katica, AIGA Design & IDEO.org about gender transformative design, what it looks like to tangibly move women from the margins in service and product design, & some of our fav tools Join us: https://lnkd.in/e2wEN2HC

Join us at Mercy Corps AgriFin's 8th Learning Event! On October 15, join IDEO.org’s Design Director Alex Nana-Sinkam and Program Director Larrissa Bachia for a masterclass on combining the analytical power of systems thinking with the creative approach of human-centered design. Learn mapping tools to sharpen your focus, uncover insights, and identify impactful solutions. Through our case studies, we'll explore how these methods have transformed systems that support smallholder farmers. https://lnkd.in/gzki_DR2 #ALE2024 #AgriFinALE2024 #Agrifoodtech #agtech #agrifoodsystems