About
Gretchen Addi, an Associate Partner at IDEO, coleads the San Francisco office and provides leadership and guidance related to our Human Factors discipline in the Bay Area. She is passionate about the power of empathy in design — and the people who make it happen.
Since joining IDEO in 2000, Gretchen has contributed to diverse projects, including future work environment scenarios; a redesign of the atrium experience for SFMOMA; an exploration of the future of health care (the patient and family experience); research related to the automotive industry, cosmetics, and home products; and customer profiles for a financial services startup. She’s also worked to better understand the needs of the aging population and to help inform IDEO’s design of products, services, and spaces for this growing market.
Prior to IDEO, Gretchen worked for various large and small design and architecture firms in the US and abroad on a wide range of retail, commercial, and health-care projects. She speaks at design conferences, coordinates seminars and events for professional organizations, and serves as an instructor at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.
Speaking Highlights
Speaking Topics
Design Research
Design Thinking
Environments Design
Human Factors
Innovation Strategy
Retail & Hospitality