About

Nathan Waterhouse co-leads OpenIDEO with Tom Hulme , a Web-based platform that enables the community at large to help design human-centered solutions to social and environmental problems worldwide. Based in Palo Alto, California, Nathan develops and explores the potential of open innovation as it grows and matures as a business model, using it to create new concepts and offerings for IDEO clients in the US.

Nathan previously co-led the organizational design practice for IDEO Europe. During his tenure, he worked with companies in diverse industries (from financial services to health care) to help them understand why innovation is important, what types are appropriate for different companies, and how to support an entire enterprise in building upon its existing assets to meet future needs and goals.

Nathan has always been fascinated by how technology can be used to encourage collaboration within groups of people, from professionals employed by the same company to colleagues connected by online social networks. His innovative work in this area has been featured by the BBC and MTV and has appeared in more than a dozen major art exhibitions, from Touch Me at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to the International Furniture Fair in Milan, Italy.

Prior to joining IDEO, Nathan worked for Vodafone, where he managed the concept innovation team and developed a pioneering approach to involving users in the development process. Before that, Nathan contributed to the creative agencies Small Back Room and Livewire. He also ran his own design consultancy, which specialized in digital services. His work for clients such as Coca-Cola, Pfizer, and the Science Museum ranged from developing tools that enabled internal change to creating interactive experiences for consumers.

Nathan holds a master’s in interaction design from the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, Italy, and a bachelor’s in product design from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London.

Follow @natwaterhouse on Twitter.

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