Sandy Speicher

Sandy Speicher

Sandy Speicher leads IDEO’s Design for Learning domain, which brings human-centered thinking to systemic challenges in education. Her work helps educators use design tools and methods to work in new ways, to prepare for future challenges, and to transform their organizations and communities. Much of her focus has been with school teachers, students, and administrators, exploring how design thinking can contribute to education systems. Sandy has also led and contributed to programs in the areas of telecommunications, health care, and social innovation.

Prior to joining IDEO, Sandy—who collects all things Mona Lisa—taught visual communications at Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) and design thinking to fitth-graders at a public school in San Francisco. She launched her corporate career at MetaDesign San Francisco, where she worked with the Denver Art Museum, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Palm, Netflix, Ernst & Young, Wells Fargo, and other clients. At IDEO, Sandy focuses on identity systems, interactive design, and environmental design for clients such as Washington University School of Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, The Paine Art Center and Gardens, and AT&T.

Sandy holds an MA in education from Stanford University and a BFA in visual communications from Washington University. She currently serves as a strategic adviser for the K-12 Lab at Stanford’s d.school and a member of the advisory board for the university’s Learning, Design and Technology program.

Topics Sandy speaks on:

  • Design Thinking
  • Education
  • Organizational Transformation

Speaking engagements:

August 2010, The Design Thinking Classroom, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. New York, NY.

April 2010, “Developing Thinkers for the Innovation Economy”, Global Business and Education Forum, Washington DC

April 2010, “Designing Movements”, Ashoka Future Forum, Washington DC

December 2009, “Trends in Design Education”, CII-NID National Design Summit, Delhi, India

August 2009, "Unleashing Knowledge and Innovation for the Next Generation of Learning", National Innovation Summit, session leader, Albuquerque, NM

July 2009, “Design as a Process for Learning”, Summer Design Institute for k-12 teachers, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Keynote, New Orleans, LA

May 2009, “Innovating Toward Excellence: Education Entrepreneurs and the Transformation of Public Education,” New Schools Venture Fund Summit, session leader (download the full event report here)

April 2009, “Provocations about the Future… and Implications on Learning”, ISA Think Tank, Washington DC

April 2009, “Change is the Only Constant”, MiamiDesign200: Symposium on Design, Creativity & Innovation, Miami University, keynote

February 2009, "The Ever-Present Need for Design Thinking," Design Next—Inspiring Transformation, Pune, India

August 2008, “Innovation and Transformation in Education”, Knowledge Alliance Summit

July 2008, “Design as a Process for Learning”, Summer Design Institute for k-12 teachers, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Minneapolis, MN

November 2007, “The Power and Possibilities of Design Thinking”, Conference for K–12 Educators, Kutztown University, keynote

July 2005, Summer Design Institute for k-12 teachers, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York, NY

Published works:

March 2009, Human-Centered Design Toolkit, IDEO

February 2009, “IDEO’s Ten Tips For Creating a 21st–Century Classroom Experience,” Metropolis magazine

October 2007, “Tangible Steps Toward Tomorrow,” W.K. Kellogg Foundation