IDEO Patterns

From 2009 to 2011, IDEO published 35 issues of PATTERNS—explorations into the common insights we saw bubbling up across projects, as well as out and about in the world. This was a tap into IDEO’s collective intelligence to do better work for our clients—even faster.

Download all the issues below.

IDEO Patterns

Issue 1: Business in Beta
Don't wait for perfection—launch and learn

Issue 2: Designing for Life's Changes
Helping people navigate change can win deep loyalty

Issue 3: Brand Morsels in Down Times
Engage new brands through compelling micro-moments

Issue 4: The Exchange Economy
Multiplying value to drive economic growth

Issue 5: Belt Tightening
How the recession might make for better business

Issue 6: The 'I' In Community
Enabling the individual enables the community

Issue 7: The Curation Cure
Turns out, you actually can have too much of a good thing

Issue 8: Stories as Cultural Currency
Stories as cultural currency

Issue 9: The Turn Toward Tangibility
To have and to hold in economic downturn

Issue 10: Know Me/Nudge Me
Trading personal information for personalized services

Issue 11: Identity Play
People's confidence with ambiguity leads to increased flirtation with multiple personalities

Issue 12: Reframing Behavior
Sustainable change requires the right mental model

Issue 13: Tipping Desire into Action
People aspire to reach their goals, but need a little extra help

Issue 14: Continuous Conversations
Using new media to build always-on relationships

Issue 15: Redesigning Masculinity
How men are emerging from the gray zone of gender roles

Issue 16: The Duality of Desire
As people struggle to balance their impulsive and considered ideas, design may hold the key

Issue 17: Micro Matters
Individuals want to understand how changing their light bulbs impacts the world

Issue 18: Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility
Moving a company from 'bolt-on' to 'built-in' social responsibility

Issue 19: Good Used to be Easy
Finding new ways to navigate complexity

Issue 20: Transparency Made Meaningful
Connecting with consumers through relevant, purposeful, and actionable transparency

Issue 21: Advocates in Bloom
Creating consumer connections by engaging advocates

Issue 22: Creating Flow
Designing seamless interactions through the integration of software and hardware

Issue 23: Behavior Change at Scale
Converting public policy into personal action

Issue 24: Not-So-Real Estate
Flexibility and rapid change in the rigid urban landscape

Issue 25: Sugar Coating Conversation
A spoonful of smart design helps the medicine of conversation go down

Issue 26: Guilty Secrets
Reframing social taboos as design opportunities

Issue 27: Shanzhai
Copycat designs as an open platform for innovation

Issue 28: Quality Design for the Poor
Poor people can't afford cheap things

Issue 29: The Millennial Inquirer
Gen Y as a springboard for change in the workplace

Issue 30: Care and Repair
Strengthening bonds with the things we buy

Issue 31: Social Media Bolsters Big Brands
Viral video. Selective tweets. Consumer reviews. How a few corporate marketers are getting a leg up online.

Issue 32: Serve the People
How consumers in China are redefining customer service—and changing everyone's expectations

Issue 33: Gamifying the World
Bringing elements of play to routine tasks can make the activities more tolerable—even fun

Issue 34: Money Goes Mobile
Switching from paper to digital systems makes financial services globally accessible (and relevant)

Issue 35: Small's Big Potential
Pave the way for impact by striking a balance between the small and the big