Fevers. Boogers. Yucky meds. IDEO Play Lab designers dove deeply into the challenges of sick days and doctors’ appointments through video diaries, online surveys, and in-person interviews with parents, healthcare providers, and small children in homes and pediatric offices across the US. They heard about the struggles of giving medicines, wonky thermometer readings, kids having “stethoscope scaries,” and, worst of all, what happens when kiddos hear the “s-word”—shot.

‍‍The research confirmed Sydney and Kaitlin’s initial hunches about playful healthcare products and provided the team with insights on how to move forward. The answer was a formula of sorts. To help reduce kids’ anxiety and keep them calm at the doctor, give them a choice in their care whenever possible. Build familiarity with doctor’s visits and medical devices through playful moments at home. Redirect their attention away from fear. Design for multisensory richness. And provide age-appropriate narratives about healthcare experiences.

Inspired by this kid-centric formula, the IDEO Play Lab team worked closely with Sydney, Kaitlin, and their co-founder, Michael Kamins, to iterate on several designs, winnowing down more than 150 brainstorm ideas into a dozen tangible prototypes (or tinker models) that were shown to doctors, nurses, parents, and young kids for feedback. The designs—a rocket ship medicine dispenser, an elephant-shaped nose aspirator, and a narwhal nasal bulb, among others—were intended to evoke a sense of playfulness, comfort, and familiarity, with features designed for maximum cuteness. Some even lit up and played sounds, like popular toys.

While the designs passed the fun test with kids, they also needed to be functional for parents, trusted by doctors, easily manufactured, and affordable. Eventually, they would need to be approved by the FDA as regulated medical devices. Playhouse MD also requested patentable innovations to help protect their products from imitation.

With these constraints in mind, IDEO Play Lab delivered a collection of nine unique, high-fidelity prototypes that add a dose of fun to caretaking challenges in homes and doctors’ offices. The final designs were durable, medically sanitizable, and safe for testing with real kids, which helped the startup secure multiple rounds of funding and bring its first products to market in 18 months.

Playhouse MD began selling its first four direct-to-consumer products on its website in June 2025: two Medicine Buddies (medicine dispensers shaped like a rocket ship and a butterfly) and two Booger Buddies (a light-up nasal aspirator elephant called Luna and a light-up nasal bulb narwhal named Noa, which was named one of The Best Inventions of 2025 by TIME). The products are available at Target and Babylist stores, and on Amazon through leading medical distributor McKesson Medical-Surgical.

Most companies design child healthcare devices with parents’ or doctors’ tastes in mind; none, however, focus on what will make kids smile, too.

TIME Best Inventions of 2025

in the Parenting Category, Playhouse MD's Light-Up Nasal Bulb

1 ½ years

from initial brainstorms to in-market launch of 4 kid-centric medical products

Verathon offers one of the broadest portfolios of video laryngoscopes on the market. While these life-saving devices increase the likelihood of successful first-time intubations, reducing trauma and speeding recovery times, they are more costly and can be more challenging to learn how to use than traditional mechanical ones, which rely on directly looking at the vocal cords. Wanting to make it easier for cost-conscious hospital administrators to transition from traditional laryngoscopes to Verathon’s video systems, the medical device manufacturer asked IDEO to technically and visually unite its next-gen reusable baton and stats, ensuring they worked together seamlessly, flexibly, and intuitively during the most routine and demanding healthcare moments.

‍The IDEO and Verathon teams used a prototype-led approach to safely gain feedback from anesthesiologists and emergency physicians. Research participants were given various intubation models to simulate surgical use cases and understand ergonomic trade-offs between different design directions. Insights from the field led to design principles such as prioritizing device balance over weight reduction, providing flexibility to accommodate a variety of gripping positions, making connection points between various parts clear, intuitive, and secure, and ensuring the device was easy to clean.

Inspired by physician feedback, the team designed an innovative video baton that felt both familiar and new, supported the ergonomics of diverse holding styles, and fit Verathon’s wide range of stat sizes (one of its competitive advantages). To prevent accidental disconnections, users receive clear tactile, visual, and sound feedback when the monitor and cover are correctly attached to the baton. IDEO chose color, materials, and finishes to help clinicians quickly distinguish between parts of the system and easily identify reusable components from single-use ones.

Verathon’s new GlideScope ClearFit stats-based video laryngoscope hit the market in August 2025. Combining one reusable baton with an industry-leading selection of six single-use stats, it’s compatible with both the GlideScope® Go™ 2 handheld and GlideScope® Core™ cart-based systems. Magnetic QuickConnect™ technology allows doctors to seamlessly switch between platforms, giving hospitals a standardized airway management solution that simplifies workflows, streamlines inventory, enhances medical education and training, and promotes cost-effective care.

Verathon invented video laryngoscopy technology. Twenty years later, the COVID-19 pandemic spurred more competitors to enter the market.

‍

Cutting-edge technologies like video laryngoscopes are critical—and costly—devices. Hospital systems want to invest in the most comprehensive, flexible, adaptable, and affordable tools for quality patient care

6 shapes and sizes

of single-use covers fit one video baton, enabling health workers to quickly access different throat anatomies

Since its founding in 1992 by the Gokongwei family, which also operates one of the nation’s largest conglomerates, JG Summit Holdings, GBF has supported Philippine education through student scholarships, teacher training funds, and donations to top universities. Over its 30-plus-year history, GBF has reached more than 200,000 teachers and impacted over 1.5 million learners nationwide. When the foundation approached IDEO in 2021, it wanted to move the needle on STEM education in the country’s struggling public schools.

The IDEO and GBF teams interviewed more than 100 subject-matter experts across various government agencies, leading technology companies, and top national universities and educational institutions to build a comprehensive understanding of the current state of STEM in the Philippines. To experience classroom struggles firsthand, the team also shadowed STEM educators and principals. The research revealed that time-strapped teachers needed help mastering overall STEM content, preparing for their classes, and selecting the most suitable activities for their students. They also didn’t always feel supported in their own career development journeys. But the burden of daily responsibilities didn’t leave them any time for outside learning opportunities, either. 

Recognizing that empowering teachers empowers students, the team created an innovative lesson prep tool, the GBF Class Builder, that's based on these insights. Using existing technology and course materials designed to align with school curricula, IDEO developed a working prototype of the Class Builder in under a week, with minimal investment. The team then systematically improved it over several “build-test-iterate” feedback cycles in real classrooms over the course of four months.

The final GBF Class Builder is a targeted program that helps STEM teachers deliver compelling lessons for their students, learn new teaching strategies, and build content mastery along the way. In addition to helping design the Class Builder, IDEO continues to advise GBF on key aspects of the program's piloting and rollout. This includes advising on how to implement the content development, think through the curriculum development process, support in designing feature iterations, define metrics for success, and decide which additional roles GBF will need to support the ambitious program going forward. 

The foundation launched the GBF Class Builder at its 30th-anniversary celebration in 2023. Feedback from pilot 3,500 public schools and 15,000 teachers has been overwhelmingly positive. “Through the GBF Class Builder, we envision our teachers to be more confident and effective in class, more ready to face the challenges of the future, while enjoying every class—feeling proud to be a teacher, " says Grace Colet, Executive Director of GBF.
‍
The ambitious program continues to scale and is on track to be rolled out in public schools nationwide by 2029.

90% of 10-year-olds in the Philippines can’t read a simple text, according to a Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics report. Eighty-three percent of Filipino 10-year-olds lack minimum proficiency in math.

More than 15,000 teachers in 3,500 public schools

are now using the innovative GBF Class Builder program
‍

94%

of teachers report the GBF Class Builder has improved student engagement, while 89% say it saves them 1-2 hours in prep time per lesson

Fizik came to IDEO with the aim of entering the helmet market with a range of high-end performance options fit for road racing, mountain biking, time trials/triathlons, and everyday cycling. Fizik planned to use its world-class production and engineering capabilities (the company is part of the Selle Royal Group, which has over 1,400 employees and manages five other cycling brands, including Crankbrothers and Brooks England). IDEO’s task was to develop an on-brand design language that would unify its new helmet line and integrate seamlessly with the sleek, modern aesthetics of the company’s other products.

The design sprint began with in-context interviews with avid and professional cyclists to learn what they wanted—and didn’t—in a helmet. Unlike other accessories, such as shoes or shorts, riders viewed helmets as a necessity rather than an exciting or aspirational purchase. They also wanted a helmet that complemented their overall style, rather than standing out, and had a flattering silhouette. Avoiding making a cyclist look like a “mushroom” was key.

‍

Different cycling styles involve varying riding postures, ranging from a dropped and horizontal position (time trial/triathlete) to an upright and vertical position (mountain biking). IDEO proposed a family of helmet designs that correspond accordingly. On the horizontal extreme, the time trial/triathlete helmet has the most fluid, organic, aerodynamic shape. A statement of refined simplicity and speed, it features minimal venting and a magnetic wrap-around visor to reduce drag that can be exchanged for the rider’s own cycling glasses.

On the vertical extreme, the mountain biking helmet features a more rugged, angular form with an adjustable brim, rectangular venting, and boxier, back-of-the-head protection. It also offers affordances for goggles, sunglass storage, a GoPro mount, and an optional integrated rear light.

In between, a compact helmet for road racing features evolutionary variations on these design extremes, with more venting as well as a front glasses holder and integrated rear light. All four helmets strike a balance between lightness, comfort, safety, and performance, embodying Fizik’s signature modern style.

In April 2025, Fizik launched all four helmet models simultaneously: Kassis (mountain biking), Kunee (trial/triathlon), Kudo, and the more aerodynamic Kudo Aero for road and gravel. The helmets were greeted with critical acclaim from the cycling world, while Virginia Tech’s independent helmet-safety research lab gave them five-star performance ratings for their strength and durability.‍

‍

Legendary cycling company Fizik was known for its high-performance bike seats and shoes, but wanted to be a fierce entrant in a challenging product category—helmets.

4

new helmet designs

1

new product category

Take a look at ChatGPT or other generative AI systems, and you’ll notice they look a lot like a Google search bar.

We’re still in the awkward, early phases of AI, where the technology is so new, the only way people have figured out how to interact with it is a way they’re already familiar with—even if it doesn’t make the most of the new technology. (ChatGPT itself admits its interface wasn’t designed with users in mind.)

Given where we are in the evolution of the technology, we decided to imagine new models for how we would want to interact with A.I. We borrowed a little inspiration from the Joaquin Phoenix movie Her, about a man who falls in love with the operating system in his phone, and the concept of calm technology, which is unobtrusive and embedded in our everyday lives, to come up with seven ideas for AI interaction paradigms we’d like to see in the world. There was only one rule: no chatbots. (Spoiler: We broke the rule.)

Here’s what we came up with.

1. Neverending Story Book: AI-generated bedtime stories 

This hardware device uses generative AI to always tell a new tale—and one that users can help shape. While some inputs are constrained, like the genre knobs, the subject matter open input box can accommodate as much creativity as the user can produce. This combination of constrained and flexible inputs provides guardrails for how users are meant to interact with the device, and by extension generative AI.

2. Tamaglitchi: An AI pet, embodied

It’s about time somebody made a pet with an off button. Tamaglitchi uses models trained on thousands of hours of dog and cat noises, behaviors, and interactions with humans to create an experience that is so close to having an actual pet, your parents can’t say no. (A prototype to meow at, via Character.AI.)

3. Portals: Handheld, AI-enabled circular lens that enhances connections

With so many devices that command our attention and pull us away from our physical environment, Portals are windows that allow us to refocus on the people in our lives and the natural world. Leaning into the passthrough quality of augmented reality, Portals allow users to capture memories and style inspiration in real time with minimal disruption to their field-of-view. Using machine learning models, Portals provide users with valuable social nudges and additional context to objects, people, and places in their environment.

‍

4. RemixRemote: Custom entertainment content on demand

The future of personalized entertainment: When you have a specific amount of time available and an inkling of what you might like to watch, you can generate something that meets your specific needs. The RemixRemote uses generative AI to create unique content tailored to your taste and time availability. Collect ideas of what you’re interested in, then press down on the voice input dial to describe qualitative aspects of your inspiration. Pressed for time? Each turn of the dial cuts (or adds) 15 minutes to your content’s duration, making sure you can fit this into your schedule.

‍

5. Collective Sentiment Mirror: An installation that summarizes conversations 

This AI will gauge the conversations in a room and spatially map them in an installation in the ceiling. Each person is represented by a glowing dot, and as they interact with other people, interconnections between the dots grow. Opt-in poetry: The ceiling can also generate poetic summaries, picking up nouns or a single word based on the conversations happening in the space. 

‍

6. Scent Capture: Meet the eNose

eNoses digitize odors using a graph neural network. Once scent is recorded, scent capture will organize, tag, and combine smells to create AI-generated scents as unique as you. Relive your experiences by sending your custom scent profiles to be translated into physical forms like perfumes, candles, and essential oils.

And for the last one, we tossed out the rulebook, leaning into chatbots.

‍

7. ArticulateGPT: An LLM that reduces articulation barriers

ArticulateGPT seeks to address one of the biggest issues users face today: their ability to translate their thoughts into words. It gives users options for what to say, so they don’t have to deal with the paralysis of a blank slate. But it’s not just to help with speech or written communication; users can flow between multiple media types, like text, code, imagery, video, audio, and even 3-D. 

How do you want to interact with A.I.? We’d love to hear from you: ai@ideo.com

Special thanks to Grishma Rao, Neal Boyer, and Ceci Gomez for their work in coming up with these concepts. 

When humans design paradigm-shifting technologies, they often create a similar interaction model as the technologies that came before.

He made a plea: “I need your help. If you have looked at computers, they look like garbage. All the great product designers are off designing automobiles or buildings … People are going to spend more time interacting with these machines than they do interacting with automobiles today.”

Jobs foresaw a future where those machines—computers—would be central to our lives. But he also knew that if mass adoption was to happen, they’d need to make them more beautiful, intuitive, and delightful. In other words, more desirable. 

So what does that have to do with the climate crisis? 

Climate solutions already exist. Whether based in nature or in state-of-the-art technologies, we have the means to halve emissions in the next decade. But if we are to avoid the most dire consequences of climate change, these solutions must be adopted much faster, in more places, by many more governments, businesses, and people.

The climate crisis is a technology challenge, an investment challenge, and a regulatory challenge. But it is also a crisis of adoption, where we need to accelerate the uptake of climate strategies, solutions, and jobs. Fast.

The climate crisis is also a crisis of adoption.

Just as happened with computers in the 1980s, public interest in sustainable solutions is growing, but has not yet reached mass appeal. It makes sense: When was the last time you saw a house that looked better with the addition of solar panels? Or a community excited to install wind power in their backyard?

Desirability can help. What if regenerative agriculture could be a simpler business for farmers and a more affordable option for people? What if alternative meats tasted demonstrably better than a burger made of beef? What if repairing something you already have could be as much of a thrill as buying something new?

Since our early days, IDEO has centered people’s needs and desires—often hidden or latent—in how we think about design. Over time, that work has extended into helping the world’s leading companies make sustainability desirable, from designing electric cars with Ford, or removing waste from H&M’s supply chain, to helping Conservation International design strategies that protect natural resources.

We see three ways design can make the greatest impact toward accelerating and scaling effective climate action. Each supports our central thesis: The climate crisis is a human crisis. If we want businesses and people to make a climate-positive choice, make sure it’s a desirable choice.

1. Create compelling future visions, especially for leaders.

‍Nobody is willing to embrace the pain of change unless they see potential for a better future on the other side—including both new opportunities and ways to avoid loss. We see leaders experience a symphony of emotions over the course of climate-centered work, from denial to acceptance to purpose. That angst is the hallmark of a shifting mental model—from seeing sustainability as a business constraint to seeing it as an opportunity for growth. Futuring—the craft of creating informed and plausible visions of the future—is a key design tool to help that process along. When leaders explore potential futures, they realize they can’t opt out of the climate crisis, and start to see the extraordinary potential of the moment they’re in.

2. Design iconic products, services, and experiences, specifically for the Climate Era.

The competitive advantage of the future will be enjoyed by companies that thrive within planetary boundaries. The pressure is coming from constraints on resources, more stringent regulation, and shifts in public sentiment. But that’s an opportunity too: to make iconic things that could only be designed in, and for, the Climate Era.

One example: The Ford F-150 is currently America’s best-selling truck. IDEO helped Ford design its latest edition: the electric F-150 Lightning, which has been described as the best version of the truck. Here’s why: The Lightning has more power and torque than any of its predecessors and more electric sockets than the average apartment. When there’s an emergency, like the catastrophic storm that hit Texas a couple years ago, the F-150 saves the day by acting as an emergency power backup. There is also the “frunk” (a storage compartment where the internal combustion engine once was) that doubles as a cooler, and a tailgate that can be converted into a workbench for power tools, laptops, and more. Is it sustainable? For the truck owner, that’s not the point. The point is that it’s a better truck.

None of the F-150 Lightning features can be copied by a truck with an internal combustion engine. They are all creative affordances of the core technology behind the F-150 Lightning—electrification. 

In other words, in the Climate Era the goal should not be to create a sustainable version of a given product. It should be to create a far better version of a product in ways made possible because it’s sustainable. 

Ford’s F-150 Lightning is an example of an iconic Climate Era product, and it’s showing the way for the entire industry. The world needs many more.

3. Merge product innovation and sustainability into one team.

The vast majority of  sustainability-related challenges begin at the design stage, yet most of today’s efforts are focused on compliance—reducing the negative impacts of things that are already in the market. 

Transforming a business to operate within our planetary boundaries is an innovation challenge, not a reporting, marketing, or PR one. So nature-positive thinking needs to show up from the start, with innovators, designers, and technologists who are versed in sustainable strategies. Leading organizations are now hiring combined Heads of Innovation and Sustainability. 

As the decade progresses, we foresee corporations transitioning from an umbrella, organizational level of accountability—“getting to Net Zero”—to requirements and norms that operate at the level of individual products. Allbirds’ net zero shoe, Apple’s net zero watch, and the regenerative packaging solutions created by Notpla serve as early examples. The teams behind those products will inspire others and be the engines of change for our economy—and they’ll attract funding, talent, and customers faster than anyone else.

One large grain of salt: Designing for desirability is one of the reasons why we’re in this mess. 

Design has fuelled mass consumption of disposable goods. Can the force that helped create the problem be redirected to help solve it? We believe it can and it must.

Government policy and private and public investment create the conditions that push the adoption of climate solutions, but it’s desire that creates the pull. That’s why making climate solutions desirable is a critical piece of the climate action puzzle. Push and pull. We need both.  

Back in 1984, Jobs closed his speech to designers with this: 

"We at Apple feel that … we are at the right place at the right time to put something back. [M]ost of us didn’t make the clothes we’re wearing, and we didn’t cook or grow the food we eat … We are constantly taking.

The ability to put something back into the pool of human experience is extremely neat. I think that everyone knows that in the next ten years we have the chance to really do that. And we will look back and say ‘God, we were a part of that!’”

Especially in industrialized regions, like Europe and North America, we built our lives and economies around taking whatever we wanted from the planet.

It’s long past time to stop taking. We have to put something back. And that means redesigning much of our world to meet the demands of the Climate Era, and to do it within our lifetimes.

Change at such a scale can only happen fast if it’s what people want.

In other words, it’s time to make better things … because it’s a way we can make things better.

‍

In Dubai for #COP28? Please join one or more of the IDEO Climate Lab sessions, where we’ll explore these questions in greater depth.

‍If you want to know more about IDEO’s climate-centered work, please get in touch: climate@ideo.com.

We stole this headline from Steve Jobs. In 1984, five months after Apple introduced the first Macintosh, Jobs spoke at the International Design Conference in Aspen.

Founding Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, known to most as the d.school, was a big part of that. The goal of the d.school has always been to bring diverse disciplines together to solve problems, and to help people gain creative confidence.

But we’ve never wanted our methods and capabilities to be siloed within our walls. That’s why I’m so proud to share the collection of design guide books the d.school has published, written by colleagues and friends with whom I’ve had the opportunity to work and teach. To give you a sense of what you can find in them, I’ve asked the editors at IDEO to spotlight some of the things they particularly liked, so that we could have the pleasure of sharing them with the broader community. I am giving them as holiday gifts this year and our friends at Porchlight Books are offering a special discount  if you want to do the same. Enjoy!

—David Kelley

‍

The Secret Language of Maps by Carissa Carter

Whatever you think this book might look like, get ready for a surprise. Instead of a dry how-to, Carissa Carter, the academic director at the d.school, opens her book with the first chapter of a murder mystery, using a set of clues to illustrate a lesson on the wide range of forms that maps can take. Cartographic formats, data exploration, and methods are woven in between the chapters, drawing on the clues and themes to not only help you solve the mystery, but also expand your definition and understanding of what maps can be, and how you can craft your own. More than a clever manual that is useful for anyone making maps or graphs, The Secret Language of Maps breaks ground on an entirely new genre of instructional storytelling.

‍

Design for Belonging by Susie Wise and Design Social Change by Lesley-Ann Noel

Together, these two books offer paths to help navigate building a more inclusive world. 

Dr. Susie Wise, the founder and former director of the K12 Lab Network at the d.school, breaks down Design for Belonging into three chunks: the feeling of belonging, the moments during which belonging occurs, and the process of shaping your context so that belonging can emerge. The first chunk has exercises to help designers uncover what it really feels like to belong, while the second invites you to deconstruct belonging in your own life and the systems you dwell in—from the experience of entering a place of work to shopping in a grocery store, to how you share invitations with others. The final third details the design levers you can pull to engender inclusivity, from the spaces you meet in to the rituals and groupings you create—even what you choose to wear. “When people feel like they belong, they are able to be their best and do their best,” she writes.

‍

In Design Social Change, author Lesley-Ann Noel offers a roadmap for transforming social norms, structures, and behaviors. The book includes a process guide that lays out all the steps of social change, from building a team to generating ideas and refining prototypes, but also opportunities to look inward, raise critical awareness, and understand the different types of oppression in the world around you. The “Checklist for Equity in the Design Process” is a particularly useful tool for designers to check their assumptions, ensure that they’ve considered all the stakeholders, and think through the consequences of their designs, while “Strategies for Thriving in the Face of Hostility” offers helpful methods for anyone trying to dismantle systems of oppression.

‍

You Need a Manifesto by Charlotte Burgess-Auburn 

Why do you need a manifesto, you ask? “In this age, where it seems like everyone is being recruited by everyone else every moment of the day, you need a way to recruit yourself to your own cause, a method for collecting and considering your own power to create and to make positive change in a world that sorely needs it,” writes Charlotte Burgess-Auburn, director of community at the Stanford d.school. What follows is a guide to composing your own manifesto, with recommendations for sources of inspiration and wisdom, thoughts on 21st Century design ethics, and even how to spread the word. Figure out what to say yes and no to, and what you want to go after by following this helpful guide.

‍

Make Possibilities Happen by Grace Hawthorne

The first page of this book declares it an “operator’s manual for you and your wits!” That includes a long list of activities to help you activate your ideas and creativity, including Duchamp-inspired exercises and visualizations, a guide to focusing on the things in your project you can actually control, and help crafting a pitch of your idea. Both a kick in the pants and a hand to hold, this book is great for folks looking to get their creativity into the world. 

‍

‍The full collection also includes: Drawing on Courage by Ashish Goel; Navigating Ambiguity by Andrea Small and Kelly Schmutte; This Is a Prototype by Scott Witthoft; Creative Hustle by Olatunde Sobomehin and sam seidel; and Experiments in Reflection by Leticia Britos Cavagnaro.

At some point in my career, I shifted from being the guy designing the thing, to the guy building the stage for others to do the work.

To make gifting a little easier, we’ve pulled together a list of IDEOers’ favorite things, from the best pens for drawing to our favorite pottery, and even a superior garbage can. We asked our Play Lab to weigh in on their favorite toys, too. So make your list, check it twice, and take a stroll through our 2023 Gift Guide.

FOR THE CRAFT

Pentel Sign Pens, $8 for a box of 12‍

Offering amazing ink flow with tips smaller than Sharpies, these pens are one of our designers’ favorite drawing tools. 

‍

Culture Hustle: Black 4.0, $49.99‍

According to the company, it’s the blackest black paint “in the known universe.” 

‍

Stanford d.school Book Collection, $128

We’re big fans of this collection of 10 design guide books, which is “designed to help you adapt to change, see things in new ways, work well with others, and peer into our collective future.” Give the whole set, or break them up—You Need a Manifesto is helpful for anyone navigating change, or running their own practice, while Design Social Change is a great guide to meeting the current moment.

‍

Envisioning Emotional Epistemological Information by David Byrne, $98

EEEI not only shows that PowerPoint can be art, it contains one of our designers’ favorite definition of knowledge management

‍

Manufactum Notebooks, $18

These are small enough to fit in a pocket, but with enough pages to last you for months. 

‍

FOR THE KIDS ON YOUR LIST

Magformers, $54

The fun, fidgety way these building blocks snap together makes them perfect for kids of all ages to build all sorts of things with—and of course, smash apart! Magna-Tiles may be more popular, but we prefer Magformers with their rounded edges.

‍

Books from Ashay by the Bay

This black-owned bookstore specializes in African-American and multicultural kids books, from baby board books all the way up to novels written for teens. It’s based in Vallejo, California, but ships across the country and to Canada. 

‍

Bitzee, $25

This interactive Tamagotchi—like toy with a techie twist includes 15 cute little pets for kids to discover, nurture, evolve, and play with.

‍

COOKEEZ MAKERY Cinnamon Treatz Oven, $51

Mix the ingredients into dough, mold it into a pet, pretend to bake it in the oven, and surprise! Out pops a plush pet. The trick here is finding it—it’s incredibly popular, and comes highly recommended by the Toy Lab.  

Twister Air, $15

The one toy on our list that we helped make, Twister Air is an active, digital take on the classic game. Challenge your friends to move their hands and feet to the beat—or play solo! For an app-based game, it’s a great way to get moving. 

‍

FOR SOMETHING MORE PERSONAL

Block Shop Textiles, $145-$195

The Southern California textile, art, and design studio run by two sisters has such big fans at IDEO, we actually interviewed them to learn more about their craft. Gift ideas range from a bandana printing kit to beautifully patterned bathrobes.

‍

Monastery Skincare, $48-$293

This brand is a big favorite in IDEO’s skincare lovers’ Slack channel. Fans love it for its beautiful, luxurious texture and scent. 

‍

Anecdote Candles, $26-34

An IDEO alum is behind these scented candles that also “spark a conversation.”

‍

Casio Men's Casual Classic Digital Bracelet Watch, $22

Missing the features of a smart watch, sure, but this Casio is a classic favorite that won’t have your emails popping up on your wrist.

‍

Concha Coin Purse, $7

A sweet gift with a sweeter price point, this coin purse would make a great stocking stuffer. But if you’re looking for something bigger, Chicago’s Mestiza focuses on Latinx artisanal products, and ships around the country. 

‍

FOR THE KITCHEN

Sichuan Chili Crisp, $17

At this point, Fly By Jing’s perfectly savory, spicy, crispy condiment needs no introduction from us, so consider this a gentle reminder that delicious gifts make the best gifts. 

‍

Yes, Chef Gift Box, $46

Thrill fans of The Bear with four of Oaktown Spice Shop’s favorites, vadouvan, urfa biber, umami sea salt, and kampot peppercorns. Bay Areans can visit the store in Oakland or Albany, but it ships across the country, too. 

‍

Kinto’s Travel Tumbler, $34

One IDEOer is a big fan of Kinto’s minimalist and refined design aesthetic, and the tumbler in particular, which has held up over the years with just a few dings and dents. “ As a product designer, you really can’t argue with any detail on those products,” he says. 

‍

Mill, $33-$45 per month

Composting. Great for the planet, not always great for the smell in our kitchens. Mill is something different, a bin that dehydrates and shrinks your food scraps, and a service that picks them up. One of our designers calls it “life-changing.”

‍

FOR THE HOME

Herringbone Outdoor Scraper Door Mat, $31

This doormat is a serious defender of the cleanliness of your floors, and won’t cause a wood deck to discolor or rot.

‍

Rubbermaid Defenders Step-On Trash Can, $217

If it’s good enough for infectious waste, hopefully it can handle whatever is going on at your house. One IDEOer recommends these garbage cans for their clean, classic lines, robust construction that can handle kids and dogs, and their ability to contain smells. 

Daxue Folding Garden Lounge Chairs, $265 for two

Folding chairs aren’t known for their looks, but these wooden numbers have an attractive design, don’t hold water, and are easy for kids to climb on. 

‍

East Fork Pottery, $40-$94

The Asheville, N.C.-based ceramics company makes pottery with clays from the American Southeast, crafting everything from mugs and plates to vessels that hold candles. Check out gifts under $100, like a four-pack of bowls in panna cotta, or a mug in Henri’s red. 

‍

FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT

AI Against Humanity, $40‍

Made by a former IDEOer, this dystopian take on Cards Against Humanity puts the future of the world in your hands. It comes complete with 200 cards of technological turmoil and venture capitalist wild cards. “Get ready for a dystopian deck where Silicon Valley fantasy gets a reality-check.” 

‍

Session Bong, $185

IDEO alum Vinh Pho’s Session Goods has created award-winning glass bongs and other smoking essentials for the well-curated home. 

‍

Actually Curious Cards, $25

The original version is less a party game than a deck of cards with questions that are designed to spark conversations that help people get to know each other better. Want something more light-hearted? Go for the Happy Hour edition.

‍

Pluto Pillow, $160

Part travel pillow, part sensory deprivation tank, this product IDEO helped design will get you to your destination as well rested as anyone on a plane can be.

Wondering what to get the design-obsessed in your life this holiday season? We’ve been there.

I help organizations cut through complexity by shaping how they show up, through brand strategy, identity, and storytelling.

Working at the intersection of brand and business, I bring an editorial eye and a bias toward making—turning ideas into tangible experiences that people can understand, trust, and believe in.

My work spans government, healthcare, financial services, media, and consumer goods, from launching Gen Z-focused ventures to building innovation labs and reimagining legacy brands. I relish moments of ambiguity and enjoy translating across teams, perspectives, and priorities to move ideas forward.

I started my career in editorial and digital design, shaping cross-platform experiences and identity systems in publishing and agency environments. That foundation still shapes how I work today: I’m detail-oriented, collaborative, and overreliant on the Oxford comma. I hold a BFA in Visual Communication from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

For 25 years, I've asked the same question: Who does this design exclude—and what are we going to do about it?

My work spans human-centered strategy, inclusive design, and qualitative research, with clients ranging from Microsoft, Google, and Verizon to the National Science Foundation, and San Francisco Unified School District.

Before IDEO, I taught elementary school in East Palo Alto and spent a decade doing design work with social service organizations—where I learned firsthand what it costs people when systems are built without them in mind.

I am currently writing User Error, a nonfiction book about digital access and the design decisions behind it. I live in Oakland, California.

‍

My expertise spans brand, communication, and product design across tech, education, the arts, and social impact.

I believe great work demands both high-level vision and obsessive attention to detail, and only happens through collaboration.

I bring an inclusive, hands-on approach and a deep understanding of business, which enables me to consistently deliver excellence while always asking why.

Before joining IDEO, I worked at the brand firms Pentagram and VSA Partners. I began my career as a designer, leading teams at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Milwaukee Art Museum. I hold an MFA in graphic design from Maryland Institute College of Art and a BFA in communication design from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and have taught at some of the best design schools in the US.

I am responsible for IDEO’s long-term success in China and working with clients to use design as a tool to enable growth. Specifically, I have helped Chinese companies design holistic brand solutions through the development of their products, communication, services, and innovation teams, and I have helped multinationals expand their presence and influence in China.

I advise global leaders on developing China-led innovation and capabilities.

In over 15 years in IDEO Shanghai, I have worked on projects that use design to elevate the quality of the experience of healthcare products and services, streamline processes that increase productivity, create spaces and programs that promote and enable inclusive communities, and build next generation mobility solutions that are planet-positive.

Before joining IDEO, I worked at Philips Electronics and the Electrolux Group in Italy, the Netherlands, and Singapore on a number of breakthrough commercial products. I am a member of the Young President Organization in Shanghai.

Most AI products today are built for work—a space with clear problems and established systems. One founder noticed a gap: personal life is messier, harder to systematize, and mostly left behind by the AI boom. So she built Cue, a personal AI that lives inside iMessage and group chats, to go where the other tools haven't.

‍

In this episode, Becca Carroll, IDEO's Chief Strategy Officer, talks with Sida Li, co-founder and CEO of Shared Context Lab, about staying anchored to a human need while the technology around her keeps changing shape, why she treats her business model with the same rigor she'd bring to a product, and what it feels like to build a company at this particular, disorienting moment in AI.

‍

The conversation also gets into how Sida makes design decisions: the language Cue uses to describe itself, the tradeoffs behind building inside iMessage instead of a new app, and a real story about a business idea that didn’t pan out.

‍

This is the second in a two-part series profiling founders from IDEO's Startups-in-Residence program. The first conversation is with Johannes Seemann, founder of Sooner, on designing GenAI for the emotional side of money.

Most personal financial tools are built to run the numbers and optimize towards a budget. While that works for some, most people experience money as a lived relationship that does not neatly fit into a spreadsheet. Johannes Seemann and Becca Carroll discuss why money is emotional before it is mathematical, and what a human-centered approach to building a generative AI financial product looks like in practice.

Mina Seetharaman talks with Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek and Head of Curiosity Cultivation at the Eames Institute, about what distinguishes genuinely curious leadership from performative curiosity, how power dynamics shape curiosity, and why practicing curiosity can restore energy rather than drain it.

Mina Seetharaman talks with David Epstein, author of Inside the Box and Range, about why total freedom often produces average work, how leaders can design useful limits on purpose, and what organizations such as General Magic and Pixar reveal about the relationship between boundaries and creativity.