More than 7 million people each year came to the Boston.gov site to tap into all sorts of city services: reporting a pothole, learning the assessed value of their property, paying a parking ticket, checking recycling schedules.

Boston wanted to create a beautiful platform that would make the process of finding and navigating information easy and intuitive, one that prioritized the needs of its people.

The Boston.gov site had outgrown its existing structure and needed an overhaul. The user experience was mired by the fact that Boston City Hall has nearly 50 different departments, each with its own microsite, navigation and content standards that feed into a centralized site.

So the City of Boston hired IDEO to design its new digital home, Boston.gov. IDEO designers worked with the major stakeholders—department heads, employees, and Boston residents, with a focus on those in underserved communities and those with varying levels of technical proficiency—to gather insights into what users needed.

The objective was to design something that would simplify how people navigate the site, to make it easier for residents to find answers to common questions, and, in the process, serve as a community facilitator—an up-to-date, reliable resource that makes life in the city more manageable.

Rather than organize the site by the city’s departments, the design solution was rooted in illuminating relevant content by topics—people’s life moments—many of which overlapped through different branches of government. Owning a car in the city, for example, is closely related to preparing for winter, so bridging those common threads allowed for a more intuitive organizing principle.

In the process of the site redesign, IDEO also helped to create a visual identity system that underscores Boston’s strengths: the city’s confidence, humility, personality, and optimism.

In addition to the web architecture and redesign, IDEO also produced a comprehensive style guide to help maintain design consistency, so departments can add content without compromising the overall integrity of the site, as well as a brand look that the city has decided to adopt across nearly all of its consumer-facing media. Now you’ll see the famous underlined B on T-shirts, banners, and even snow shovels.

Holding true to its mission to include Boston residents and all site users in its design process, the new Boston.gov site was piloted for six months, and the process document on the city’s blog (including the IDEO designed brand guide), before a full launch was rolled out in July 2016.

“The website should act like a helpful human. This is one of the big differences between the old site and the new site,” said Jascha Franklin-Hodge, the city’s chief of information technology in a Boston Globe article. “Oftentimes, when you looked at something on the old site, it would feel like you were interacting with some sort of lawyer-robot that was speaking to you in government-speak, using very formal language. We are trying to move away from that so your experience is akin to a person.”

The City of Boston was in need of a new digital home—one that emphasized a shift to a more welcoming tone and commitment to its citizens.

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In the Western Hemisphere, The North Face brand has long represented an active, sporty lifestyle that’s filled with challenges and adventures. But appreciating “the great outdoors” in China is less about extreme sports and more about connecting with nature in a communal, spiritual way. This research-based insight led the team to identify new opportunities for The North Face to better target its messaging.

Designers found a key opportunity: Encourage Chinese consumers to escape the pressures of hectic city life by enjoying the freedom and renewal that comes with spending time outdoors.

Today, as people find less time to enjoy the benefits that lie just beyond China’s large cities, there’s a tangible desire to return to the outdoors to refresh, reassess, and renew oneself. The North Face aims to help consumers do exactly that.

To create a compelling new brand vision for The North Face in China, the team’s design research tapped into Chinese ways of spending time outdoors. IDEO’s insights and creative brief provided the essential brand story for The North Face in China and informed the tagline of the company’s current marketing campaign, “Go Wild” (去野). The North Face brand’s new messaging links “old nature” and “new outdoors” through a combination of digital, retail, and interactive community channels.

IDEO also collaborated with the company on designs and prototypes for a new digital platform and an updated store-within-a-store merchandising display. The digital community aims to attract newcomers and connect them with more experienced outdoors enthusiasts and clubs. As the platform evolves, it will help aspiring adventurers plan trips, learn skills, and share their experiences through photos.

The retail community space aims to integrate this digital community with in-store shoppers and an effort to turn the “buy-a-product moment” into a “join-the-outdoors moment.” Both will be integrated to provide a holistic brand experience in China centered on nature and community.

In the West, The North Face, with its decades-long history, has long symbolized an adventurous, active lifestyle. In China, however, the outdoor market only began accelerating in the early 21st century.

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Success in this growing market depends on building strong and deep connections with Chinese consumers.

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20% sales growth in China

from 2012 to 2013—the year the project was completed—propelling the brand from sixth place to a market-leading position

Over the last 36 years, IDEO and Lilly, along with the pharmaceutical giant’s other design, development, and manufacturing partners, have collaborated on more than 250 projects. During this time, Lilly has not only honed its engineering-focused internal device-development team but also transformed into a human-centered organization with extensive, robust in-house innovation capabilities.

Early in the relationship, a team of IDEO designers and Eli Lilly leaders traveled the world to understand how people with diabetes live with the disease. Their findings led to the design of a series of award-winning insulin injection pens like SAVVIO. Portable, aesthetically pleasing, and discreet, the pens are suitable for use in both medical and personal settings. Combined with Lilly’s technical design prowess, this human-centered focus allows the devices to seamlessly integrate into patients’ lives and routines, making a challenging disease like diabetes feel more manageable.

Fast forward to today, Lilly’s innovative, easy-to-use auto-injectors are not only continuing to provide life-saving treatments to people with diabetes but also enabling the adoption of the popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, which together accounted for the majority of the company’s annual revenue in 2025. Perhaps most importantly, patients consistently rate the experience of using Lilly’s auto-injectors as relatively pain-free, easy to use, and preferable to competitors’ brands, improving adherence, satisfaction, and health outcomes.

This unwavering focus on driving innovation through a patient-first mindset is evident in some of the most impactful projects Lilly and IDEO collaborated on over the years:

GLP Auto-injectors
Convenient and cutting-edge, the first Trulicity injection device was originally designed to deliver the GLP-1 drug to treat type 2 diabetes. Today, it has been adapted for use with other GLP-1s, Mounjaro and Zepbound, which are increasingly popular weight-loss drugs and are also administered once weekly via fixed-dose injections. A wide base enables the pen to be held securely against the injection site, and the device automatically regulates the dose and needle depth.

Taltz Injectors
For most patients, living with severe plaque psoriasis means being your own medical technician—metering your drug dosage each time, and attaching and removing needles by hand. Taltz provides patients with clear visual and auditory feedback throughout the injection process through simple icons, bright colors, a translucent material, and clicking sounds. The devices are available in both autoinjector and prefilled-syringe formats and are adapted for Emgality, a preventive monthly migraine treatment, and Ebglyss, which helps treat eczema or atopic dermatitis.

HumaPen SAVVIO Injection Pen
Key insights informed the design of SAVVIO, including patients’ preference for insulin pens that look less like medical devices and more like everyday objects you’d find in a backpack or purse. The sleek, colorful device was created to help patients feel comfortable and confident about fitting mealtime injections into their everyday lives.

Refillable Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Injector and Reconstitution Device
Designed to be kid-friendly, the Refillable HGH Injector leverages insights into pediatric treatment adherence to create a more integrated, systematic approach to treatment, while the Reconstitution Device makes mixing Lilly’s powder-and-liquid drug easier and less intimidating for parents and healthcare professionals alike.

KwikPen Insulin Pen
KwikPen is a next-generation, prefilled insulin injection pen that builds on the success of two previous designs, reducing its size to 5.7 inches and enhancing ease of use for patients.

HumaPen(R) Luxura™ Insulin Pen
HumaPen Luxura combines several innovations into a robust yet elegant pen that can be carried and used anywhere—an insulin pen solution that improves dosing accuracy, dose setting, and injection force.

In addition to designing products to meet the needs of people with diabetes, IDEO and Lilly have developed innovations in areas of oncology, autoimmunity, and men’s health. The results of this collaboration and expansion have won numerous design awards and produced one of the longest and most fruitful innovation relationships in IDEO’s history.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Eli Lilly had a number of new, life-changing medications and two big challenges: Most of its drugs were self-injectables, not pills, so patients were hesitant to take them. And its drug-delivery device platform lagged behind its drug pipeline.

99%

of Trulicity users reported the auto-injector was “easy” to “very easy” to use in a JDST study

$36.5B

of Lilly’s $65.2B 2025 revenue came from sales of its auto-injectable GLP-1s, Mounjaro and Zepbound, a 45% increase from 2024

‍“…the Advisory Council will recommend transformational programmatic, cultural, and physical change to San Quentin that can serve as a practical model that can be replicated and scaled to other institutions.”

Source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom: Governor Newsom Names Leading Criminal Justice and Public Safety Experts to San Quentin Transformation Advisory Council, May 05, 2023  https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/05/05/san-quentin-transformation-advisory-council/

The Advisory Council included the expertise of established criminal justice, public safety, healthcare, academic, reentry, and rehabilitation professionals, along with system-impacted/formerly incarcerated community leaders, and representatives of crime victims/survivors. The premise of IDEO’s involvement is to augment the Advisory Council Co-Chairs’ and members’ expertise in evidence-based best practices and lived experience living and working in prisons, with expertise in collaborative design, synthesis, visualization, storytelling and bringing visions to life.

Specifically, IDEO was brought in to facilitate input-gathering, and assist with incorporating the many viewpoints into a single, cohesive report of recommendations to the Governor. This included meeting the challenge of bringing together the viewpoints of 21 people on the Council (17 members, three Co-Chairs and an advisor to the Governor); incorporating the views of people who are most impacted (those incarcerated at San Quentin, San Quentin staff, community-based organizations, victim/survivor groups, among others); and formatting and designing the final report.

IDEO’s facilitation included workshops with the full Advisory Council, individual interviews and check-ins with Council members to gather their input to inform the recommendations. Each Advisory Council member was asked to speak with, and record feedback from, no fewer than five people at San Quentin or in affected communities and to share this feedback with IDEO. IDEO integrated this information and feedback into this report.

Research activities included visits to San Quentin to speak with and facilitate conversations with:

• San Quentin residents (100+) including the Citizens/Inmate Advisory Council, focus groups with Spanish-speaking residents, former gang members, ACT (LGBTQIA+), Voices Heal, People in Blue, San Quentin Citizens Advisory Council.
• San Quentin staff (100+) including interviews with numerous officers.
• San Quentin staff and residents together.
• Current participants and staff at Amistad (MCRP) and Beacon (former lifer) campuses (many who were previously incarcerated at San Quentin).
  
  

IDEO also organized listening, information sharing and feedback sessions, both at San Quentin and in the community, between Co-Chair representatives and various stakeholder groups, including victim/survivor groups, labor unions, and advocacy organizations. These perspectives were also brought into the report.  

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We’re already living in the future. We’ve had small computers in our pockets for almost two decades that have more computing power than the first space missions. We have cars that drive themselves. There’s a man out there who has a Neuralink chip implanted in his brain, allowing him to control Mario Kart. This is the stuff of futuristic science fiction—except it’s our reality.

And already, we’ve begun to chart the next era of humanity and technology, as we live out the initial stages and repercussions of the technological, social, and political future that we and others drafted as designers of technology. But this future that we now live in has us asking some panicked questions about what the next one will mean for our jobs, the environment, and our kids. Because we’re realizing: This future we’ve created is not good enough. 

Early cartographers once depicted the vast oceans on ancient maps with intricate illustrations, often accompanied by the warning, "Here Be dragons." These words marked the thresholds of the unknown world, the entry point to unknown realms. In his essay “Here Be Dragons,” James Baldwin pushes us to consider what it looks like to meet those shores with curiosity, empathy, and compassion, to use moments of facing the unknown to overcome fear and uncertainty. Right now is a moment to be brave: Not to react with fear and step back from the edge, but to dive in and see what we find and if we can make the future better, together.

To accompany us in our journey to design a better future, we’ve created a set of talismans that represent what we already know about what’s coming.

1. Eve’s apple: We can’t go back to reality

We’re building a world of deepfakes, synthetic humans, and invented K-pop bands. The real, the invented, and the generated are blending more every day.

Think about U.K.-based Synthesia, which makes tools that can turn a one-off performance by an actor into an endless stream of deepfake avatars, reciting whatever script you give them at the push of a button. According to the company, its tech is now used by 56 percent of Fortune 100 companies.

Hyperreality is here, and we can’t go back—so let’s see where it takes us. What if the debate between “real” and “fake” becomes irrelevant? Maybe our creative expressions will no longer be bound by the limits of human imagination.

2. The heartbeat: Everything is alive

To be alive is to breathe, to pulse, to love, or to dream. But what if life also emerges from calculations, from quanta, and from superpositions? The sharp line between animate and inanimate is blurring, fading, and vanishing fast; life is no longer limited to the organic. What if this is the end of human exceptionalism? What if every object around us becomes alive? 

These questions inspire projects like Hume AI’s Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) and ChatGPT-4o, which interpret emotional expressions and generate empathic responses. With systems like these, technology feels more “alive,” because it can understand and react to human emotions with nuance. We can have full conversations with a machine that almost feels like a living being.

3. The Tweezer: Develop taste and precision

In a future of abundant AI-generated content, anyone can create anything, at any time. This means an explosion of creative output, no longer constrained by cultivation of craft.

In this world, we’ll have to select and curate experiences. Otherwise, we’ll drown in options. So, what if taste becomes a valuable currency? Imagine if finding compelling worlds was more valuable than making them.

Consider Pharrell Williams’s role as Louis Vuitton's Men's Creative Director. Broadly known as a musician, he’s an example of a broader trend in the luxury fashion industry, where the role of a creative director evolves beyond traditional design skills. Now, it can include curating and connecting broad artistic expressions​ to form and build new kinds of media that stand out among the noise.

4. The Hotdog: Orchestrate digital ingredients

More and more, technology is moving from standalone apps to integrated and embedded functions. At WWDC, Apple Intelligence presented visions of technology that can seamlessly anticipate our needs and meet them. Instead of flipping through apps to find recipes for a dinner party, a system like this could come up with a menu based on guests’ dietary preferences, choose a date that fits calendars, and order groceries. Similarly, the vision from the movie Her, which ChatGPT is largely modeled after, is an all-in-one voice assistant that knows all of our needs and preferences, and supports our emotional and social wellbeing—and even provides a romantic connection.

Let’s lean into that trend. Picture technology acting as an innate extension of oneself, rather than as isolated tools. The essential skill is no longer using different apps to complete a task, but mastering the orchestration of digital agents.

5. The Parrot: How to bridge realms

Words matter. But there are so many more ways to communicate, many that humans have never been able to access—until now.

We’re leaving behind the confines of human-to-human communication, and unlocking the secret languages of animals, natural systems, and time. Think about the Earth Species Project, which has been working for the better part of a decade to use AI to decode animal language to support conservation.

So, what if we could decipher the dialogues of the animal kingdom? What if translations could capture the essence of cultures and the subtleties of metaphors? Imagine if we could bridge the ultimate divide—time itself. 

In their TeleAbsence series, researchers like the MIT Media Lab’s Hiroshi Ishii and D. Pillis are experimenting with technologies to facilitate dialogues with digital renditions of those we've lost, redefining our concepts of connection and presence. Their project, MirrorFugue, is a piano that captures how a loved one plays, and then plays itself back, allowing you to touch the keys and feel the piano move as it would if they were actually playing it. 

Thanks to these talismans, we have a sense of what’s beyond the edge of the map, the future that lies beyond. But, if we want to be the ones to draw the map, we have to live in the real world. And that means folding in not just pie-in-the-sky ideals, but building the best version of business and commerce. So how do you make sure we build the future we want, while creating a future that makes commercial sense?

We believe that great design commercializes emerging technology by marrying what’s possible with what people want and need. That’s the future we’re working to build. As we listen to the panicked questions, let’s unpack the human needs behind them, mapping them to the incredible potential of technology, designing a future that we want to live in.

What is the future you want to live in? Let us know: ai@ideo.com 

What can a heartbeat, a pair of tweezers, a hotdog, a parrot, and an apple tell us about what’s coming?

Healthcare is responsible for 10 percent of global material extractions and 4.4 percent of emissions, contributing significantly to the very environmental issues that are increasingly impacting human health. Paradoxically, 80 percent of health outcomes globally are driven by non-clinical factors—the environmental conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age. These compounding factors present a unique opportunity for leaders within and beyond the health industry to rethink their approach, moving beyond traditional care models to embrace more holistic, preventative, and sustainable strategies.

At IDEO, we believe that the climate crisis can be more than a threat—it can also be a catalyst for innovation. By shifting our healthcare focus upstream—from last-mile care to first-mile health, ie, creating the conditions that make everyday life healthy by design—we can create solutions that not only improve individual and community wellbeing, but also contribute to a healthier planet. This approach doesn't just mitigate risks and improve health outcomes; it opens new avenues for growth and value creation.

So, what might this future of climate-conscious healthcare look like? During Climate Action Week in London, we asked a group of leaders and creatives to combine future inspiration, nature strategies, and building blocks of first-mile health to come up with ideas that could lead to better results for people and planet. Here are some of our favorites:

Converge urban planning and healthcare 

Imagine a world where public green spaces are not just amenities, but prescribed interventions for both physical and mental health. Already, these spaces serve as natural air purifiers, reducing urban heat islands while providing accessible areas for exercise and community connection. Health insurers might offer incentives for time spent in these green spaces, recognizing their role in preventing chronic diseases and improving overall community wellbeing.

Bridge empathy and health with wearable technology

Picture a wearable device that allows users to experience the physical sensations of others—perhaps those with disabilities or health conditions different from their own. This technology could revolutionize patient care, medical education, and public health campaigns by fostering deeper empathy and understanding. It might also encourage more sustainable behaviors by allowing people to viscerally experience the health impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.

Make community rituals a cornerstone of preventative healthcare

Consider creating re-localization rituals, which would bring communities together to build shared culture, empathy, and social cohesion. These events could incorporate nutrition education, physical activities, and community health moments, all while fostering the kind of strong social bonds that are crucial for mental health, quality of life, and community resilience in the face of climate challenges.

Bring the fashion and health industries together around sustainability

Envision a partnership where health tech companies and fashion brands co-create wearables that monitor health while promoting sustainable consumption. These products could adapt to users' changing health needs over time, reducing waste in both the fashion and medical device industries. They might even incorporate materials that actively purify the air or neutralize pollutants, turning personal style into a form of environmental stewardship.

Give children a voice in health and environmental policy

Picture a Ministry of Children (or, in the U.S., a Department of Children) with real executive decision-making power on issues of health and climate, working for and with children to understand and serve the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens. This radical approach to inclusivity could lead to policies that prioritize long-term health outcomes and environmental sustainability, breaking free from short-term thinking that often dominates current governance models.

These scenarios may seem far-fetched, but they illustrate the kind of bold, systemic thinking required to address the intertwined challenges of health and climate. They also highlight the immense opportunities for growth and innovation in this space, and the importance of bringing diverse groups together in service of solving these problems.

For health industry leaders, embracing this climate-conscious approach to healthcare isn't just about corporate social responsibility—it's a strategic imperative. Companies that lead in this space will be better positioned to:

• Tap into new markets: As consumers become increasingly aware of the health impacts of climate change, there's growing demand for products and services that address both personal and planetary health.
• Attract and retain talent: Purpose-driven initiatives that tackle major global challenges can be a powerful draw for top talent, particularly among younger generations.
• Mitigate future risks: By investing in preventative, sustainable healthcare models now, companies can better prepare for the health challenges that climate change will inevitably bring.
• Drive innovation: The constraints imposed by climate considerations can spark creativity, leading to breakthrough technologies and business models.
• Enhance brand value: Companies that demonstrate leadership in addressing climate and health issues can build strong, positive brand associations that resonate with consumers and partners alike.
• Cut costs: Not only will sustainable strategies lead to better health outcomes that save money, they may also lower regulatory costs.

As we navigate the Climate Era, the health industry has a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to lead the way in creating a more sustainable, resilient future. By focusing on upstream, preventative solutions that address both human and planetary health, we can unlock new sources of value while making a profound positive impact on the world.

The future of health is not just about treating illness—it's about nurturing wellbeing in its broadest sense. We look forward to joining health industry leaders in stepping up and embracing this challenge. The health of our businesses, our communities, and our planet depends on it.

Looking to catalyze change in business or healthcare? We’d love to connect.

In the rapidly-evolving landscape of global health, we find ourselves at a critical juncture where the health of individuals, communities, and our planet are inextricably linked.

Digital technologies will be a huge piece of that puzzle, helping us find solutions to everything from reusable packaging to textiles that stay out of landfills, the electrification of everything, and retailers that embrace circularity.

The opportunity is enormous: Leaders who adopt new technologies to meet sustainability goals will not only lighten their impact on climate—they will gain new value for their brands and their customers because of all the benefits that new tech brings. Those who evolve now will be positioned to lead the market. 

So, how do you adapt a fashion or luxury brand to be more sustainable, more inclusive, and more connected to the consumer, while increasing value to brands, manufacturers, and consumers alike? 

The challenge is complex, but it’s nowhere near impossible. Take H&M’s work to streamline its supply chain, cutting unnecessary inventory, and producing less waste. Together, IDEO and H&M mapped out the complex network of people that make up its supply chain across the globe, then created an algorithm for more precise ordering, and a tool that provides a shared view of information. Now, a new automated flow called “Cruise Control” creates a demand forecast that makes it possible for employees to place much more accurate bets on what consumers will want, when. It’s a project that not only led to less waste—but better sales, too. After all, it's a lot easier to buy the thing you want when it's in stock. Already, Cruise Control has led to an eight percent average reduction in inventory, saving the company €500 million (more than $630 million) per year.

Human-centered technological strategies like this one also create opportunities to change—and deepen—the relationship between brand and consumer. A climate-conscious future isn’t just responsible and increasingly required (see Corporate Social Responsibility Directive, Waste Framework Directive, and the Ecodesign Criteria for Consumer Textiles in the EU), it’s full of opportunity for growth.

Here are four ways fashion brands can leverage digital technologies to increase value in the climate era.

Measure a garment's value across multiple life-cycles

Provocation: By shifting how you measure the profitability of garments from linear sales to circular value creation, you can redesign the business from the core. Today, shoppers buy garments from celebrity closets on the second hand luxury platform The RealReal, and collectors are happy to buy a pre-owned Eames chair, like one Redditor who said "I ain't got time to age a 670—I'll buy someone else's history.” Brands can expand on these trends to show off the value embedded in goods that are already out there in the market, while deepening their long-term relationships with customers and communities. Digital twins—virtual data tied to a physical object, like data tied to your passport—can streamline tracking and enable new business models that compliment physical experiences with digital.

Impact: New KPIs connected to digital twins in a circular product lifecycle allow the reconfiguration and measuring of new value chains.

Use the shift to on-demand manufacturing to co-create with customers

Provocation: On-demand production and direct-to-fabric printing mean your customers can create their own bespoke prints, directly collaborating with your brand, while making sure you don’t produce too much inventory. Some brands are already taking advantage of this strategy. Reebok, for example, has a service where you can supply images to a chatbot to create custom sneakers, and then can buy digital versions of the sneakers for eight dollars. Projects like this one are becoming increasingly common, as brands come into proximity with user-generated worlds and designs. There's a great opportunity here to expand on the creative drive of potential customers through co-design tools.

‍Impact: Co-design drives brand engagement and loyalty, taking your customer relationships to new heights.

Create new experiences that add more bonding between the customer, your brand and their new purchase


Provocation: Manufacturing on demand can lead to a longer window between a customer’s order and the delivery of their goods—but that doesn’t have to add friction. Instead, brands can reframe delays with a bespoke, insider experience, where the customer connects with the designers, people, and processes that make their garment possible—and unique to them. It’s also a way to make visible the labor and resources it takes to produce their garments, which can drive real behavior change. This concept even has a name, Shinkansen Theater, after the shift in perspectives that riders on Japan’s bullet trains had on turnaround time after watching cleaning staff work.

Impact: Luxury purchases are often the pinnacle of many months or years of decision-making and brand engagement. Involving the consumer in the production process enhances and elongates the thrill of the purchase moment. Customers who are willing to spend a lot to get a coveted item will go to great lengths to acquire as much information about it as possible (see this discussion of a bespoke order tracker for Ford). 

Design for the impact of the design idea, rather than the identity or size of the buyer

Provocation: Experimenting with different styles, fabrics, and customizations in a virtual environment can create a sense of ownership and excitement akin to bespoke tailoring. Picture a hybrid experience, where high-quality simulations allow shoppers to start the design process online, then see the final touches at delivery. It’s a strategy that makes brands more accessible to more sizes, body types, and genders. Already, brands like Unspun are using body scanning to create custom jeans, and Universal Standard has committed to carrying sizes 00 through 40, with the same attention to cut and quality, regardless of size. Returns in fashion are not purely about technical fit, but about a complex set of emotions, context, and expectations. How are you feeling about your body? What’s the lighting in your space? How does the garment make you feel? High-quality and accurate simulations of a garment’s shape, texture, and movement could also help close the gap between digital and physical shopping experiences, reducing the emotional mismatch between online vision and product reality.

Impact: Sizing and gender categories become irrelevant, allowing your brand ethos and styles to reach—and be reinterpreted by—the largest possible portion of the market.  

These provocations are just four ways fashion and luxury brand leaders can leverage emerging tech and trends to cut impact on climate, while increasing value to their customers—there are many, many more. And the leaders that implement them first will not only be doing better by the planet—they’ll also reap the rewards. 

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Looking to implement emerging tech to add value to your brand? We’d love to connect.

The climate era is ushering in changes so big, everything will need to be redesigned—including fashion and luxury brands.

And unlike things that have been around just as long—Pepsi Clear, the Delorean, the Discman—it’s just as relevant today, for making everything from medical devices to emerging technology products.

By making things tangible early, we can explore the edges of what a product could be, prove something that hasn’t been done before is possible, or reduce risk by strengthening an idea before investing in it.

Our maker-first approach applies to everything we do—even when we’re designing for a future we haven’t seen yet. Because if you can’t click it, touch it, taste it, smell it, or hear it—how can you believe in it? It’s how we designed the first mouse for Apple back in 1980, helped create the all-electric Ford-150 Lighting, and the method that guided our research into what Gen Z really wants from AI products. 

Here are five reasons we get tangible early and often. 

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To solve a problem

When we approach a new problem, our minds are swirling with possibilities. Immersing ourselves in tools, materials, and mindsets can inspire us—often unexpectedly—turning our nascent thoughts into cohesive ideas. Working with our hands is often faster and more rewarding than turning straight to spreadsheets, computer models, simulations or CAD, and can add a little confidence, too. 

When IDEO started a program with Pluto Pillow to reimagine the travel pillow, jumping right into 3D CAD modeling didn’t make any sense.

It’s hard to define what makes someone comfortable enough to fall asleep on an airplane. So many factors play a role in finding that perfect position. So we gathered tons of relevant materials—from different density foams to variations of fabric softness—and kicked things off by using this array as inspiration. The result was dozens of simple prototypes that helped us identify and explore key themes we knew this new travel pillow would need to address to resonate with consumers; things like packability, cleanliness, re-positioning, and privacy.

To learn and test

How could this work? How might we interact with this? How do these parts fit together? The act of making lets us learn by doing, kick off conversations, and answer tough questions. Whether we’re making a wireframe, a mechanism, or formulas in a spreadsheet, tangibility accelerates our learning.  

In our decade-long relationship with the Ford Motor Company, we built numerous vehicles ranging from rough truck-shaped 80/20 frames to fully-custom commuter vans. These test beds of varying fidelity let us explore LOTS of new ideas—from maximizing storage space, laying out reconfigurable seating, or providing real-time progress communication along a route. Whether it was a big screen digitally tied to a seat and steering wheel to test a new driving experience, or stadium seating and a live progress map in a ride-share commuter van, getting tangible allowed us to test our ideas at the right level of fidelity, and learn what was working and resonating with our audience quickly and efficiently. 

To prove something is possible

When we’re solving really hard and complex problems, viable solutions often feel too daunting to even consider. But by making something, we can break these problems down into more manageable parts—be it a node in a complex network, a critical screen in a workflow, or a complicated part of an interaction. Thus we can explore things we might have dismissed as impossible—and prove a potential solution is worth continued exploration. 

IDEO worked closely with a pharmaceutical company to develop a first-of-its-kind autoinjector, an easy-to-use system that delivers a variety of drug products to people suffering from autoimmune diseases and other ailments. These complex mechanical devices rely on springs to do a lot of work: inserting the needle, pushing the drug into the body subcutaneously, and safely retracting the needle for disposal. IDEO built hundreds of prototypes to prove we could use two springs to accomplish these tasks, starting by repurposing simple found objects, then developing custom 3D printed parts to prove out specific functionality, and finally creating thousands of injection-molded prototype devices to convince ourselves and our partner that our design was robust and reliable. The result is a product our partner not only uses to deliver multiple drugs to a wide array of patients, it is the delivery device for three out of four of their best-selling drugs, which account for nearly $15 billion in annual revenue.

To try specifics and reduce risk

We often ask our clients to place big bets on our designs—both financial and strategic. Making something early on can help everyone test the risky or complex parts of a design, building consensus and confidence that it’s the right answer before investing too much time, energy, or money. Picture a new retail interaction, click-through prototypes of a workflow, or a functional mechanism that demonstrates a core functionality of a complex product. 

This was particularly helpful on a project we did with Teal Health. Cervical cancer screening saves lives. But the tests are uncomfortable at best and inaccessible at most, and screening rates have been on the decline, Teal came to IDEO for help designing a device and testing experience that would allow users of all body types to safely and accurately collect a sample at home—and be inclusive for anyone with a cervix. The wand was incredibly challenging to design, as the user has to find their cervix, collect the sample, and remove the wand without contaminating it on other parts of the body—all without looking and probably while standing. Considering the complexity of the task, we knew it would be critical for Teal to test the design in real people. In an initial study with 220 participants varying in age, race, socioeconomic status, and geography, Teal found that not only were participants able to successfully self-collect samples, they also preferred our design over the speculum, the device doctors typically use during a screening. Now, Teal has launched a nationwide clinical trial and is on the path to FDA approval, not to mention its ultimate goal, catching cervical cancer earlier and saving lives.

To tell stories

When we are designing the future, we have to find ways to help people experience something that doesn’t exist yet. Sometimes that means renting a warehouse to build out a full retail space and actually go shopping in the future; sometimes it’s a life-size game of chutes and ladders that helps admissions officers understand how complex the college application process can actually be. Making allows us to tell the story of a better future state, and inspires our clients to design that future alongside us. 

It’s hard to use schematics and spreadsheets to show the executives of a supersonic flight company what the customer experience of sitting in the cabin will actually feel like. So we built our clients at Boom Supersonic a full-scale prototype out of two by fours and plywood, adorned with foam core walls and custom-machined foam seats. When those executives can actually sit in the seats, walk around, and even feel what it would be like to visit the plane bathroom, the future aircraft experience comes to life in a whole new way. When you layer on actual flight moments like boarding, beverage service, and in-flight entertainment by leveraging VR headsets, the future becomes so tangible and real that everyone can get behind making this new aircraft a reality. 

Stuck working to solve a problem of your own? Prototyping can start with something as small as a sketch or a folded piece of paper—even if what you’re making is the size of a jet. All you have to do is start making.

At IDEO, we have a classic saying: Never show up to a meeting without a prototype. And unlike things that have been around just as long—Pepsi Clear, the Delorean, the Discman—it’s just as relevant today, for making everything from medical devices to emerging technology products.

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.

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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.