IDEO LLC's Terms and Conditions of Use ("TOU" or "Terms")
Updated: December 1, 2025.
© 2025 IDEO LLC

THESE TERMS ARE SUBJECT TO BINDING ARBITRATION AND A WAIVER OF CLASS ACTION RIGHTS AS DETAILED IN THE MANDATORY ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER SECTION BELOW.

IDEO LLC and/or its related, parent, affiliated or subsidiary companies ("IDEO") owns and/or operates the websites located at www.ideo.com ("Site"), including all features, materials, content, and applications accessible through, or in connection with, the Site (collectively, “Content”). These Terms apply to your access to, and use of, the Site and the Content, including without limitation any services provided through the Site (the "Services"). The Site is subject to IDEO’s Privacy Notice located at www.ideo.com/privacy. Links to other sites or services offered by third parties may be posted throughout the site, and such sites and services are subject to the policies posted by the applicable third parties. Your use of the Site and Services constitutes your agreement to these Terms and your acknowledgement that third-party sites and services are subject to additional Terms not listed here.

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR RIGHTS, REMEDIES AND OBLIGATIONS. BY ACCESSING OR USING ANY OF THE SITES OR THE SERVICES, YOU ARE ENTERING INTO A LEGAL CONTRACT WITH IDEO, THE TERMS OF WHICH GOVERN YOUR USE OF THE SITES AND SERVICES. ACCORDINGLY, BY YOUR ACCESS OR USE YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS DESCRIBED HEREIN, IDEO'S PRIVACY NOTICE AND ALL ADDITIONAL TERMS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THESE TERMS, DO NOT USE THE SITES OR THE SERVICES.

If you are an entity, organization, or company, the individual accepting these Terms on your behalf represents and warrants that they have authority to bind you to these Terms and you agree to be bound by these Terms.

**MANDATORY ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER**

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.

You and IDEO agree that these Terms affect interstate commerce and that the Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of these arbitration provisions.

This Section is intended to be interpreted broadly and governs any and all disputes between us, including but not limited to claims arising out of or relating to any aspect of the relationship between You and IDEO, whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation or any other legal theory; claims that arose before these Terms or any prior agreement (including, but not limited to, claims related to advertising); and claims that may arise after the termination of these Terms. The only disputes excluded from this broad prohibition are the litigation of certain intellectual property and small court claims, as provided below.

By agreeing to these Terms, you agree to resolve any and all disputes with IDEO as follows:

Initial Dispute Resolution. Most disputes can be resolved without resort to litigation. You can reach IDEO at website@ideo.com. Except for intellectual property and small claims court claims, the parties agree to use their best efforts to settle any dispute, claim, question, or disagreement directly through consultation with IDEO’s Legal Department, and good faith negotiations shall be a condition to either party initiating a lawsuit or arbitration. Within sixty (60) days after either side has provided notice of a dispute, the party that has provided the notice shall request a remote settlement conference (via telephone or video conference service such as Zoom) that requires personal participation of each party (you and IDEO) and, if represented, each party’s counsel.

Binding Arbitration. If the parties do not reach an agreed-upon solution within a period of sixty (60) days from the time informal dispute resolution is initiated under the Initial Dispute Resolution provision above, then either party may submit the matter to the JAMS (“JAMS”) for confidential mediation, and if the matter is not resolved through mediation, it shall be submitted to JAMS for binding, confidential arbitration as the sole means to resolve claims, subject to the terms set forth below. Specifically, all claims arising out of or relating to these Terms (including the formation, performance, and breach of the Terms or the Privacy Notice), the parties’ relationship with each other, and/or your use of the Site shall be finally settled by binding arbitration administered by one JAMS arbitrator in accordance with its American Arbitration Association Rules and, excluding any rules or procedures governing or permitting class actions. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve all disputes arising out of or relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of these Terms or the Privacy Notice, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of these Terms or Privacy Notice is void or voidable, whether a claim is subject to arbitration, or the question of waiver by litigation conduct. The arbitrator shall be empowered to grant whatever relief would be available in a court under law or in equity. The arbitrator’s award shall be written and shall be binding on the parties and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. To start an arbitration, you must do the following: (a) write a Demand for Arbitration that includes a description of the claim and the amount of damages you seek to recover (you may find a copy of a Demand for Arbitration at www.adr.org); (b) send one copy of the Demand for Arbitration to website@ideo.com; and (c) send one copy of the Demand for Arbitration to IDEO Legal Dept., 2525 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.

To the extent the filing fee for the arbitration exceeds the cost of filing a lawsuit, IDEO will pay the additional cost. If the arbitrator finds the arbitration to be non-frivolous, IDEO will pay the fees invoiced by JAMS, including filing fees and arbitrator and hearing expenses. You are responsible for your own attorneys’ fees unless the arbitration rules and/or applicable law provide otherwise.

You understand that, absent this mandatory arbitration provision, you would have the right to sue in court and have a jury trial. You further understand that, in some instances, the costs of arbitration could exceed the costs of litigation and the right to discovery may be more limited in arbitration than in court.

If you are a resident of the United States, arbitration may take place in the county where you reside at the time of filing. For individuals residing outside the United States, arbitration shall be initiated in San Francisco County in the State of California, United States of America, and you and IDEO agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of any federal or state court in San Francisco County, California to compel arbitration, to stay proceedings pending arbitration, or to confirm, modify, vacate, or enter judgment on the award entered by the arbitrator.

Class Action Waiver. YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT THE ARBITRATION SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY ONLY AND NOT AS A CLASS ACTION OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, AND YOU EXPRESSLY WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A CLASS ACTION OR SEEK RELIEF ON A CLASS BASIS. YOU AND IDEO AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. IF ANY COURT OR ARBITRATOR DETERMINES THAT THE CLASS ACTION WAIVER SET FORTH IN THIS PARAGRAPH IS VOID OR UNENFORCEABLE FOR ANY REASON OR THAT AN ARBITRATION CAN PROCEED ON A CLASS BASIS, THEN THE ARBITRATION PROVISIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL BE DEEMED NULL AND VOID IN THEIR ENTIRETY AND THE PARTIES SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE NOT AGREED TO ARBITRATE DISPUTES ON A CLASS BASIS.

Exception. Litigation of Intellectual Property and Small Claims Court Claims: Notwithstanding the parties’ decision to resolve all disputes through arbitration, either party may bring enforcement actions, validity determinations or claims arising from or relating to theft, piracy or unauthorized use of intellectual property in state or federal court or in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect its intellectual property rights (“intellectual property rights” means patents, copyrights, moral rights, trademarks, and trade secrets, but not privacy or publicity rights), subject to the DMCA procedures in Section 9 below. Either party may also seek relief in a small claims court for disputes or claims within the scope of that court’s jurisdiction.

30-Day Right to Opt Out. You have the right to opt out and not be bound by the arbitration and class action waiver provisions set forth above by sending written notice of your decision to opt out to website@ideo.com with the subject line, “MANDATORY ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER OPT-OUT.” The notice must be sent within thirty (30) days of (a) the Effective Date of these Terms; or (b) the first date that you used the Site that contained any versions of the Terms that included this version of the mandatory arbitration and class action waiver, whichever is later. Otherwise, you shall be bound to arbitrate disputes in accordance with the terms of those paragraphs. If you opt out of these arbitration provisions, IDEO also will not be bound by them.

Changes to This Section. Any changes to this section will be made in the same manner as described in the 1. Modification of TOU section below; however, such changes will only become effective sixty (60) days after the revised Effective Date of these Terms and only will apply prospectively to claims arising after the sixtieth (60th) day. If a court or arbitrator decides that this subsection on “Changes to This Section” is not enforceable or valid, then this subsection shall be severed from the section entitled “Mandatory Arbitration and Class Action Waiver,” and the court or arbitrator shall apply the first Mandatory Arbitration and Class Action Waiver section in existence after you began using the Site.

Survival. This Mandatory Arbitration and Class Action Waiver section shall survive any termination of your access to the Content or the Site.

1. Modification of TOU

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IDEO reserves the right to change or modify any of the terms and conditions contained in the TOU at any time and in its discretion. If IDEO changes or modifies these Terms, IDEO will post the changes to this TOU on the Site and will indicate at the top of this page the date this TOU was last revised. We may also choose to notify you of any material changes or modifications to the TOU through your email address that you have used to register on the Site. Any changes or modifications will be effective immediately upon posting of the revisions to the Site. Your continued use of the Site following the posting of changes or modifications will constitute and confirm your agreement to and acceptance of such changes or modifications. It is your responsibility to regularly check this Site to determine if there have been changes to this TOU and to review such changes. If you do not agree to the amended TOU, please discontinue using the Site. Because our Services are evolving over time, we may change or discontinue all or any part of the Services, at any time and without notice, at our sole discretion.

2. Eligibility

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Children (persons under the age of 14) are not eligible to use the Site or any Services in any way. You may use the Services only if you are over 18 years of age, an emancipated minor, or if you possess legal parental or guardian consent, are fully capable of forming a binding contract with IDEO, and are not barred from using the Services under applicable law. Minors between the age of 14 and 17 may not use the Site or any Services unsupervised. If you are between the ages of 14 and 17, you may only use the Site and Services in conjunction with and under the supervision of your parents or legal guardians. Users may not submit any information about or identifying children/minors in any way and IDEO has the right to discontinue access to the Site or any Services in the event a user does so. In any case, you affirm that you are 14 or older since access to the Services is not intended for children under 14. If you are under 14 years of age, do not use the Services. If IDEO learns that you are under 14 and your personally identifiable information has been collected, then we will delete your personally identifiable information. 

3. Grant and Restrictions on Use

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IDEO grants you a non-exclusive, limited, revocable right to (a) view and navigate the Site for its intended purpose and (b) use the Content on the Site, solely for your personal, non-commercial use, provided that you do not sell, license, distribute, copy, modify, publicly perform or display, transmit, publish, edit, adapt, create derivative works from, or otherwise make any unauthorized use of the Content. Nothing herein shall be construed as conferring in any manner, whether by implication, estoppel or otherwise, any title or ownership of, or exclusive use-rights to any intellectual property right in the Site or any Content.

4. Acceptable Use Policy

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It is each User's decision as to whether they send their personal information to IDEO through the Site. You are prohibited from posting or transmitting any "Sensitive Personal Information” (as defined in our Privacy Notice) over the Site, which may include, but not be limited to, any information about yourself or another person that may relate to health or medical conditions, social security numbers or national identifiers, credit card, bank account or other financial information, other information concerning trade union membership, sex life, political opinions, criminal charges or convictions, religious or philosophical beliefs, racial or ethnic origin, or other sensitive matters.

You are also prohibited from:

• transmitting through the Site any information, data, text, files, links, images, software, or other materials that IDEO considers to be unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, pornographic, hateful, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable or which threatens our relationships with our users, partners, customers or suppliers;
• attempting to conceal or misrepresent the identity of the sender, user or person submitting the information, or impersonate any individual (real names, email addresses and other information must be used);
• sending IDEO any unsolicited chain letters, advertising, promotional materials, sweepstakes, or contests;
• intentionally or unintentionally performing or promoting any activity that would violate any applicable local, state, national or international law, including but not limited to any regulations having the force of law while using or accessing the Site; 
• sending or transmitting executable programming of any kind, including malware, viruses, spyware, trojan horses, back doors, DDOS attacks, security vulnerabilities, easter eggs, or any other form of computer programming; and
• Using or interacting with the Site in any way intended to interfere with the proper functioning of the Site.

5. Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA")
Infringement Notification Procedures

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IDEO responds to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"). If you believe any of the Content on the Site infringes your copyright, please follow these procedures to notify IDEO and request removal. To file a copyright infringement notice, send a written communication that sets forth the items specified below (please consult your legal counsel or see Section 512(c)(3) of the DMCA to confirm these requirements):

• A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site.
• Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material. Providing URLs in the notice is the best way to help us locate content quickly.
• Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an email address at which the complaining party may be contacted.
• A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law (for example, "I am under the good faith belief that the use of the copyrighted content that is identified herein is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.").
• A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed (for example, "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in this notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner, or authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner, of the copyright(s) that is (are) allegedly infringed by the aforementioned content.").

To expedite our ability to process your request, such written notice should be sent to our designated copyright agent via email at copyright@ideo.com or via postal mail to the following address:

IDEO  LLC
2525 16th St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Attn: Legal / DMCA Notice

For clarity, only DMCA notices should be sent to copyright@ideo.com. Any other feedback, comments, questions, or other communications should be directed to IDEO through the email addresses listed at the end of this TOU. You acknowledge that if you fail to comply with all of the requirements of this section, your DMCA notice may not be valid.

Please note that under Section 512(f) of the DMCA, any person who materially misrepresents that material or activity is infringing may be subject to liability for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees). Please also note that the information provided in this legal notice may be forwarded to the person who provided the allegedly infringing content. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this TOU, IDEO may modify or remove any Content at any time without notice or explanation.

6. Third Party Sites, Services and/or Resources

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The Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, videos, media, and/or resources, such as social media websites, YouTube, Vimeo, or the websites of our clients. Third-parties may use technology to track you or collect your personal information. We provide these links as a convenience and are not responsible for the content, products or services on or available from those websites or resources or links displayed on such sites. You acknowledge sole responsibility for and assume all risk arising from, your use of any third-party websites, services and/or resources and acknowledge such use is subject to any terms of use and privacy notices of those websites, services, and/or resources.

7. Termination

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We may terminate your access to and use of the Services, at our sole discretion, at any time and without notice to you. Upon any termination, discontinuation of the Site, removal of Content, or cancellation of Services, all provisions of this TOU which by their nature should survive will survive, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, limitations of liability, and dispute resolution provisions.

8. Disclaimer

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THE CONTENT AND SERVICES ON THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY CONDITIONS, WARRANTIES OR OTHER TERMS OF ANY KIND. ACCORDINGLY, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IDEO PROVIDES THE SITE, CONTENT, AND ALL SERVICES ON THE BASIS THAT IDEO EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, AND OTHER TERMS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY, NONINFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND THE USE OF REASONABLE CARE AND SKILL. WE ARE NOT YOUR ATTORNEYS, AND NOTHING IN THIS TOU CONSTITUTES LEGAL ADVICE. 

While IDEO endeavours to ensure that the Site is available at all times, IDEO shall not be liable if, for any reason, the Site is unavailable at any time or for any period. The Site may not run on all browsers or mobile platforms.

9. Limitation of Liability

‍If you are an entity, organization, or company, you take full responsibility for your employees or agents who may use the Site or Services and you hereby agree to indemnify IDEO against any claim resulting from your employee’s breach of these Terms.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, NEITHER IDEO NOR ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, SHAREHOLDERS, AFFILIATES NOR AGENTS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY AMOUNT OR KIND OF LOSS OR DAMAGE THAT MAY RESULT TO YOU OR A THIRD PARTY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS OR DAMAGE OR ANY LOSS OF INCOME, PROFITS, GOODWILL, DATA, CONTRACTS, USE OF MONEY, OR LOSS OR DAMAGE ARISING FROM OR CONNECTED IN ANY WAY TO BUSINESS INTERRUPTION AND WHETHER IN TORT (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) IN CONNECTION WITH THE SITE IN ANY WAY OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE, INABILITY TO USE, OR THE RESULTS OF USE OF THE SITE, ANY WEBSITES LINKED TO THE SITE, OR THE CONTENT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OR DAMAGE DUE TO VIRUSES THAT AFFECT YOUR COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, DEVICES, SOFTWARE, DATA OR OTHER PROPERTY ON ACCOUNT OF YOUR ACCESS TO, USE OF OR BROWSING THE SITE, OR YOUR ACCESSING OR USING ANY CONTENT, OR ANY WEBSITE LINKED TO THE SITE.

EXCEPT FOR FINES AND PENALTIES IMPOSED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL IDEO’S (AND ITS OFFICER’S, DIRECTOR’S, EMPLOYEE’S, SHAREHOLDER’S, AFFILIATE’S NOR AGENT’S) TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS OR FROM THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE, SERVICES, OR CONTENT EXCEED USD $100, REGARDLESS OF CAUSE OR ORIGIN, WHETHER RESULTING FROM PERFORMANCE OR NONPERFORMANCE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS IMPOSED BY THESE TERMS OR FROM NEGLIGENCE, ACTIVE OR OTHERWISE. THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY PROVISIONS IN THIS AGREEMENT SHALL APPLY EVEN IF A YOUR REMEDIES UNDER THIS TOU FAIL OF THEIR ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THE SITE IS CONDITIONED ON YOUR AGREEMENT TO THE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY IN THIS SECTION 9, AND THAT THESE LIMITATIONS REFLECT AN ALLOCATION OF RISK BETWEEN YOU AND IDEO, FORMING AN ESSENTIAL BASIS OF THE BARGAIN.

Nothing in this TOU shall exclude or limit IDEO’s liability for (i) fraud, willful misconduct or gross negligence; (ii) death or personal injury caused by IDEO's negligence; or (iii) any liability which cannot be excluded or limited by law.

10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

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Apart from the Mandatory Arbitration provisions at the beginning of this TOU, which are governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, this TOU is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, USA, excluding the application of its conflict of law rules. You agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to the Site or Services may only be brought by you in a state or federal court located in San Francisco County, California, subject to the Mandatory Arbitration and Class Action Waiver provisions above. YOU HEREBY WAIVE ANY OBJECTION TO THIS VENUE AS INCONVENIENT OR INAPPROPRIATE, AND AGREE TO EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION AND VENUE IN THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA.

11. General Provisions

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This TOU constitutes the entire and exclusive understanding and agreement between IDEO and you regarding the Site, Content, and Services, and this TOU supersedes and replaces any and all prior oral or written understandings or agreements between IDEO and you regarding the same. If for any reason a court of competent jurisdiction finds any provision of this TOU invalid or unenforceable, such provision will be deemed omitted and the other provisions of this TOU will remain in full force and effect.

You may not assign or transfer this TOU, by operation of law or otherwise. Any attempt by you to assign or transfer this TOU will be null and of no effect. IDEO  may freely assign or transfer this TOU without restriction. Subject to the foregoing, this TOU will bind and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors and permitted assigns.

Any notices or other communications provided by IDEO under this TOU, including those regarding modifications to this TOU, will be given: (i) by IDEO via email; or (ii) by posting an updated date at the header of this TOU. For notices made by email, the date of receipt will be deemed the date on which such notice is transmitted.

IDEO's failure to enforce any right or provision of this TOU will not be considered a waiver of those rights. The waiver of any such right or provision will be effective only if in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of IDEO. Except as expressly set forth in this TOU, the exercise by either party of any of its remedies under this TOU will be without prejudice to its other remedies under this TOU or otherwise.

12. Contact Information

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If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact IDEO at website@ideo.com.

If you have questions about our Privacy Notice, please contact IDEO at privacynotice@ideo.com.

To send a DMCA notice, please contact IDEO at copyright@ideo.com.

For all other inquiries, please contact IDEO here.

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