Posted By Elizabeth Johansen on April 8, 2009

As IDEO builds its focus in Social Impact work – working with under served and disadvantaged communities, at home and abroad – we are hosting a series of labs with entrepreneurs and organizations who are working in this space. The labs are one-hour pro-bono working sessions with members of IDEO’s design community, to help problem solve around a particular question or challenge that the organization has identified.

IDEO’s goals for the Social Impact Labs are:

• To help organizations through design as starting point for future work with IDEO or a way to engage with organizations that can’t afford IDEO;
• To give members of IDEO’s design community an opportunity to engage with a variety of meaningful design challenges and learn from interesting organizations and companies; and
• To build a network of organizations that focus on social impact.

For the Social Impact Labs, it’s important to pick a bite-size challenge that can easily be articulated to the group.  Social impact organization interested in participating should think about the following:

• What are you hoping to get out of the lab?
• What format would be most useful to you? Most often, IDEO will host a brainstorm that generates a multitude of ideas; another option is a design review of something you’re currently working on.
• What challenges do you have that could use group problem solving? These can be product, service, experience, and brand challenges that you’re facing (e.g. “We’re looking for a way to make a conference feel more collaborative,” or “We need a way to adjust the focus of the microscope,” or “What would allow people to make more ethical shopping choices?”

To find out more about IDEO and possibly set up a social impact lab, please contact Elizabeth Johansen (Boston) or Sally Madsen (Palo Alto).

Categories: Tools for Change
Tags: Boston, design, IDEO, innovation, Palo Alto, social impact, social innovation, social sector