Question

IDEO is a global award-winning design firm. Every year teams of people including psychologists, mechanical engineers, biologists, and industrial designers work on projects ranging from Apple's first computer mouse to heart defibrillators to the Neat Squeeze toothpaste tube.

IDEO's corporate philosophy is that teamwork improves innovation and creativity. Group brainstorming is used to spark a lot of new ideas at once. Project teams share and improve ideas by leveraging members' skills and solving problems together. The company believes that the diversity of interdisciplinary teams allows higher quality, faster innovation.

Regardless of the project, IDEO teams use the same process. First they identify similar products and experiences, then they observe people using them. The teams then visualize, evaluate, refine, and implement innovative solutions to their clients' problems drawing from their research and observations. IDEO team members lack status or formal titles, and every team member is given equal respect.

1. How does teamwork influence innovation at IDEO?

2. How does diversity influence the effectiveness of teamwork at IDEO?

3. What characteristics would you look for in staffing a project team at IDEO?

Answer 1

Teamwork influences innovation at IDEO as it increases creativity and helps in idea generation. It gives the chance to improve the problem solving capabilities by using the skills of the group members to find solutions.

Diversity influences the effectiveness of teamwork at IDEO as it increases the quality and speed of innovation. The team members have an important role in the process as they have a personal role in finding solutions to the clients' problems through processes like observation, research and analysis.

Characteristics that would be identified for staffing a project team at IDEO will be people from diverse backgrounds who can work together in a team. The team members should have diverse skills and ready to work without any formal title giving mutual respect to each other.