IDEO.org

We launched our very first advice column: The In-Between! 🎉 After years of designing solutions to complex social challenges, we’ve come to feel at home in the in-between—a space where discomfort and uncertainty push us to build new ways forward. In a time of shifting resources, evolving community needs, and a fluctuating philanthropic landscape, we wanted to create a space for changemakers to wrestle with hard questions while staying grounded in their values and dignity. 📍 Have a question? Send it our way: inbetween.ideo.org

Our monthly newsletter is now on LinkedIn! In March's edition: ✨ IDEO.org's very first advice column tailored for changemakers wrestling with tough questions. Sitting with something big? Send it our way—we’ll unpack it together. ✨Highlights from our family-centered report on pediatric obesity care with Clarity Pediatrics, IDEO, and Rise Together Ventures. ✨ Updates on where we'll be this month, free tools for you to use, and our favorite online finds. Subscribe to Monthly on LinkedIn for creative nudges, insights, and updates from our team.

Pediatric obesity has quadrupled in a generation, yet care remains out of reach for many families, especially those on #Medicaid. While the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines set a new standard, providers still lack the tools to turn recommendations into accessible solutions. Today, on #WorldObesityDay, we’re proud to share a family-informed report created in collaboration with Clarity Pediatrics, IDEO, and Rise Together Ventures—shaped by insights from families, care providers, and experts. Over the past year, we worked alongside families and providers in California and Texas to uncover what truly makes obesity care accessible, supportive, and stigma-free. This research provides a practical roadmap for pediatricians, healthcare startups, and policymakers to create care models that meet families where they are. 🔗 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e23a88YH #ClarityPediatrics #PediatricObesity #ObesityCare #ChronicCare #WorldObesityDay #HealthcareInnovation

A note from our CEO, Michelle Kreger Dear Friends, Last week, I laced up my shoes for a run, hoping to shake off the weight of the moment. But a few minutes in, my body refused. Grief had caught up with me. The past week has been especially difficult for so many of the organizations we work with. The massive loss of funding has left many of us scrambling, questioning what comes next—for the communities we serve and for our sector. And while we don’t have the answers, we do know that this: the people in this community—those 
who have spent their lives stubbornly insisting 
and dreaming of something better—will carry us forward. No matter the conditions, we remain committed 
to imagining, designing, and building with you because a more just and inclusive world isn’t made alone. So, if you need someone to problem-solve with, to sit with, or to grieve with, we’re here. Below is a list of resources our team has gathered over the past week. We’ve included contact information for team members who may be able to offer additional support. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. The weight of this moment is real, and so is our resolve. We hold each other up. And together, 
we find a way forward. With you, Michelle Kreger __________________________________________________________________ Please don't hesitate to reach out to our team with any questions or uncertainties you may be holding. Additional resources are listed in the comments. Hailey Brewer U.S | Early Learning & Care, Health & Wellbeing Alexis A Harrison U.S | Economic Mobility, Health Equity, Community & Belonging Diane D'Costa U.S | Education, Youth Development, Local Government Leadership Larrissa Bachia Global | Youth Development, Health Equity, Agriculture Luan Nio Global | Financial Inclusion, Refugee Support, Climate, Gender Michelle Kreger U.S & Global | Health and Wellbeing, Economic Mobility, Early Learning, and Care

In our final perspective of the year, we revisited the questions we asked—and those asked of us—that shaped our work in 2024. Themes of loneliness, connection, and care felt more urgent than ever, influencing how we approached our work, partnered with communities, and supported one another. These ideas guided our designs and challenged us to think deeply about building a more compassionate world. This piece, written by Diane D'Costa, Claudia Sosa Lazo, Ankita Roy, Harmonie Coleman, Belinda Jivapong, Edwin Mwai, Nakhanu Wafula, Aya Jaffar, and Chi Offomah, is both a reflection on the year that’s been and an invitation to continue exploring as we move forward. As we step into 2025, we wish you rest, connection, and care this holiday season. Thank you for being part of our community, for your endless curiosity, and for your commitment to creating futures worth building. Until next year, IDEO.org https://lnkd.in/etZndrdW

BIG NEWS! 💥 We’ve partnered with Canva to launch an accessible, self-paced, Human-Centered Design course designed for anyone eager to catalyze change in their community, workplace, and beyond. Packed with practical tools and real-world examples, this course takes you beyond brainstorming to build solutions that truly stick. We’re big believers that HCD is for everyone; that’s why this course is approachable, and crafted to empower changemakers at every level. As we step into the new year, it’s the perfect time to set bold intentions and explore fresh ways to make an impact. Check out the course here: #canva #design #humancentereddesign #designthinking #HCD

Great design shifts paradigms. It redefines what’s possible, revealing futures that are more joyful and just. Through programs like Reimagine Care and the Health Equity Collective, we’ve partnered with community leaders, families, activists, experts, and organizations to create a new collective vision for healthcare and childcare in the U.S. Together, we’ve launched bold campaigns and co-designed services and products that set a more compassionate and dignified standard for what care and well-being can feel like across the country. We know that when design strives beyond “good enough,” it shifts paradigms, transforming how we see the world and the possibilities within it. This giving season, join us in designing solutions that rewrite the rules. With your support, we’ve already impacted over 65 million lives globally. In the next five years, we aim to reach 100 million more—because everyone deserves great. And great is what we’re here for. https://lnkd.in/eYj86Y54

Great design doesn’t stop after it solves. It scales. It adapts to new contexts, evolves with minimal resources, and reaches new communities again and again. From a family planning game that helps young couples and their influencers in Burkina Faso make informed decisions—later adapted to the contexts of three additional countries in the Sahel—to an open-source vaccine confidence toolkit designed to address evolving COVID-19 fears in communities across the U.S., our designs are built to scale impact. This giving season, join us in supporting great design solutions that don’t settle. With your help, we’ve transformed the futures of over 65 million lives globally. In the next five years, we aim to reach 100 million more—because everyone deserves access to great. And great is what we’re here for https://lnkd.in/eYj86Y54

When you were a teen, how did you learn about sexual health? Who did you trust? For many young people today, sex-ed is defined by misinformation, stigma, and a lack of open conversations. In partnership with Child Poverty Action Lab (CPAL)'s Trust Her initiative, we flipped the script on the dreaded “talk” and transformed the conversation around sexual health into a team-oriented and approachable experience. Through a mobile pop-up that meets teens and their parents where they already are—farmers' markets, street fairs, and community events—we created a space where curiosity and education thrive. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gYsCD-Pf #sexualhealth #teenhealth #herchoice #sexed

In impossible times, constraints feel defining, pressuring us to settle for “good enough.” But at IDEO.org, we know what great can do. Great design saves lives, empowering 53 million people through COVID-19 campaigns. It fosters safety, driving a 154% increase in HIV testing for men who have sex with men in Zimbabwe. And it creates access, reaching 4.7 million people with digital finance tools. This giving season, join us in delivering great design solutions that adapt to shifting realities, implement with ease, and create lasting impact. With your support, we’ve already impacted over 65 million lives—and over 5 years, we aim to reach 100 million more. Because everyone deserves great. And great is what we’re here for. https://lnkd.in/eYj86Y54