If you are interested in human-centered design and innovation, landing a job at IDEO will do wonders for your career. Working at this global design company will allow you to interact with industry leaders while advancing your career opportunities. So, how exactly does one start an IDEO career?
Read our article to know everything about IDEO. We’ll walk you through IDEO’s history, its values, the lucrative opportunities it has to offer, and how to unlock these.
IDEO: Company Background
IDEO, or Innovation Design Engineering Organization, is a global design consultancy with a history that goes back to the late 1970s. It all started in 1978 when IDEO’s primary founder David Kelley established the design firm, David Kelley Design (DKD). In 1991, Kelley merged DKD with three other companies owned by Bill Moggridge and Mike Nuttall to form IDEO.
Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, IDEO prides itself on producing human-centered designs that create a positive impact on users. It first appeared on the radar of big design after Apple founder Steve Jobs hired the company to design the mouse for Lisa, one of its first computers. IDEO’s simple and inexpensive prototype was considered a breakthrough in computer hardware design. It was so ahead of its time that it’s still used in almost all mechanical mouse builds today.
This was followed by IDEO’s design of GRiD Systems’ first notebook-style personal computer, a project led by co-founder Bill Moggridge. The product’s design, which was completely centered around user convenience, was one of the first pioneers for smaller and lighter laptops.
Today, IDEO has transformed into a global product design company, with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and China. Its growth and vision have not gone unnoticed. Numerous publications have recognized IDEO as one of the top industrial designers in the world.
What’s It Like to Work at IDEO?
Working at IDEO entails a mix of teamwork, innovative design thinking, and a willingness to push your boundaries. The company also advances a culture of unity in diversity. As an illustration, employees gave IDEO a 78 out of 100 diversity score on Comparably. This puts it in the top 30 percent of companies in the US that fully embrace workplace diversity.
Work Culture
A defining mark of IDEO is its refusal to promote competition within the workplace as a strategy to increase productivity. According to several reviews from current and previous employees, IDEO gives its people space and freedom to excel in their respective positions. The overall work culture is collaborative and supportive. IDEO employees are motivated to work as a team rather than as individuals.
Innovation is also seen in the workplace itself. Because IDEO’s talent pool overflows with creativity, the company workplace is filled with pet projects created by employees. The environment itself fosters creativity. It leaves no space for dullness.
Innovative Work
This innovation goes beyond the physical environment. It seeps into the work they do. Working at IDEO means you are constantly rewarded with exciting projects. Whether a software engineer, designer, or even a business analyst, you are constantly exposed to the newest technologies in the market.
IDEO’s clientele list includes big names across a wide range of industries. Among these are Fortune 500 companies, including Ford, Coca-Cola, and Google. Thus, as an employee, you are always interacting with the best in the industry.
Aside from its talent pool, the nature of the work in IDEO is diverse. You can work on a design for a car model one day and design a handbag the following day. Working at IDEO means you’ll always be kept on your toes, with learning and versatility at the center of your career.
Great Perks and Benefits
Working at IDEO comes with additional perks. The company is generous when it comes to employee social and domestic life aspects. As an employee, you are entitled to a great 401(k) plan, overall health insurance, profit-sharing, and unlimited vacations.
Employees also enjoy free breakfast and, sometimes, lunch on the premises. IDEO also enforces tea times where all the employees come together to socialize while drinking tea and eating baked goods and other snacks.
Getting a Job at IDEO
Getting a job at IDEO would mean working at one of the biggest and most successful design firms. To get a job at IDEO, you must be mindful of showcasing your most impressive skill sets and experience.
The company has offices in the US, Japan, England, Germany, and China. So, make sure you’ll want to work at these locations. Designer roles often come with different job requirements, depending on the location.
How Hard Is It to Land a Job at IDEO?
The short answer: very hard. Because of its reputation, the job market at IDEO is highly competitive. Regardless of the role, IDEO places great care on hiring people that display both intellectual and emotional intelligence. As its blog says, “lone geniuses need not apply.”
Yes, IDEO values technical competency. But, this is pointless if you don’t know how to work well with others. So, along with checking the technical qualifications, you must also be a cultural fit.
Although both ends can be difficult to fulfill, it isn’t impossible. If you’re keen on pursuing a career at IDEO, then hone both your technical and soft skills. Read up on the company to know which skills and attitude you must improve and develop.
Applying for a Job at IDEO
When applying for a job at IDEO, make sure that you have a story to tell. IDEO is a design firm that focuses on a human-centric approach. So, being a natural storyteller will help you increase your chances of getting noticed among a sea of hopeful candidates.
Make no mistake, IDEO’s hiring team reads through your resume and your cover letter. So, capturing their interest within minutes is important. Think of it as your initiation into the world of design. Your product is an application form that tells your story and captures the interest of your reader (in this case, IDEO’s recruiting team).
Duane Bray, a partner at IDEO, also discusses other hiring expectations of the company. Bray states that IDEO appreciates authentic candidates. For example, he says candidates need not wear a suit if it makes them uncomfortable. They can come wearing jeans and a t-shirt if they are most comfortable with it.
IDEO Application and Interview Process
As every other job application process goes, you can apply for jobs at IDEO’s website. You can even go on employment websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor.
To qualify for the interview round you will have to pass the initial screening. Make sure to match the desirable skills mentioned in the job ad with your resume. This increases your chances of getting through to the next phase.
After passing the application phase, you will be directed to written technical and general aptitude tests before going through an interview. This will be conducted individually or by groups depending on the role you’re applying for. Before the interview, read about previous reviews written by former candidates. These can easily be found on Glassdoor, where previous applicants write about tips and even questions asked during the interview.
IDEO Career Opportunities: Job Titles and Descriptions
IDEO hires an array of professionals from very diverse backgrounds so there’s never a shortage of opportunities in the company. You can be a mechatronic engineer, interaction designer, researcher, and even an accountant at the company. Below are some of the most lucrative careers at IDEO.
Senior Instructional Designer
- Salary: $67,000 – $112,000
- Benefits: 401(k), profit sharing, health, life, vision, and dental insurance
- Required Experience: 5+ years of experience in writing, designing, and content creation
- Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field
A senior instructional designer at IDEO is responsible for building a creative and comprehensive curriculum for the IDEO online educational platform. You will be part of the planning and strategizing team that creates global learning experiences. Your job duties involve designing and optimizing learning materials. This includes interviewing design experts and integrating their insights into the curriculum.
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
The materials you produce may come in a range of formats, from videos and written lectures to interactive exercises. To succeed in this role, you must have an understanding of pedagogical approaches that promote innovative learning. Knowledge of SEO strategies will also prove useful as you create user-generated content and impactful stories for marketing. Check out marketing courses and develop your writing skills to boost your candidacy.
Design Researcher
- Salary: $131,163 or $63 per hour
- Benefits: 401(k), profit sharing, health, life, vision, and dental insurance
- Required Experience: 3 to 5 years of experience in qualitative design
- Required Education: Master’s degree in Anthropology, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design, Journalism, Data Science
As a design researcher at IDEO, you will be performing an array of roles surrounding human-centered design research. You are expected to develop efficient design processes to help design solutions. You’ll also be leading the design research team and conducting qualitative research.
To succeed in this role having a good understanding of data analysis is crucial. You can enroll in data analytics bootcamps to get started. You can even learn design thinking and product design to advance your design research career.
Business Design Lead
- Salary: $114,056
- Benefits: 401(k), profit sharing, health, life, vision, and dental insurance
- Required Experience: 7+ years of industry experience
- Required Education: A bachelor’s or master’s degree in business is helpful but not necessary
A business design lead at IDEO provides solutions to clients surrounding product design. You will be expected to lead design teams and work together to identify business challenges and opportunities. Your role primarily lies in improving client and business relations in product design.
To succeed in this role, consider enrolling in some of the best business bootcamps. You can also take management courses to be a successful team leader. Overall, having an in-depth understanding of business design and different styles of project management is going to help you advance in this career.
Data Scientist
- Salary: $140,426 – $153,386
- Benefits: 401(k), profit sharing, health, life, vision, and dental insurance
- Required Experience: 3+ years of experience in the data science field
- Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field
The data scientist position at IDEO requires expertise in data management and data analysis. As a data scientist, you should stay abreast of the newest data management technologies. Your job role revolves around analyzing data to find issues and opportunities to improve the company’s operations. Consider enrolling in data science bootcamps to gain the necessary skills for this position.
What Does It Take to Get a Job at IDEO?
To successfully pass IDEO’s application process requires hard work, creativity, and authenticity. It’s important to showcase your willingness to learn and passion to create meaningful designs during the application process.
One of the most important aspects of being an employee at IDEO is having great teamwork skills. You must be collaborative and know how to create as a team player. If you thrive in creative collaboration, then perhaps an IDEO career is right for you.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
