IDEO Palo Alto Palo Alto, California, USA Company IDEO means “idea” in the Greek language. David Kelly, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, and Bill Moggridge, a top industrial designer, founded IDEO in 1991. Their product developments, which include Apple Computer’s firm mouse, currently exceed 3000. The products range from an old-fashioned toothbrush to a state-of-the-art medical equipment. Because of their philosophy of not drawing a line to the kind of work they design, IDEO has grown to be one of the largest industrial design firms in the United States. There are a total of seven offices in cities, which include Palo Alto, London, and Tokyo, with over 300 employees. IDEO’s flat organization enables the firm to respond to complex client needs. A project team, comprised of an engineer, a designer, a software developer, and a marketing specialist, collaborates for a few months and is dissolved upon project completion. Working in small groups encourages the sense of ownership to develop. A feeling that you and your group accomplished a project enhances your willingness to work and fosters group comradeship. The studios are laid out with unique workstations in open spaces with desks and meeting tables covered with junk-like objects. Each studio is designed by the users, the groups, and decorated to emphasize their differences between the groups. In every studio, product prototypes or models of products currently in development are displayed. Establishing the identity of each studio engenders a sense of bonding within the group and competition between groups, motivating the employees consequently. Although the studios may appear chaotic, they reflect an environment that allows creative work to be executed quickly without the rigidity of a typical organization.           Location: Palo Alto, California, USA     Move-In Date:     Floor Area:     Workforce: 300     Building Design: N/A     Interior Design: N/A     Interview Date: 1998.6