Posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2015 by Will Hagle
Open IDEO lets anyone join in solving the world’s most pressing problems.
Open IDEO was created by design firm IDEO. The site encourages active participation in helping solve a specific social issue over a predetermined amount of time. It’s almost like a Kickstarter for big issues, except instead of donating money you lend your ideas. An example of recent projects include the questions — “How might we use technology to inspire all socioeconomic and multicultural groups to lead healthier lives?” and “How might we improve education and expand learning opportunities for refugees around the world?” There’s obviously no correct answer, but Open IDEO relies on the collaboration of the community to work towards achievable results.
Open IDEO uses a multi-step process for each challenge. It begins with the research stage, during which users share stories and information that could contribute to the project. Next are the idea and refinement phases, followed by a period of receiving feedback from the community. After that, the top ideas are chosen. It is, of course, an ongoing process. Open IDEO also encourages active participation in your own community — whether you organize groups to participate in the challenge or think about how you could make an impact with your own ideas. It’s a cool, inspiring site — and a worthy cause for a design firm like IDEO.
