Designing for innovation requires more than insights; it requires a shift in how leaders think. In this case study, IDEO worked with a major Chinese consumer goods company whose executives struggled to imagine growth beyond legacy successes. Initial resistance to unproven ideas stalled momentum, until immersive, design-led workshops challenged assumptions and put leaders in direct conversation with evolving consumer needs.
Using real-life artifacts, experiential research installations, and role-play scenarios, the team aligned around younger middle-class consumers as a key opportunity. Senior executives moved from “Is the market big enough?” to pitching ideas in a live-stream simulation using phrases like “punk wellness” and “dopamine colors.”
The result was not just a new product line, but a cultural breakthrough: a shared understanding that innovation requires care, courage, and co-creation. This case shows how design can bridge the gap between insight and action, and help organizations protect the fragile spark of what’s next.
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