IDEO Reviews

Cons

- There's no ladder--it's a free climb up a mountain wall (not for the faint of heart)
- So much change and ambiguity - the company itself and nature of my work has shifted so many times since I've gotten here; I've given up trying to define myself as xyz. I just think of my work as a series of very different learning projects, vs. a static thing. The explosiveness is nice because I have the time to pour into it.

Cons

Politics: as many reviews profusely indicate, there is 2-class citizens systems which is obvious. I would add to that the drift the company is going through towards ultimate self-referentiality, IDEO celebrating its IDEOness. You can really see the cultural resistance towards really understanding the world we are living nowadays, especially when it comes to technology and people behaviors, whereas a company like IDEO would have incredible opportunities for impact with a more positive approach.

Partners to me are the most negative part of the experience at IDEO. They are a separate entity in the org and as a designer you will rarely have a chance to engage with them. When you do they are often arrogant and have permission to say whatever they want. They just sit above everything else and they seem only preoccupied about their 2nd homes and ways to increase their personal visibility through side projects that use IDEO official resources and are laughable and zero relevant in this world.

Craft and role of design is increasingly losing a center role in the organization, in favor of "strategic thinkers" which are the opposite of “talk less do more” cultural value. Leadership does their best to deliberately put designers outside of their talent for career development and ends up negatively impacting craft and the talent they hired for.

Lots of new hires at director level that are bypassing the long climb and they have no clue about how to run a project and the process that IDEO stands for.

“Ambiguity” serves the status quo, they will often speak about being a family, while in practice it is nothing but a corporation with all the.. corporate things that come with it.

Cons

The company is struggling to stay relevant in this digital day and age. The work, while thoughtful, is definitely far from cutting-edge. They also seem to do a lot of work with organizations that have dubious reputations — what seems more important is that they can write a big check. Over the years I’ve been there, I’ve seen a lot of really talented people leave, burnt out and overlooked because senior management are insecure or are unwilling to adapt with the times. The new businesses that are being incubated within IDEO seem even messier and are often badly run, with low quality offers or products.

Cons

short projects, not enough time to get to root problems for long term impact,

Cons

Moving up takes awhile, low pay compared to a tech firm

Cons

I have not noticed any

Cons

Highly disorganized and disconnected. None of the different studios are integrated in a meaningful way. Each location has completely different cultures that are very dependent on the leadership & most connected/popular people in that location.

Feels extremely corporate, and growing in this feeling every day. In my years at IDEO, I've seen a steady decline of the creative, playful culture that the firm was built on. A lot of focus on money, clients, margins, business...less conversations on the craft, design, impact. I have been disappointed about certain clients brought in. For example, businesses that actively destroy the environment or societal inequities they create. IDEO still chooses to work with them because they bring in a lot of money despite the fact that most people working there are progressive.

Very low pay and little opportunity for advancement. You can move from the individual to team level pretty quickly, but accelerating beyond that to the director level is a massive challenge if you do not have ins with leadership.

Horrendously behind when it comes to diversity and inclusion. I was so surprised at how disconnected IDEO was when it comes to D&I. There's a deep lack of understanding from leadership, and while there are active initiatives to try to change this, there hasn't been meaningful shifts. If you identify as a member of a minority community, it will be hard for you to feel connected to the culture there. You will not see people like yourself reflected in leadership. You will experience micro-aggressions and complete disconnects about how some project teams carry themselves.

Toxic culture. I've been screamed at by a partner in leadership, have heard others talk negatively about others behind their back, and a lot of favoritism which isn't always based on merit. There's certain spaces at IDEO that are very much a popularity contest and feel like high school, but I did a great job of staying away from that.

Cons

Ambiguity in growth, especially in new roles in the fringe business, and very low salary

Cons

If you are not selected as a favorite, you will struggle. You will never be sufficient. You will never be valued or appreciated. You will not be supported. You will be gaslighted, scapegoated, and/or blamed when things are challenging. You will invest your entire self in this work, and it will never be acknowledged. I have never, ever, felt so judged as a human being at any other job.

The culture is largely driven by a boys club/popularity contest, but leadership is in denial or aloof which makes this more dangerous.

There is often a distinct sense that the cobblers children have no shoes.

The company is playing catch up on things like the ability to implement and execute ideas to go to market.

Little room for growth and career trajectory. More and more leaders are joining without having ever practiced Design Thinking, bypassing the dues that some others have paid, often over many years.

People are elbowing their way into management roles for a collective of very senior designers that don’t necessarily need to be managed. Those whi do not have experience in management are not given the resources or support to learn. Hierarchy for hierarchy’s sake.

Lower than industry average compensation.

Cons

Incredibly toxic culture. If you are not one of the little darlings of this boys club, you will be made to feel subhuman. For example, as I was getting a cup of coffee in the break room, one employee screamed down another because she had tried to "rat her out" to a director. The basis of their fight was something as trivial as mis-booking a conference room for a client.

I don't know a single person at the company how feels secure about themselves without being a pompous donkey.

Folks also talk about the meaningful work. There are meaningful projects given in between paying customers to make sure that everyone is fully booked. No one is paying for this meaningful work and none of it will come to fruition. Most of the paying work is still nice curves on a surface.