Content warning: This letter discusses multiple forms of trauma, including workplace abuse, power, and manipulation, and struggles with surviving trau

Surviving IDEO. After 23 interviews over twelve months… | by George Aye | Surviving IDEO | May, 2021 | Medium

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2021-05-25 18:00:06

Content warning: This letter discusses multiple forms of trauma, including workplace abuse, power, and manipulation, and struggles with surviving trauma.

This letter retells my personal experiences as a former employee at IDEO, as well as stories of other alumni. This letter is a means of recovery for me and I hope it can support others on their journey of healing by giving vocabulary to behaviors that are common in an unhealthy workplace. I am compelled to name the harms I experienced as well as report on the ones that were shared with me.

In the wake of George Floyd’s and Breonna Taylor’s deaths in the summer of 2020, the renowned global design consultancy IDEO announced their solidarity with Black and Brown communities on their social media accounts. That post was quickly retracted but not before being panned by both alumni of the firm and the wider design community for its performative, equity-washing shallowness.

IDEO is the most recognized design firm in the world, with over 700 employees in nine global offices, generating over $100M in yearly revenue. They are known for helping Apple design the world’s first mouse and have led the charge for bringing design thinking to the world of business. They play a unique role in the design industry and are often seen as the ‘gold standard.’ Competitors try to be like them, clients want to work with them, and employees want to be hired by them.

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