Technology, Design and Fun: The method to our madness!

Nate Tower November 11, 2024

If you’ve seen our video (hopefully you have—it’s unhinged), you know that we want to help a business grow through technology, design and fun. But you may be wondering “what does that actually mean?” Luckily, that’s what this blog post is about! Let’s break it down.

👾 Technology

To us, technology is all about leverage—doing more with less. This leverage can be applied to internal operations, improving delivery, or customer-facing experiences. For example, for a business with an outdated CRM (or no CRM), adopting a modern CRM and integrating it tightly with the business can dramatically improve operational efficiency. Likewise, adopting AI to help generate reports for clients can make the delivery of the company’s offer faster for employees. And creating a customer portal or app can improve the offer itself in the eyes of your customer.

Build or buy? Whenever possible, we like to use off-the-shelf software, because it’s almost always faster and cheaper than building your own. Still, it takes finesse to select and properly integrate these tools into a company’s existing technology stack and workplace culture.

Time to code? Ben has decades of experience in software, having worked at every level—from hands-on coding to leading developer teams to guiding technology strategy for Fortune 500 clients. If the time is right for a custom solution, Ben can help select a development partner and lead the effort. Or let’s face it, he may roll up his sleeves and just build it himself.

💡 Design

You can read the full story about the value of design in our blog post “Why a couple of guys from a design & innovation firm just might be the best buyers for your company.” If you want the short version: we come from a world where “design” is not just colors and fonts—it’s a process for consistently delivering products and services that address real human needs. And while we’re proud of our nine-figure outcomes, we’re proudest of the positive real-world impact our designs continue to have on peoples’ lives.

🎢 Fun

What if I told you there was one thing that could increase revenue, create differentiation, boost marketing effectiveness, build your brand, increase pricing power, drive employee efficiency, reduce turnover, help recruit the best talent, create rabid customer loyalty, and improve workplace health and wellbeing? And what if this one thing was completely free?

Dang it, you’re way ahead of me. Yes, it’s FUN! Fun is a free and renewable resource with unlimited upside. While you can’t enforce mandatory fun, our experience at IDEO has taught us that you absolutely can (and should) create an environment that naturally fosters joy, enthusiasm and playfulness.

It takes more than an air hockey table and Friday donuts; people need to feel psychological safety, and see the impact of their efforts clearly. But Ben and I have seen firsthand that when the conditions are right, and people are energized and enjoy coming to work, they do the best work of their lives. And when the company itself embraces fun, there’s no stopping it.

💥 A dynamite combination

Technology, Design & Fun: they’re all individually important ingredients, but in concert, they’re a knockout (sorry, mixing a lot of metaphors here). The point is, this trio is at the center of our strategy, with our values guiding us like a compass.

What about you? Would your company’s next chapter benefit from an infusion of technology, design and fun? Send us a note and let us know what you think—or better yet, book some time to chat about our favorite topic!