Listen now

Apple Podcasts — Spotify — YouTube

Years ago, an IDEO team was asked to design a case to transport a donor kidney. 

They started with the practical questions: temperature, safety, mechanics. Then, through field research, they realized how much emotion was involved in the process. 

That story was shared by Jane Fulton Suri, one of the founding figures of human-centered design at IDEO. She joined IDEO’s predecessor firm in 1987, trained originally in psychology and architecture, and spent nearly four decades building out what's now called design research.

In this episode of the Creative Confidence Podcast, IDEO CEO Mike Peng talks with Jane about what separates a good insight from a great one, and why, even as AI reshapes so much of the work, she still believes nothing replaces being what she calls "a sensory human being in the world."

Highlights From the Conversation

(09:26) The origin story of design research, how it became a sellable phase, and what Jane says got lost along with it 

(12:53) A haircut, a proposal, and the nearly-free idea that became IDEO's first customer journey

(18:39) Jane's definition of a great insight: "It's a change of state."

Put It Into Practice

Test whether it's really an insight 

Before you call something an insight, ask whether it changes how you or your team sees the problem, not just whether it's accurate or well-supported.

More short takeaways in the recap →

The Bigger Picture

Design research traces back to WWII

Human factors and ergonomics, the discipline that eventually became human-centered design, is generally traced to World War II, when psychologists studied why trained pilots kept making fatal cockpit errors. A landmark 1947 study found pilots were confusing the landing gear and flap controls because the two levers looked and felt identical. Source: Eric Shaver, "Human Factors - A Brief History"; and IDEO: Design Thinking

Design-led companies outperform the market

Companies scoring in the top quintile of IDEO's Innovation Quotient reported 50% higher annual profits than average, plus nearly three times the revenue growth and twice the customer growth of those in the bottom quintile.

Source: IDEO, "The IDEO Innovation Quotient (IDEO IQ) 2026

Design thinking became everyone's job

By 2018, five years after launching its design thinking program, IBM had more than 1,600 formally trained designers and had certified nearly a third of its global workforce in design thinking, a useful marker of how far the practice had moved beyond dedicated design teams into general business roles. Source: Doug Powell, "A New Study on Design Thinking is Great News for Designers," IBM Design, March 2018

Related episodes

Why Bringing Curiosity Into Your Work Takes Courage: Jane Fulton Suri

How to Build Empathy Skills: Q&A with Jane Fulton Suri

Related courses

Insights for Innovation, taught by Jane Fulton Suri

AI x Design Thinking Certificate, Jane's course is included

"We have to have conviction about our own ideas. Not holding onto them so tightly we can't let go, but having the confidence to share them, even without hard evidence."

— Jane Fulton Suri

Subscribe to hear new episodes first

Apple Podcasts — Spotify — YouTube

Join us for a live podcast recording

We send invites to our email list and host events about once a month. See what's coming up and RSVP at ideou.com/podcast.

Thanks again for being part of our global community. We hope to see you at a live podcast recording soon!

Warmly,

IDEO U ☻