The Changing Face of Innovation
Over the past few decades, China has emerged as a place of extraordinary transformation—a country setting a new standard for modernization and excellence that is distinctly different from the Western business world. It’s an environment where technology, consumer behavior, and a collective entrepreneurial mindset constantly reshape industries, redefining what “good” looks like for business leaders in China almost daily. As a market, China represents a new form of best-in-class. It has become a place to build future fitness for both global and local companies in a hyper-competitive environment with unique conditions for innovation, allowing organizations to test and scale faster than ever before.
“China’s unique combination of rapid change and growing consumer sophistication has taught us to rethink our own assumptions about innovation,” says Remy Jauffret, Partner and Managing Director of IDEO China. “As a global design and innovation firm, we are continually learning what’s next for design and innovation, and China is a place of abundance for this.”
Since establishing a presence in China more than 21 years ago, IDEO has worked closely with both Chinese and multinational companies—from Haier and Kong Shi Fu to Volvo and LVMH—helping them understand and capture the cultural nuances of this fast-changing market. By inspiring future possibilities through design, IDEO takes an iterative approach to de-risking bold moves when helping launch solutions that can be stress-tested in China and eventually scaled to other markets. This journey requires not only depth in human-centered design but also a deep respect for China’s unique ways of working and innovating. By working side by side with local founders and international CEOs committed to this market, IDEO aims to break down operational and cultural barriers, develop the flexibility to keep pace with local expectations, and establish a foundation for new ways of working.
In China, IDEO has learned that resilience and innovation aren’t just about bold ideas; they’re about listening, evolving, and being curious to learn from the market, in the market. Beyond China, IDEO operates in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.
Find out more about the campaign Innovation & Disruption
