The Human Side of Government Collaboration, IDEO Style

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Oct 26

The Human Side of Government Collaboration, IDEO Style

At the ACT/IAC Executive Leadership Conference, I just heard a panel about "innovation" that included David Haygood, a partner at the design firm IDEO. They've worked on something that's touched your life: the Apple mouse, the Motorola VoIP phone, the design of Acela trains for Amtrak, and the Bank of America "change back" products and services are all things they've had a major hand in designing.

They've also worked with the government, and Haygood mentioned work they've done with the Intelligence Community (IC) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). One big theme of his was including the end user early in the process. As he related what one intelligence analyst told him, "Development happens to us, not for us."

Haywood outlined some fundamentals of the "human side of collaboration," having empathy for the end user. One, a design thinking process that includes enlightened trial and error and an easy-to-share narrative for senior executives. Two, a tangible working process. Three, a shared experience of a team that bonds together.

There's so much more about design that I can't possibly put in this brief post. But if you're in government, or work with it, and are interested in the process of innovation, check out IDEO: http://ideo.com

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About

Dr. Mark Drapeau is a biological scientist, government and private-sector consultant, and prolific writer on science, technology, innovation, government, and society. He is currently an adjunct faculty member in the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and until recently he held the position of Associate Research Fellow at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., where he is still engaged part-time in a number of activities. Mark is currently a regular writer for Washington Life, Federal Computer Week, and numerous high-profile blogs. He is a co-founder of Government 2.0 Club and is the co-chair of the O'Reilly Media / TechWeb-produced Gov 2.0 Expo. Mark has a B.S. and Ph.D. in biology and has held postdoctoral fellowships from the NIH and AAAS. His research has considered many topics, from the origin of insect behavioral instincts to the honeybee genome to government operations during pandemic flu to the uses of biological metaphors in national security.