Fred Dust, a partner at IDEO and innovative design thinker, is bringing his cutting-edge techniques for solving organisational problems to New Zealand. In partnership with Te Papa’s National Services Te Paerangi, Fred will lead design thinking masterclasses for the nation’s leading museums and galleries, 13 to 17 December 2010.

The practical masterclasses will explore ways of problem solving that use design methodologies to tap into a deep reservoir of opportunity. These methods include observation, prototyping, building, and storytelling, and can be applied by a wide range of people to a breadth of organisational challenges.

Fred is looking forward to working with the museums and galleries in New Zealand. ‘I see this as an opportunity to apply consumer led innovation methodologies to the worlds of art and culture. My background in the museum world has allowed me an insider’s view to cultures and opportunities while still being aware of the sometimes traditional constraints organisations place on themselves.’

Thinking like a designer can transform the way organisations develop products, services, processes, and strategy. This approach, which IDEO calls ‘design thinking’, brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable. It also allows people who aren’t trained as designers to use creative tools to solve a vast range of challenges.

At IDEO Fred leads Systems at Scale, the group responsible for helping clients with large, systemic questions about infrastructure – from governmental shifts to behavioural change and beyond. During his tenure, he has taken Nike executives shopping, helped guide the realisation of a future-focused education centre at Stanford University, and worked with patients and staff to build innovative service models for the Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente. He’s collaborated with the American Red Cross to redesign its donation experience and the Transportation Security Administration to evolve airport security. More recently, he’s worked with the Gates Foundation, the Office of Social Security, the United States Agency for International Development, the US Office of Personnel Management, and the University of Phoenix.

IDEO is an award-winning global design firm that takes a human-centred approach to helping organisations in the public and private sectors innovate and grow. It identifies new ways to serve and support people by uncovering latent needs, behaviours, and desires.

Background
 
Fred Dust is a partner at IDEO and leads Systems at Scale, the group responsible for helping clients with large, systemic questions about infrastructure – from governmental shifts to behavioural change and beyond. During his tenure with IDEO, Fred has taken Nike executives shopping, helped guide the realisation of a future-focused education centre at Stanford University, and worked with patients and staff to build innovative service models for the Mayo Clinic and Kaiser Permanente. He’s also collaborated with the American Red Cross to redesign its donation experience and the Transportation Security Administration to evolve airport security. More recently, he’s worked with the Gates Foundation, the Office of Social Security, the United States Agency for International Development, the US Office of Personnel Management, and the University of Phoenix. There is more about Fred in the attached biography.
 
IDEO is a US-based design and innovation consultancy group. They describe themselves as 'creating impact through design', and they apply design thinking methodology to a range of problems in a range of organisations. For more information about IDEO, visit http://www.ideo.com/about/
 
National Services Te Paerangi works in partnership with museums, galleries, and iwi (tribes) in New Zealand, offering a range of practical and strategic programmes aimed at strengthening the sector. For more information about National Services Te Paerangi, visit www.nationalservices..tepapa.govt.nz