CIID works with companies and organisations, providing expertise and new perspectives on innovation and interaction design.

Since its founding 20 years ago, CIID has collaborated with 100+ public and private organisations on projects ranging from strategic research and planning to piloting new products and services. Our approach is unique in the way we combine coaching and training activities within real life innovation processes within the organisations. We are excited to work across scale: from newborn startups to established brands.
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PARTNER WITH US

Working closely with companies and organisations is something we’ve done at CIID since the beginning—it keeps us grounded in real-world challenges, and brings fresh ideas, talent, and perspectives to our partners.Broadly speaking, there are two ways your organisation can engage with CIID: with an Industry Project, or through our Innovation Studio.Industry Projects are intensive, two-week sprints that bring together a hand-picked team of CIID students and graduates to work on a brief provided by the Industry Partner organisation. Focused, collaborative work leads to a series of solution concepts, presented by the team at project’s end.

The Innovation Studio is a longer-term engagement that pairs the partner organisation with a dedicated team of professionals from the CIID Network with relevant expertise and passions. Together they work on an innovation challenge brought by the partner, typically in multiples of four weeks, often resulting in several concepts and proposed solutions.In addition to these partnerships, CIID also works with outside organisations to incubate new startups through the CIID Nest, and by facilitating new conversations and connections through the CIID Members Network.
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INDUSTRY PROJects

These two-week collaborations provide a unique opportunity for businesses and organisations from all sectors to work with world-class students and graduates from the Interaction Design programme at CIID. We have successfully collaborated with over twenty five organisations (with many returning partners) on a wide range of briefs which span multiple industries.
Previously we have collaborated with a broad range of partners including: Amigos of Costa Rica, Banca Mediolanum, Barclays, Cookpad, Crusa, DSB, Electrolux, Meta Reality Labs, Google, IKEA, Intel, Lego, littleBits, Maersk, Meta, Mozilla, Nokia, Novo Nordisk, Orange, Philips, Siemens, Toyota, Velux, Volvo, X and Zozo Next.
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Value

Industry Partners tap in to a pool of world class talent that brings new thinking and innovative solutions to industry defined challenges. In-line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, we co-create design briefs with a strong focus on social and environmental sustainability.
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Benefits

The aim of these collaborations is to inspire our partners with speculative thinking, new directions and opportunities. Students and graduates benefit by working on a challenging and real brief. Partners get to meet and work with new talent - highly employable in the context of design and innovation.
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Deliverables

At the end of the project, student deliver future visions, supported by early-prototyped concepts of innovative products and services. Concepts are early stage, explorative and speculative and they serve as props to spark strategic conversations for our partner.

Prototyped concepts are well documented – usually through a microsite and/or videos – making communication to management and colleagues easy to disseminate. The final concepts establish a starting point for discussions and considerations for further development either internally, or as a spin-off project supported by CIID.
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What our partners say

“I’m so grateful for the collaboration with CIID. The process and the output delivered the outcome that we originally wanted. It was inspiring to witness new and diverse ways of thinking, creating and discussing. I would definitely do it again. And again…” Hector Ouilet, Ex. Head of Human Centered Innovation & Strategy at Google. Now, VP of Design for AI products at Dropbox.
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“LEGO Creative Play Lab is on a journey of discovery to invent the future of play. Collaborating with CIID and the talented students through Industry Projects is an inspiring, insightful and valuable experience for everyone involved.” Martin Sanders, Innovation Director – LEGO Group.
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Contact us for tailored information on Industry Projects
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Innovation Studios collaboration with Toyota

Award-winning, Ethical Stack Research

Ideating potential solutions for sustainable cities and urban frameworks

European Union Project -CoHERE

INNOVATION PROjects

We are at the forefront of design thinking and technological advancements, and our international network of skilled designers, researchers and students can infuse new ideas and approaches into a company's initiatives. Through partnerships and collaboration, together we can conceptualise and develop innovative solutions that address both existing and emerging challenges. We work together with our partners on a wide range of innovation projects.
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Contact us for more info
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Vayu - a prototype from an Industy Project with Space10 and IKEA

PROFESSIONAL Training

Taught by thought-leaders and high level practitioners, we offer a wide range of training programmes that encourage employees and teams to up-skill, think creatively, and approach challenges with a renewed energy. A curated learning experience with CIID offers fresh perspectives, new methodologies, and cross-disciplinary thinking.
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Contact us for tailored information about Professional Training
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Professional workshops in Tokyo, Japan