In the span of several months, COVID-19 has irrevocably transformed economies around the world, ushering in an era of “business as unusual.” To meet the urgent needs of communities and health systems, organizations of all types have had to rapidly shift their focus, redirecting their assets and capabilities to support the global response to the pandemic and fill in gaps. Distilleries and breweries have leveraged their supply chains and equipment to produce hand sanitizer. Automakers are manufacturing ventilators and respirators. Hotels are providing rooms to those without homes. Members of the OpenIDEO community are shifting their operations to aid in this effort (Top Manta, a winner of the 2019 BridgeBuilder Challenge, is currently pivoting to produce protective face masks, for instance). It is nothing short of one of the fastest, most widespread displays of global innovation in history—and it must be just the start. During this time of unprecedented need, we will quickly rethink and redesign our ways of working—from business models, to supply chains, to safeguarding employment, to approval processes and product lines. Our collective ingenuity can get us there.
In addition to meeting the immediate needs related to COVID-19, businesses and employees in many sectors are merely struggling to survive and stay afloat in the face of debilitating losses and cuts. Many business owners are innovating to continue services, and the resulting models and offers emerging from this time have the power to change communities and society for the better.
IDEO wants to uncover additional opportunities for this creativity to emerge from businesses of all sizes to meet today’s most pressing needs, while planning for a future that we know will look very different from our present.
CURRENT PHASE
THE CHALLENGE
How might businesses of all kinds rapidly adapt to support the immediate needs of the COVID-19 response, and enable a more just and resilient future?
Read The Full Brief