Some questions we frequently get asked.
How is Ideology different from other design firms?
We get this question quite a bit. While this one is much deeper than a couple bullet points, here are our top 3 key takeaways:
1 - We build and prototype everything we design. Making is our version of sketching.
2 - We have deep fluency in hardgoods, softgoods and electronics. Many of these projects we cannot show publicly, but for our team size we take on a broader spectrum of projects than most firms.
3 - We are intentionally small. This allows us to take on complex challenges and deep project partnerships with our clients.
Do you work with smaller startups?
Yes, however we look for key elements to assess whether or not we are the right fit when it comes to these smaller projects. We want to better understand market and/or product savvy within the team, how much funding is available and be able to identify a clear planning target.
My design is complete - can you just prototype it?
Sometimes, but it usually means we are going to uncover the areas that have not been considered or fully thought through. This is where we prefer to put on our problem solving hats and help evolve and develop the design together. If you are simply looking for 3D prints and assembly, we are unlikely the best fit. But if you have something a bit more complex and open to an iterative prototyping process, then we would love to chat.
I want to join the team. What do you look for in hiring?
Given our deliberately small team size, we are flattered to have high interest in folks wanting to join the team. We’ve learned over the years there are some attributes that are critical for future teammates. Here’s a short list of the top things we look for:
1 - A love for learning and the rapid ability to learn new platforms
2 - Clear evidence of embracing an iterative building and design approach
3 - Mastery of one medium and a genuine interest in many others
4 - Strong ability to rapidly communicate visually
5 - Personal passion(s) in other endeavors
Do you offer internships?
On occasion. We have run less than a dozen internships. Some of those have been wildly successful while others not so much. Due to our smaller size, internships mean we need to invest significant time into onboarding, so we find that 2 or 3 months is too short to make this worthwhile. Internships have worked the best when someone is not beholden to the academic schedule and can be in studio for 4 to 6 months minimum. There needs to be strong evidence of the teammate qualities above. This is a paid opportunity.