Annette Diefenthaler
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Policy


Annette is a Design Researcher and Project Lead for IDEO. Her insatiable curiosity about people, their beliefs and behaviors leads her to identify human needs and desires that can inspire design strategies. She enjoys complex challenges that require deep thought and scrutiny. Yet in her mind, strategies are only as good as their applicability, and with a background as a carpenter and product designer, Annette is passionate about translating her findings into actionable opportunities and tangible design solutions.

Since joining IDEO in January 2008, Annette has guided teams in designing bank branches, toys, hospital experiences, services for chronic disease patients, organizational change programs or food products. She has shared her experience in applying design thinking in countless workshops as well as in creating IDEO’s publicly available Design Thinking Toolkit for Educators. She enjoys writing and is a contributor to the Design Dictionary (2008, Board of International Research in Design, Editors: M. Erlhoff, T. Marshall).

Now based in New York, Annette grew up in Germany and has lived and worked in many cultural contexts, including Russia, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, and is always curious to travel and explore more.