Camp ChIDEO: Temporary Summer Studio

In the summer of 2019, IDEO Chicago underwent a $7 million renovation of our 20,000-square-foot studio. To accommodate construction and ensure business continuity, my Workplace Experience team and I relocated all 100 employees to a smaller, more basic temporary office across town for four months.

We knew the transition would be challenging for our designers, who were accustomed to a fully stocked kitchen, a workshop filled with tools, spacious project areas, and private bathrooms. We needed to manage their expectations carefully. I was responsible for the creative direction, event programming, and communication strategy for our temporary space.

I proposed using the summer camp metaphor as a concept: a fun, no-frills escape from our usual work life. Thus, Camp ChIDEO was born, with the tagline, “Only the Strong Survive.”

When “Campers” arrived on the first day, my team and I had transformed the previously uninspiring office into a vibrant space, complete with bright green astroturf, a picnic table, picnic blankets, twinkle lights, and vintage camping gear. Campers received Camp swag, including merit badges, tote bags, water bottles, and keyrings, and were led on tours of the “Campground” by our “Camp Counselors” (our Workplace Experience team). Just one hour after Camp opened, all our designers had settled into their new routines and were back to work.

Throughout the summer, we embraced camp-themed events and experiences. We organized lunchtime picnics in Millennium Park, held weekly “Camp Council Meetings” around a faux firepit to gather feedback on what was and wasn’t working, booked a fleet of electric boats for an afternoon ChIDEO Regatta Scavenger Hunt on the Chicago River, and offered Arts and Crafts classes, such as making friendship bracelets and hand-weaving in our small workshop.

Finally, after four months, we packed up Camp and opened the doors to our renovated studio! At the request of our community, we converted one of our new conference rooms into a Camp ChIDEO tour stop, demonstrating that we had not only “survived” Camp ChIDEO but had also emerged from the experience transformed as a group—and feeling nostalgic for it.