There are few industrial design companies with as much clout as Ideo, one of a handful of specialists that are at once product designer and corporate consultancy. Its roster of clients includes some of the world's biggest companies: Procter & Gamble, the consumer products giant, AT&T, the telecommunications group, and Ford, the carmaker.

Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, Ideo also happens to be popular within the technology industry, having designed some of the most notable innovative products: the first laptop personal computer, Apple Computer's first mouse and the Palm V handheld computer.