Hello, I’m Mitch Carter Jafery
Partner
As an IDEO partner with over 20+ years in the design industry, Mitch guides creative teams in bringing to life the emotional core of design strategies and concepts in visceral and sensorial expressions across mediums. She is focused on enabling ever-braver Design Futuring work that is intensely human, visually iconic, and strategically persuasive. With degrees in both Cognitive Psychology and Sociology, her focus is grounded in social & behavioral dynamics, cross-cultural trendspotting, human- centered design, brand strategy, storytelling, and a quest for the next global aesthetic edges.
What you won’t learn from my bio:
Still laments the day her red Vespa was stolen, Pulled a designer cliché by getting a French Bulldog, Had bubblegum pink hair for almost 10 years, Spends a month every year recentering in the Amazon, Could happily eat only Indian food every day, Currently obsessed with Japanese candy packaging design, Lover of ellipsis...
Joined IDEO:
2013
My Work
This Startup Revolutionized an Industry Through Design
Helping Young Adults Make Smart Money Decisions
The Messy Business of Coming Up With New Ideas
Full Bio
Design provocateur, perpetual optimist, and troublemaker with a conscience. Partner & Executive Design Director at the global design and innovation consultancy IDEO, and Creative Director of Palmwood, a joint collaboration between IDEO and the UAE government to bring the world of design together with government to elevate the creativity of the nation, designing new strategies, services, spaces, systems, and entirely new ministries.
Working with C-suite leaders, I guide creative teams in bringing to life the emotional core of design strategies and disruptive concepts in visceral sensorial expressions across mediums. My work is focused on building joyful creative cultures and enabling ever-braver Design Futuring work that is intensely human, visually iconic, and strategically persuasive. With degrees in both Cognitive Psychology and Sociology, my design philosophy and creative curiosities are grounded in social & behavioral dynamics, cross-cultural trendspotting, human-centered design, brand strategy, storytelling, and a quest for the next global aesthetic edges.
Over 20+ years in the design industry, I've guided teams and designed new brand and customer experience strategies, products, and services for Fortune 500 companies in fashion, gaming, entertainment, healthcare, financial services, and education - all spanning digital and physical. Before joining IDEO, I was a Partner and Creative Director at the agency Hunt&Gather, designing work for brands like MTV, Puma, Bravo, ESPN, Harvard, Scholastic, and Nickelodeon.