Fast Company reports on IDEO's method cards, which are designed to share some of IDEO's strategies for coming up with such concept breakthroughs as Apple's first mouse and stand-up toothpaste tubes:

The secret, it turns out, reduces to one of those touchy-feely terms that make MBAs squirm: "empathy." In the Ideo universe, great design doesn't begin with a far-out concept or a way-cool drawing. It begins with a deep and empathic understanding of the human condition. The first step for any Ideo team on any project is to try to empathize with the people who might use whatever product or service that eventually emerges from its work.