History
As social innovators, we are not afraid of building on what others have done, especially when we come across a good opportunity. We also like acknowledging those that came before us. Stanford University has always been a leader in advancing social innovation. However when we heard Stanford’s d.school was retiring it’s iconic red couch(see full story here) just as we were launching the Social Innovation Lab, we immediately knew that this would be a perfect symbol to represent SLiDE.#redcouchluv
SLiDE’s Project Director Kevin Holmes wanted SLiDE to be a place you feel like home and where people can work as friends, in a less formal way than a conventional office. To make it a place where you can always come back to and talk about social innovation, the perfect spot to make things happen.
The legacy
The only problem was the red couch (aka the IKEA Klippan Loveseat) used at the d.school had just been discontinued. Not to be deterred thus began the search for the perfect red couch. As if it was meant to be, a search via Kijiji located an essentially brand new red IKEA Klippan Loveseat just a few miles from the College.
Symbols change culture and can bring people together. This red couch is literally indestructible! The red color is full of energy and vibrancy, inspiring people to work in a more collaborative and productive way. Wheels were installed just like at the d.school to maintain flexibility in the space, make it adaptable to new plans-just like SLiDE, it can always keep on moving. It’s an artistic piece of furniture that stands out to remind people they will always have a place at The Social Innovation Lab.
“We were very impressed with the overall quality of their work and the excitement which they brought to the project. They have pushed us to improve our web presence and move more aggressively to social media. We are excited about all of this”
“We are absolutely thrilled. As a result of their efforts, we are in a much better position to raise funds for needed charities in Ottawa.”
“SLiDE is remarkable! It really helped us accomplish our goal.”
“…turned into so much more than we could have anticipated. You have given us fresh insight into ourselves, complete with data and design. For this, we are truly grateful.”
“SLiDE is an incredible group of young enthusiastic students who bring new and incredible ideas to the table.”
“SLIDE will make a major contribution to the social impact of our organization. The students effectively provided us with insights of how to better reach our target audiences”
“Thank you for all of the care, interest and energy you brought to the process. We got more clarity of direc-tion from one morning than many months of meetings”
“Awesome, Fantastic, Remarkable, Cutting Edge, Fresh Thinking, A Powerful Ally, SLiDE is the Future!”
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Come join us on the couch!
