Huldunótur / Invisible NotesIntroductionCase Study Selections
Innovation, Strategy, Design2026-v1RKV / BOS

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R. MICHAEL HENDRIX

  • I am a founder, creative director, professor, and author. I gained wide recognition as a Partner and Global Design Director at IDEO, where I helped expand public understanding of design—from products and experiences to strategy, innovation, and organizational change.

  • During my time at IDEO, I led global creative initiatives and worked with organizations across sectors and geographies, from San Francisco to Shanghai. My work ranged from entrepreneurship development with the White House to growth strategy for the GRAMMYs, alongside engagements with consumer, fintech and pharmaceutical brands. While industries differ, the challenges are consistent: understanding customers, accessing new markets, developing relevant offerings, and evolving organizations to deliver them.

  • I hold a degree in graphic design, but my practice has evolved alongside the field itself—from identity and branding to experience design, and now to systemic and strategic transformation. Today, most of my work focuses on helping organizations grow and change through design, while still valuing the tangible expressions that make systems real, from documentation and toolkits to image-making and film.

    My approach is grounded in design thinking—the balance of desirability, feasibility, and viability. I begin by listening and learning, not by prescribing solutions. Once motivations are clear, we can determine what needs to be built, changed, or brought to life.

    Today, I lead Huldunótur, a design practice supporting Iceland-based organizations, brands, and individuals. I also teach at Bifröst University and the Iceland University of the Arts, and continue my work in the U.S. through Invisible Notes.

  • I am the co-author of Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation, a book that explores how creative practices from music—listening deeply, experimenting early, collaborating widely, and learning in public—can help organizations navigate uncertainty and build what’s next. These ideas continue to shape my work with leaders, teams, and communities.