Online Extra: P&G's Quest for "Wow" Design

In the fortress of Procter & Gamble (PG ) of just five years ago, a meeting never would have occurred like this. On shelves and tables sit mock-ups of consumer products P&G has under development, from known brands in redesigned packaging to truly new products, never seen by the outside world.

Even more surprising: Half of the 12 people in the room aren't P&G employees, and more surprising still, they aren't the type P&G would have involved at this early stage just several years ago. All six are professional designers on P&G's Design Board. Their role, in three all-day meetings a year, is to provide an outside designer's perspective on everything from upstream products to how goods are marketed.