The Live Well Collaborative (LWC) is a non-profit founded in 2007 by the
University of Cincinnati (UC) and Procter and Gamble (P&G). Its purpose is to
specialize in research and development of products and services for living well
across the life span with an emphasis on the 50+ market place. It is a unique
academic-industry innovation center where organizations have the opportunity
to do their own focused projects or collaborate with other members. The LWC
was formed as a response to change the way corporations think about how
they design products and services to meet not only the needs of America’s
aging population, but also to live better across the life span.
The Collaborative, working with UC, a major research university, taps the talent
of the top-ranked colleges of DAAP, Business, Engineering, Nursing and Medicine
among many others, to do semester long project studios. Interdisciplinary
teams of UC faculty and students use a design thinking approach to translate
consumer research into products and services. The Collaborative leverages the
vitality and unbiased innovation capability of students and faculty across multiple
disciplines, and a user–centered research approach that drives product and
service development.
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The
Opportunity:
Living Well
Across the Life Span
Product and Service
Design
Design
Education
The Live Well Collaborative (LWC) is focused on research and
development of products and services for living well across the life
span with an expertise in the 50+ market place.
Interdisciplinary teams of UC faculty and students have completed
greater than 50 projects across a variety of industries.
These teams use a design thinking approach that enables them to
translate consumer insights into comprehensive visualizations of future
alternative solutions. Final deliverables are modeled through prototypes
in 2D or 3D formats or in service solutions.
User–Centered
Research
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Interaction and
Motion Design
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8 Year Journey
Milestone
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The
Challenge
You want
to develop
user centered
product & service
solutions
You need a
fresh, innovative
perspective
But you don’t have the
internal expertise or
resources to do so.
But your internal teams
are sometimes working
too close to the problem
to think outside their
comfort level.
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Traditional
organizations
don’t offer:
Dealing
with
universities
involves too
much time and
red-tape
The interdisciplinary
thinking that provides
comprehensive solutions.
And too many complex
negotiations about who
owns the IP rights.
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The
Solution
We leverage the fresh perspective and
unique interdisciplinary thinking of UC students
and faculty.
In semester long projects, students, faculty and
experts come together to develop innovative
product and service solutions focused on meeting
the needs of your market.
The Live Well Collaborative resolves IP right
issues, interfaces between industry and academia
and makes it easy for you to partner with UC.
Core
Competencies
We generate unique consumer insights from in-depth
user-centered research that comes from specially created
consumer interactions.
We translate insights into new product and service
opportunities.
We visualize solutions that are translatable, feasible and
economically responsible.
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How We
Work
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Your organization signs up
for a 2-year membership.
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You get access to UC’s
multidisciplinary resources
for a semester long
product design studio
to develop product and
serviceconcepts for your
market.
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The studios are priced
according to your desired
deliverables.
4
You are invited to special
collaborative events twice
a year, where experts and
other members like you
share the latest consumer
insights and trends.
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We can customize design
thinking workshops for
your team, to help you
understand the consumer
and clearly define actionable
opportunities.
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All the intelllectual
property (IP) developed in
this process is owned by
the studio sponsor.
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Our Design
Studio Process
Model
12 WEEKS PRIOR
During the 15–week project cycle, the team uses past project experience
to customize and tailor the design thinking process for each specific design
project. The design thinking framework for all projects includes three distinct
phases: design research, concept ideation, and concept refinement. Through
this customized process, the resulting design concepts delivered to the
industry partner are user-centric, innovative, and feasible.
15 PROJECT STUDIO
FINAL PRESENTATION
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1
research
understand
user
identify
challenge
3
ideate
conceptualize
4
refine
test and detail
5
debrief
follow up
Phase 1
Phases 234
Phase 5
Before the project
During the 15 week Semester
After the Project
During the planning stage of
a project, the project lead
identifies the problem space and
collaborates with the LWC on
the project brief.
The research team focuses on obtaining
knowledge about the topic, translates insights
into concept ideas and tests and refines
concepts to meet the needs of the project
sponsor.
Possible future opportunities regarding the
project results for the member and LWC.
This should also be discussedin Phase 1.
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Interdisciplinary Team
Resources
College of Design, Architecture, Art,
and Planning (DAAP)
Students and faculty from different colleges bring their talent and expertise to
interdisciplinary projects which generate endless product or service opportunities.
Architecture
The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) is a world-
Interior Design
recognized program complemented by the resources of a comprehensive
Master of Architecture
research university.
Master of Science Architecture
PhD in Architecture
Indus
Nursing
Medicine
trial D
DAAP
esign
Architecture &
Interior Design
Transportatio
Fine Arts
n Design
Graphic Communication Design
Art History
Design
DAAP
Art
Master of Art History
esign
Fashion D
Engineering
Business
f
ter o
Mas
gn
Desi
Planning
Urban Planning
Science in Urban Studies
Social
Sciences
Music
Master of Community Planning
Horticulture
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Master of Fine Arts
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Master of Arts in Visual
Arts Education
What’s
In It For Our
Members?
Unique product &
service concepts for
your growing market,
based on:
These concepts are
innovative, brilliantly
designed and
test-ready
You own the IP
rights to everything
developed in the
process
Interdisciplinary
approach to problem
solving
Thanks to students
from many different
UC colleges, including
their top-ranked design
school in just 15 weeks.
No lengthy
negotiations with the
University…it has
been solved for you!
First-hand consumer
research
Fresh perspective on
innovation fueled by
unjaded and fearless
students
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Workshops
Customized
For You
Design
Thinking 101
Learn how to use
design thinking tools
in your organization
to provide sustainable
solutions.
Health
Simulations
Use our experiential
learning and empathy
tools to “walk a mile”
in the shoes of the
consumers.
Game
Changers
Learn how to use
gaming theory
to understand
consumers and
identify actionable
insights.
Community College Game
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LWC created a game for community
colleges to help understand what
enables and what inhibits their
students from graduating.
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1 Enhanced In-Flight Passenger
Information System
Patent US8806543B1
A method for providing passenger information
on a mobile vehicle. The method is comprised
of an electronic display communicating in-flight
services, on-ground reservations, and real-time
cabin activity. This allows passengers to schedule
their own activities during a duration of travel.
Patents and
Recognitions
Following our Design Thinking process, the
project teams, with guidance from the industry studio
sponsor, create innovative design concepts. Several
of these concepts have been filed for patents and
list the students and faculty involved in the project as
contributors. This further emphasizes the high caliber of
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students and faculty working on these projects and the
success of the Live Well Collaborative academia/industry
3 Rail Mounted Beverage Dispenser
model.
Patent US2015/0014481 A1
This Dispenser is a simple, sleek, and efficient
replacement for the bulky airline carts of yesterday. It
is automated and lightweight, and removes much of
the physical labor for the flight attendants. No more
pushing of a heavy cart, blocking the aisle, or
bumping into passengers’ knees.
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2 Take–Me–There Chair
Patent US8700250B1
The Take–Me–There–Chair is a
personalized airport transport vehicle
electrically powered with rechargeable
batteries. The TMT is connected to the
airport information and transportation
systems, is fully automated, crash proof,
and links to a passenger’s Flight Watch
using Blue-Tooth technology.
Not–My–Problem Norm
Norm believes it’s the
company’s responsibility to
make him sustainable
Family Fran
Concerned about what she
feeds her kids due to their
health issues
Persona
Creation
Working with the University of Cincinnati, the LWC team
sought to reach the 50+ consumer by understanding their
barriers and motivations to living a sustainable lifestyle. Personas
were used as a product development tool to better understand
these consumers. The LWC uses personas in various projects
to represent different archetypes of users in order to design
products and services for their specific needs.
Fall 2009
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Convenience Carl
Carl lives a busy lifestyle and
chooses the most convenient
choices
Penny Pincher Paul
Retired and on a
fixed income, Paul
buys products based
on cost and value.
Brand Loyal Barb
Barb is loyal to her
brand and uses
concentrated formulas
Misinformed Mary
& Informed Isaac
Is misinformed about
sustainable practices,
but Isaac let’s her
know what’s sustainable
Ailing Alice
Alice has mobility
issues as she’s aging
and can’t lift heavy
products
“Cost is my main concern in every
purchase. I’ll buy whatever I have a coupon
for, or whichever product is on sale.”
“It’s difficult for me to lift the recycling bin
when it gets too heavy.”
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1 Research
Through conversations with
pre and post–transitioned
youth, we observed firsthand
how they respond to guidance
from healthcare professionals
and considered how trust and
priorities affect their decision–
making process.
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2 Ideation
Foster Care
Studio
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
In partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the
LWC research team explored solutions for helping youth
in Hamilton County transitioning from Child Services to the
adult healthcare system. There is a great opportunity for these
young adults to learn about preventative healthcare, so they
can make better decisions about their health and lower
medical costs.
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As we started to identify parallels in their
experiences, we began to understand what
the average journey looks like for foster youth.
We identified key points in the journey where
design could play an important role. Through
feedback and evaluation from the community,
we were able to suggest suitable tools that
would prove successful in this transition.
3 Refinement
We created an 80–page healthcare guide aimed at helping youth
make better decisions regarding their health. These booklets are
intended to help spark the conversation between teens and their
healthcare providers and to serve as a quick and accessible reference
for healthcare information while at home. The team also created
an animated video series which takes viewers through the average
healthcare journey for foster care youth, illustrating the use and
benefits of the guide throughout the journey.
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Denture Care
Studio
Fall 2009
Students worked with Fixodent (P&G) to understand the
role denture care products play in the lives of oral prosthetics
wearers. Students identified product and service solutions
that met consumers’ identified needs and maintained a
balance between short and long term technical feasibility.
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3
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1 Research
2 Ideation
3 Validation
During this phase, students
focused on obtaining
primary and secondary
knowledge about how
denture care fits into the
lives of their consumers
through in-home visits and
consumer shop-alongs.
After consumer debriefs,
business, engineering and
design students alike created
hundreds of rough concepts
inspired by key consumer
insights.
Students met with the 14
original consumers to get
feedback on the concepts
generated from their in-home
and in-store interactions.
They also visited the Mason
Business Center for a final
round of consumer validation.
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1
Understanding
the Future
Traveler Studio
Winter 2011
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2
LWC worked with Boeing to explore the needs of
the future traveler. The goal of the studio was to
create traveler personas. This was accomplished by
gaining an understanding of the behaviors, attitudes
and needs of different passengers at each phase of
the flight experience.
1 Research
3 Personas
During this 10–week studio, students consulted
with travel experts from Delta and Landrum &
Brown, as well as airport employees to understand
the flight experience. They also researched early
airline attendants to benchmark how the flight
experience has evolved since the 1950s.
Personas were constructed around
character traits identified through
passenger interviews conducted at
Cincinnati International Airport (CVG),
as well as with air travel experts.
Students then presented how these
personas “interacted” throughout the
air travel experience.
2 Synthesis
Students created a visual representation of
the main phases of the flight experience. They
established emotions associated with each phase
and what a traveler might be thinking or feeling.
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1 Research
Students used qualitative methods to understand the
patient experience of care and the experience for providers
administering care. Seven themes were defined based
upon secondary research and interviews with patients and
providers.
2 Ideation
1
Students conducted an ideation session with providers
where they had to come up with ideas around restructuring
the transition process.
3 Refinement
3
iTransition
Studio
LWC worked with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Medical Center to explore innovative ways to improve
the transition process for sickle cell disease patients.
Summer 2012
Translational research in healthcare coupled with the
theme of empathic care fueled an opportunity for
design to play a role in exploring a qualitative, innovative, user centered approach for developing solutions.
To read more about this
project online on Design
Management Institute
(DMI) Review
Students designed patient booklets that map out each
patients’ daily life, attitudes towards transition, SCD effects
on the body, pain management, and their support system.
The team also designed transition cards for providers. Care
providers arrange the deck of cards to design and visualize a
personalized transition process for each patient.
The first outcome was developed through a co–
designed process. Designers working with CCHMC
staff and patients to develop a solution that will
empower youth to manage their own healthcare.
The second outcome is how the staff of CCHMC
has learned how to integrate design methods into
their everyday operations to improve their healthcare
approach. Both of these outcomes have provided the
framework of continued and strategic solutions.
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Global
Innovation:
LWC–Singapore
Currently, more than half
of the older population
in the world lives in Asia
(54 percent). In the next
decade, the 50+ population will total almost
one billion across the
Asia Pacific, and mature
consumers are estimated
to spend $1.5 trillion per
year by 2015.
The LWC Singapore is an independent research
innovation center led by Singapore Polytechnic
in close collaboration with the LWC Cincinnati.
LWC-S focuses on revolutionizing product design
and development for 50+ consumers in the
Asian market. It will follow the interdisciplinary
approach of the LWC-C and leverage Singapore
Polytechnic’s strengths in design, engineering,
among other disciplines to re-think the design
of products to meet the changing lifestyle and
physical needs of 50+ consumers.
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What People
Are Saying
About Us
The collaborative has completed more than 50 sponsored projects,
involving over 40 faculty and almost 500 students.
“Students designed hospital gowns that would
fulfill patients needs through three stages of a
typical hospital visit: low mobility, medium mobility,
and high mobility. All of the models look 100%
better than what exists right now.”
Gail Davidson
Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, Nation Design Museum
“Younger consumers look for the
latest technology breakthrough while
50+ consumers look for comprehensive
innovation. A new product for 50+
consumers must be technologically
advanced but also easy to adopt into and
support the needs of aging consumers’
diverse and active lifestyles.”
Craig Vogel
UC College of DAAP,
Associate Dean of Research and Innovation
“We’ll work through the university systems and
design schools to help develop projects that will give
us a better idea how to support travelers around
the planet.”
Pete Guard
Cabin–Experience Strategy Leader at Boeing
Live Well is ranked as one of the “10 Cool Ways Colleges are
Collaborating with Businesses” by BestCollegesOnline.com.
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We Keep
Great
Company
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Live Well Collaborative
2728 Vine Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219
www.livewellcollaborative.org
[email protected]
+1 513.558.7348