Design Research: living well across the life span
Impactful product, service, and system development
Developed at the Live Well Collaborative, these design research projects and deliverables were completed during my time as a Graduate Assistant and Co-op while pursuing a Master of Design at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning (DAAP).
During my time as a Graduate Assistant and Co-op at the Live Well Collaborative, I contributed to interdisciplinary design research projects focused on improving products, services, and systems across the lifespan. Using a human-centered, iterative process, our teams identified key challenges, conducted in-depth research with users and stakeholders, and developed and refined solutions through co-creation and testing.
Due to confidentiality agreements, this page provides an overview of project scope, methods, and collaborations rather than specific outcomes.
Role
Project Team Member, Project Lead
Team
Interdisciplinary teams of 3-6 students per project
Tools Used
Miro, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Figma, Notion
Background
The University of Cincinnati (UC) and Procter and Gamble (P&G) founded Live Well in 2007 as a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization located in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Since its establishment, Live Well has provided a unique multidisciplinary team composed of faculty and students from UC’s top-ranking colleges to offer its industry partners cutting-edge design expertise. Their history includes…
1000+ students from 9 colleges
100+ faculty advisors
25+ full-time Research Fellows
Live Well Collaborative has completed over 130 projects in a wide variety of industries, with a mission to develop breakthrough innovations for consumers across their lifespan.
Studio Process
During 15-week semesters, Live Well Collaborative uses a validated design thinking process to translate user-centered research into products and services that meet the needs of the end user
Frame the Opportunity: Discover and Define What Matters
Investigate the context, uncover user insights, and identify unmet needs to reveal opportunities. This stage helps the team align on a shared vision of where to explore and why it matters before diving into solutions.
Co-Create Possibilities: Design With, Not For
Bring users, stakeholders, and multidisciplinary teams together to imagine and prototype potential solutions. Through collaboration and experimentation, ideas evolve from abstract insights into tangible possibilities.
Refine ideas for Impact: Test, Learn, and Evolve
Validate and iterate on promising concepts through feedback and experimentation. Each refinement cycle brings the project closer to deliverables that are meaningful, feasible, and ready to deliver value.
Featured Research & Design Methods
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Stakeholder Interviews
Clinical Observations
Survey Distribution
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Concept Benchmarking
Content Analysis
Historical Research
DESIGN METHODS
Journey Map Creation
Persona Development
Data Visualization
System Map Creation
Physical and Digital Prototyping
Outlining Design Requirements
Live Well Collaborative Studio Projects
PACE Program Implementation
Created unbiased, people-centered communication tools for PACE of Cincinnati (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly).
Wayfinding Exploration
Designed accessible and universally effective wayfinding solutions for air travel, aiming to assist both passengers and flight attendants.
ADRC Call Analysis*
Analyzed 500+ calls to understand needs and opportunity areas of health and social services in Southwestern Ohio.
Patient Identification Product Design*
Researched patient identification systems in a pediatric setting to improve product designs and offerings.
Major Gifts Strategy
Shaped a philanthropic strategy to identify, aquire, and steward major gift donors to further the HealthSource mission.
*Project Case Study available for discussion during interviews
Point of Market Entry Research
Conducted primary research through interviews to understand consumer behaviors for future product marketing strategies.
Digital Patient Engagement
Developed a digital strategy to increase patient acquisition by enhancing awareness, engagement, and access.
Project Confidentiality
Due to confidentiality agreements, I am unable to share specific project details, proprietary data, or internal documentation.
However, I am happy to discuss my role, general project approaches, methodologies, problem-solving strategies, and lessons learned during interviews!