Your company lacks the time and resources to develop product and service solutions for living well across the lifespan.
Your team is too close to the problem, causing them to lose their creative edge.
Your organization owns all intellectual property developed during the course of a studio project.
Your team has a short project timeline and needs fast product and service conceptualization.
University of Cincinnati students are vital to the Live Well Collaborative's success. The Live Well has worked with over a thousand students, each coming from different disciplines and providing different insights. This leads to unique professional experiences that help students further develop their skills.
“Working at Live Well has significantly impacted how I view design. Coming from a background where design research was never mentioned, projects at Live Well encouraged me to rethink my values and goals as a designer. The dynamic environment with co-workers of various expertise helped me broaden my interests quickly and gain an understanding of topics I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to learn about otherwise.”
“I am incredibly grateful to be back at Live Well for a third semester. Throughout my time here, I’ve discovered a real passion for design research, applying what I’ve learned professionally at Live Well to my classwork at DAAP and even to personal projects. I am constantly challenged as a leader and designer, which allows me to grow not only as a design thinker but as a person. I’m so excited to keep learning and contributing to our amazing teams this semester.”
"My time at Live Well has been an incredible journey of growth and learning. The collaborative environment here has allowed me to apply my technical skills in real-world projects, while also gaining valuable insights into user-centered design. Prior to this experience, I had no experience in design research and this experience has introduced me to new techniques and methodologies. Working alongside multidisciplinary teams has not only sharpened my problem-solving abilities but has also expanded my understanding of how technology can drive impactful, user-focused solutions."
“Working together in cohesive teams of four or five unlocks information that may be missed by larger organizations that rely on individual work and delegation of tasks. Live Well’s smaller project teams encourage deep thought and discourse about our projects, clients, and impacts on users. I’ve enjoyed Live Well especially because of the close interaction with talented and passionate students who care about the end user as much as I do.”
The framework of the Live Well is a new hybrid that integrates traditional project teams under a studio model, with the structure and titles more commonly found in research labs in engineering and the sciences. This model is part of the new framework that represents the processes evolving in corporations in research and development (R&D), as well as levels 3 and 4 of translational research. Both R&D and translational research models are attempting to integrate design thinking to increase scope and decrease cycle time from concept to solution.
Fellowship cycles run on academic calendars. Applications are ongoing.
“Working at Live Well Collaborative has really sharpened my critical thinking and given me a more holistic way of looking at problems. The focus on User Research here means we’re always working directly with clients, consumers, and employees to find out what they truly need. Hearing their perspectives keeps us grounded and on track. It’s been a rewarding experience for me, both in growing as a designer and knowing that the work we do makes a real difference for the people involved.“
"My co-op experiences at LWC helped me to discover my passion for design research in healthcare, and I’m excited to begin my postgraduate career in a fellowship here. This is work that I feel good about doing — everything we create is co-designed with real people in complex healthcare situations, and it brings a new level of meaning to what communication design can do. Our studio environment is so welcoming and has allowed me to grow each day as a designer and as a leader. Being a fellow is incredibly rewarding, and I’m lucky to be in a place where I can learn from my co-op teammates."
2728 Short Vine St., Suite 201
Cincinnati, OH 45219
+1 513.558.7348
contactus@livewellcollaborative.org