Living Well in Cincinnati

Lookout 18-35 year-olds, you have some new competition as the prime target of mass marketing campaigns, the over 50 demographic.

With money to spare, and demanding standards for products they choose, 50 plus consumers are attracting attention from companies who design consumer items from health care and beauty to electronics. In addition to cash, the baby boomer age group has numbers on their side. People over age 60 are the fastest growing age group around the world, according to the United Nations population estimates.

Cincinnati is a leader in product innovation for this up and coming group thanks to two local iconic institutions and their forward thinking strategy, Procter & Gamble and the University of Cincinnati.

Two years ago leaders from both organizations put together the Live Well Collaborative, a consortium of member companies, and UC students and faculty working in multi-disciplinary groups to create product designs with the 50 plus consumer in mind.

Matt Doyle, director and senior researcher, health care research and development worldwide for P&G and the vice president of Live Well, says the collaborative has been a great success so far with 16 projects under its belt.

"It's an environment of co-creation," says Doyle. "It's a total enhancement of the way we're doing the work," he continued about the use of students and faculty in the development of new product designs.

While universities and private sector companies working together is not entirely new, the Live Well Collaborative is a more intensive and fully shared experience for both sides, says Doyle. The concept grew out of both P&G's and UC's desire to reach out beyond their walls and tap into the creative talent that each had to offer.  The collaborative now includes four member companies in addition to P&G, General Mills , LG, Citi, and Hill-Rom.

Although none of the projects with these companies have yet taken a concept to the marketplace because of the 3-5 year time frame for development, Doyle says the insights and innovation that have come out of the studio projects have been very valuable, although he could not discuss any specifics due to their proprietary content.

Studio Process

The 10-week Live Well process starts with a member company identifying an opportunity they want to explore, says Live Well Executive Director Linda Dunseath. An interdisciplinary team is put into place that fits the needs of the project studio, and research begins.

In the second and third phases, the product concept is created and refined. Throughout the process the sponsoring company reviews the progress and provides input.

Craig Vogel, associate dean of UC's School of Design Art Architecture and Planning (DAAP) and president of Live Well, says the way the collaborative combines the talents of those in the university setting with those in the private sector is "groundbreaking."

"This model has been hailed as a breakthrough," says Vogel, as other universities from across the country have expressed interest in learning how it works. "The students are tremendously capable."

UC also has unique academic credentials that lend themselves to this type of work, added Vogel.

With a school of design, in addition to a medical school, an engineering school and a business school all on the same campus, the interdisciplinary collaboration is extremely strong.

"To have all these together on one campus is unique," says Vogel. "Most schools don't have this scenario."

Working in cross-disciplinary teams gives students a feeling for what life is like in the "real world," adds Vogel.

"Other than Live Well, the students have their course work and co-ops, which are fairly limited. The Live Well projects allow for working with expertise from all over the university. They are also getting exposure to the latest ideas from these businesses. It fits between their course work and their co-ops," he says.

Kara Koch, a senior at UC from Westwood, says the opportunity to take part in the projects has exposed her to new experiences during her studies.

"Being able to work with a company like P&G gives you a sense of realism," she says. "It has a tangible aspect to it. You get feedback from the client. It's very valuable."

Doyle says the students are truly contributing workable concepts, not just going through the motions for the sake of getting some type of college credit.

"The richness is phenomenal," he says. "They are totally open in their approach and their designs have been very productive for us. It's exceeding our expectations."

As an example, this spring a Live Well studio that worked on designing new hospital gowns in conjunction with member company, Hill-Rom, was a finalist in the International Design Excellence Awards Program, which honors achievements in product design.

As consumers, baby boomers are "drivers of universal design," says Doyle. This means that products that meet the needs of boomers will often meet the needs of other consumer groups as well.

"They are the most intelligent, most knowledgeable and most demanding group out there. If you design with the constraints of the most demanding consumer in mind then that product will work for the broader market too."

Even in old age this legendary group is still making itself heard.

Photography by Scott Beseler

Live Well focus group

Kara Koch working with team

Executive Director Linda Dunseath

Craig Vogel, associate dean of UC's School of Design Art Architecture and Planning (DAAP) and president of Live Well

Demographics graphics