AARP Lifetuner.org

Helping Young Adults Explore the Essentials of Money

LifeTuner is a not-for-profit, expert-backed online personal finance site that brings together practical, unbiased advice from volunteer financial experts with a community of peers and individuals who’ve been there before – all of whom can share their experiences and learn from each other.

It offers tools, tips, articles and real-life stories and also features “8 habits”, a proven set of behaviors that can help anyone greatly improve their chances of achieving strong financial health. LifeTuner is sponsored by AARP.

Award: IDEA Gold 2010, Design Strategy

Role: Research. Design Strategy

@Essential Design, 2008

Prudential Financial - Babylist Registry - Giftable Life Insurance

Designing New Products to Drive Growth with New Consumers

The Brief: Prudential has become a household name by providing life insurance for over 140 years.

However, the Millennial demographic feels less urgency to purchase life insurance than their parents and grandparents did, and yet Millennials are the life insurance premium payers of tomorrow. So how do we put life insurance within reach of these under and uninsured consumers today? And most importantly, how do we do so in a way that does not interfere with existing channels, namely the very important network of insurance agents and advisors?

Prudential asked us to help answer these questions by creating entirely new life insurance products that appeal to these digital natives and early adopters ages 22-45.

When they first came to us Prudential didn’t offer products that Millennials could identify with. In order to help Prudential connect with this important consumer segment, we defined a strategy that leveraged the company’s unique positioning to be present in consumers’ lives for the defining events when insurance matters most.

The Outcome: We underwent a phase of testing and learning through rapid prototyping to assess the business model and product experience. Using these learnings, we developed a portfolio of digitally-native products that modernized old life insurance products and services by making them more relevant, optimistic, and flexible in response to the changing shape of American families and lifestyles.

With a defined strategy and a portfolio of products to choose from, Prudential moved forward with two products to advance to initial proof of concepts. The first product focused on connecting with consumers as they develop new dependent relationships. The concept empowered friends and family to be able to gift life insurance to new parents through popular third-party baby registries.

Role: Strategy, Solution Development, Research

Leveraging Core Assets in New Applications & Industries

iRobot RP-VITA and AVA 500

The Brief: iRobot sought to transform under leveraged IP and assets into a new business of telepresence and tele-medicine.   

The Outcome: RP-VITA is the first remote presence solution for patient care that combines autonomous navigation and mobility. RP-VITA eliminates the need for telemedicine specific staffing and support with an array of intuitive, easy-to-use features that encourage physician adoption and clinical use.

AVA 500 adds a new dimension to telepresence. Immediately establish a physical presence from a remote location with complete freedom of movement. Gain an unparalleled experience of ‘being’ anywhere in the world.

Role: Industrial Design, UI, Storyboard

@Essential Design, 2010

A Differentiated Approach to Small Appliances

Samsung Small Appliances for the Urban Consumer

The Brief: For years Samsung has resisted entering the small appliance category for fear of degrading the brand and the razor thing margins. Yet as the world becomes more urban, the need for      

The Strategy: Today “Small” is defined as miniature versions of today’s large, suburban appliances – often with less capacity or fewer features. Samsung aims to redefine “Small” as appliances that integrate previously unavailable or out-of-home capabilities into compact urban living environments.

The Outcome: Fahrenheit 212 developed a portfolio of 5 early-stage solutions that optimize consumers’ systems for city living.

Key Results: Samsung has developed a Steam Suite solution for application in the hotel and hospitality segment, where this is a high need to deliver an elevated and differentiated experience to affluent guests.

Role: Strategy, Idea Development, Industrial Design, Usability Research

Starbucks Karma Cup Concept

A Shared Problem.

A Shared Solution.

A Shared Reward.

The Brief: The Starbucks' sponsored Betacup competition challenged the online community to develop solutions that reduce the 58 billion non-recyclable cups that are thrown out each year.

The Approach: Our team of researchers, strategist and designers dug deep and concluded that consumers today are forced to make a choice between a paper cup which offers personal convenience and a reusable cup that offers social responsibility and sustainability.

There are plenty of great reusable mug available, perfect one's unique needs. But what people need is an incentive to make the behavior change - a free cup of coffee and a bit of peer pressure. Giving incentives to motivate the use reusable mugs doesn't have to be costly to implement or complex to manage.

The Outcome: Our proposed solution, the Karma Cup, is part incentive program, part social experiment. Free coffee is offered to every 10th customer who uses a reusable cup. A intentionally low-tech chalkboard is used to keep track.

The novel approach of tracking the incentive on a community level, not by individual, will trigger people to think collectively. The lottery element of never knowing quite when you'll get a free cup is charming and might compell people to visit with greater frequency. But don't worry, just like karma (or the law of averages) it'll all even out in the end.

Key Results: Karma Cup was the Jury's Choice and awarded $10,000 by Starbucks, beating out 430 entries. Karma Cup was explored by the Starbucks internal teams and piloted in two locations on the West Coast. 

In 2014 the Karma Cup team worked with Boston startup Cuppow to roll out "Cup Club" as a rewards and loyalty program. Cuppow's Cup Club program is featured at Boston's Mother Juice, Austin's Picnik and Somerville's Union Square Donuts. 

Press & Praise: Karma Cup was featured on Fast Company, The New York Times, Inhabitat, Dexigner,

Role: Concept Development, Illustration, Creative Direction

@Future&Proof, 2010

Protection in the Age of the Empowered Consumer

Assurant  Time Machine 

The Brief: In 2013, Assurant recognized the disruptive power of the ‘Empowered Consumer’ and the power shift from intermediates to consumers as the future of insurance. Assurant aimed to harness the disruption in the distribution model, rather than be disrupted by it, and to generate new growth in the magnitude of US$250M by 2016. 

The Outcomes: Fahrenheit 212 developed a portfolio of solutions, including Time Machine, the world's first second chance warranty. 2 solutions were incubated and Time Machine was piloted and scaled in Latin American.

Role: Idea Development, UI, Consumer Research, Script Development

@Fahrenheit 212, 2012

Penetrating New Markets

iRobot Roomba 700 Series

The Brief: iRobot sought to achieve category captaincy in growing international market, APAC specifically, through a total redesign of their Roomba, robotic vacuum cleaner.   

The Outcome: The Roomba 700 series achieved a new level of aesthetic sophistication, fit and finish, while boasting increasing power and capacity. Ethnographic research uncovered unmet needs while determining appropriate usability and features. The redesign not only helped iRobot fend off new category entrants but also allowed them to reach a new tier of pricepoint while helping this unfamiliar category reach mainstream relevance.

The Roomba 700 series quickly became the best selling vacuum cleaner in Japan. 

Role: Industrial Design, UI, Usability Research

@Essential Design, 2010

Building New Businesses

Travelers has a clear and bold ambition
for innovation: Create innovative solutions that satisfy and delight our current and future customer while diversifying the business and expanding the customer and partner value proposition.

Working closely with the Growth Offerings and Venture Studio LPK was responsible for identifying, testing and validating new solutions focused on Horizon 2 and 3 opportunities to fuel future growth.

4 Concepts were developed and tested in the wild, using LPK’s Proto-Selling method. 2 Concepts were validated, refined and moved forward to MVP Build and Incubation

Role: Innovation Director - Discovery, Co-Creation, In-Market Experiments

@LPK, 2021-22

CHALLENGE: The golf industry is crowded, but it was missing a brand for the “anti-golfer.” We spotted the white-space opportunity for Acushnet, then they challenged us to develop a disruptive, breakthrough brand: one that would resonate with a new, younger generation of golf enthusiasts and drive topline growth.

APPROACH: We identified a growing consumer segment that was untapped, revealing a valuable vacancy in Acushnet’s portfolio.

Leveraging nimble, digital validation tools, our strategy team translated key consumer insights
to understand purchase intent and influence the brand’s visual and verbal expression.

Integrating strategy, design and verbal, we named and built the challenger brand from the ground up—including name, identity, packaging and collateral.

Role: Innovation Director

The Home for Small Business

Office Depot Business Hub & ShowBox

Role: Idea Development, Industrial Design, UI, Usability Research

@Fahrenheit 212, 2013

Developing a Culture and Capability of Innovation

Cincinnati Insurance has a clear and bold, two-pronged ambition for innovation.

1. Breakthrough Innovation: Develop, incubate and scale a pipeline of new solutions that deliver significant value to CIC’s customers, agents and significant top-line growth to CIC ($1B incremental revenue by 2029). To do so means discovering and translating unmet needs into new products, services, experiences and businesses that are desirable, feasible and viable.

2. Everyday Innovation: Evaluating and optimizing existing products, services and processes to improve customer acquisition, bottom-line savings and efficiency.

In 2019, LPK partnered with CIC’s Strategic Innovation Group to build Cincinnati Insurance’s Venture Process and has gone on to lead 40 venture teams through the 12-week process of discovery, concept creation and experiments.

Venture Briefs included topics such as Telematics, Self-Service, Auto-quoting, Customer Experience, Loss Reduction, Small Business Services, Agency Experience.

Role: Lead Process Facilitator - Discover, Co-Creation, Experiments

@LPK, 2019-2022

Building a Wireless Brand for the Tech-Savvy Shopper.

CHALLENGE: U.S. Cellular was underperforming in the pre-paid space. Our task was to create a standalone challenger brand that would reach an untapped consumer segment and strengthen their overall portfolio.

APPROACH: We dug deep to understand the unmet needs of a tech-savvy, well-researched shopper, who showed a clear desire for more control over their plan.

Created three brand pathways, each of which activated distinct strategic levers for growth and set the stage for brand expressions focused on more control, customization and freedom.

Leveraged strategy, design and verbal to create a new brand—including the name, messaging, brand identity, icons, photo strategy, web experience, social ads and guidelines.

IMPACT: Consumer demand for YUVO outperformed every industry benchmark at each point in the conversion funnel—proving massive potential to steal share in the pre-paid wireless market.

Role: Director - Co-Creation, Solution Development, In-Market Experiments

@LPK, 2019

Dell ATG Notebook

Services: Design

@Essential Design, 2008

Customer Experience Playbook: Why, What, Who & How of CX

In a world where so much of the financial services sector has become commoditized, customer experience (CX) has become a primary differentiator and a strategic priority for most organizations.

Customers are no longer satisfied with what banking was yesterday or is today, wary of big banks and concerned about their financial well being. Moreover, their expectations are increasingly informed and influenced by experiences they have had with services that sit outside the banking industry. These elevated expectations are shaping how challengers and new entrants are competing in the industry overall, and with Fifth Third.

Fifth Third recognized that their customers’ experiences and their own business’ success are interdependent and made the commitment to become a customer-centric organization.

In early 2016, Fifth Third took another major step on the journey to becoming customer-centric organization with the Home Borrowing & Basic Banking Ethnographic Study and Insights, for which LPK has played a core role. That engagement has yielded the foundational learning necessary to build consumer-led strategy and vision.

In 2017 LPK created Fifth Third’s CX Playbook – one co-created with major stakeholders, in lock step with executive mandates and easily understood and actionable for the broader organization.

Role: Director, Playbook Creation & Training

@LPK, 2017

Elevating Frozen Pizza from a Compromise to a Catalyst to New Experiences

Nestle DiGiorno Design a Pizza

The Brief: The frozen pizza category has long taken a fast follower approach, reacting to what Carry out/Delivery brands innovate. Nestle’s Pizza Business Unit challenged Fahrenheit 212 to develop new product platforms capable of delivering $100-200MM in net new revenues annually. 

The Strategy: Transform frozen, from an attribute to an asset, from a compromise to a catalyst. Shift the competitive dynamic from ingredients that happen to be frozen to experiences that happen only because they were frozen. Convert the guilt moms feel when they resort to frozen pizza, to the pride they feel from fresher, healthier, made at home experiences.

The Outcome:  The DiGiorno Design a Pizza Kit Chicken, Green Peppers & Red Onions with Pepperoni includes a full-size DiGiorno cheese pizza with premium meats, vibrant veggies, shredded cheese and a seasoning packet.

Now everyone can join in to top a delicious pizza to share or create their own perfect slice. Tap into your pizza creativity and make pizza night even more fun!

Key Results: DiGiorno’s Design a Pizza Kit expanded to 3 SKUs, delivering on the commercial ambitions of the initiative.

Role: Consumer Insights, Concept Development, Initial Prototyping

@Fahrenheit 212, 2012

Torani Puremade Squeeze

Role: Idea Development, Sub-brand Definition, In-Market Experiment

https://shop.torani.com/products/puremade_squeeze_strawberry_lemon_liquid_water_enhancer

@LPK, 2021

Making travel a secure & seamless
experience

CHALLENGE: International SOS is the largest travel security firm on earth, taking 5M calls annually. But without a deep understanding of their customers’ journeys, ISOS was unable to improve its current services, let alone develop new ones. We teamed
up to drive clarity and fuel their innovation machine.

APPROACH: Worked with stakeholders to uncover obstacles
in internal operations, resulting in a current-state Service Blueprint and Channel Ecosystem Map. Conducted 45 customer interviews in 7 countries, then synthesized data to create Personas, detailing specific frustrations, motivations and ambitions to inform a next-gen travel experience. Translated findings into foundational end-user insights, driving strategic outcomes for ISOS that more effectively intersect with their audiences.

IMPACT: With a newfound understanding of their customers’ journeys, ISOS is creating new offerings
at the intersection of physical, digital and service to revolutionize the travel experience and grow.Role: Research, Strategy, Concept Development

@LPK, 2018

Swell NYC - Good stuff to get well

Swell delivers kits of food, beverages, OTC medicine and comfort items when you need them most. Whether you're fighting the flu, rallying from a killer hangover or trying to stay healthy, Get Swell.

It's all the good stuff you need to get well, delivered right to your door in just 90 minutes

Role: Concept, Identity, Packaging, UX

@FutureProof, 2013

Taking the Category Lead

The First Years True Choice Baby Monitor

The Brief: Develop a differentiated design language, standing apart from the traditional juvenile aesthetics of the category.

The Outcome: The True Choice Baby Monitor family exceeded sales targets for The First Years by pairing superior clarity and reliability with and design and brand that defines and leads the category.

Role: Research, Industrial Design, UI

Awards: JPMA 2009

@Essential Design, 2009

A Differentiated Direction & Superior Performance in a Mature Market

Altec Lansing InAir 5000

The Brief: Develop Altec Lansing’s flagship wireless tabletop speaker and a differentiated design language for the brand.

The Outcome: InAir 5000 not only produces big, immersive sound in a compact envelope, the fresh aesthetic allowed Altec Lansing reach a $500+ price point, a new high for AL all-in-one units.

Role: Industrial Design, UI

Awards: CES 2012 Finalist

@Essential Design, 2010

The Liberation of Steak

Outback Steakhouse Steak Bar & Short Cuts

The Brief: With growing pressure from Fast Casual competitors and a decline in visitation frequency Outback Steakhouse challenged Fahrenheit 212 to develop a portfolio of solutions capable of driving growth through increased frequency and new customer penetration.

Role: Idea Development, Industrial Design

@Fahrenheit 212, 2011

Social Delivery Force

Taco Bell Epic Hero

Role: Idea Development, Design Strategy, Industrial Design, UI, UX

@Fahrenheit 212, 2014

Altec Lansing Orbit Portable Speaker Family

Role: Industrial Design

@Essential Design, 2009

Increasing traffic to the tune of 6%

Checkers Stream Lanes & Carcade

Role: Idea Development, Industrial Design, UI, Consumer Resarch

@Fahrenheit 212, 2011

A New to World Service Format

Noodles & Company P.L.U.S

The Brief: As a growing player in the Fast Casual restaurant category, Noodles & Company has implemented a sophisticated operational model that enables them to deliver high quality, freshly-cooked food in a comfortable atmosphere. But by funneling customers through a single point of sale in the journey (taking orders at the counter rather than at the table), they remained limited to customer throughput as the predominant lever to drive revenue per restaurant. They had only a single chance to capture value from each guest.

The Solution: Fahrenheit 212 found the solution to this challenge by drawing from the higher price points and differentiated service experience of Casual Dining restaurants – where waiters combine the role of host and server, entirely focused on customer satisfaction and a bigger check.  P.L.U.S (Please Let Us Serve) is a breakthrough new service model that enables guests to add to their order without having to get back in line.  The P.L.U.S host takes orders, suggests beer and wine pairings, and answers any questions guests may have – providing a differentiated dinner experience, without the pressure of a server or the need to tip.  

The Outcome: P.L.U.S launched as a five-location beta test in July 2012, and saw an increase in same-store sales of 13% in just three months.

Role: Idea Development, Industrial Design

@Fahrenheit 212, 2012

Defining the Future of Customer Service

Citi Ventures Group

The Brief:  With changes in the retail landscape, proliferation of new technology and communications, we have entered what is being called the “age of the customer ” where empowered consumers are demanding new levels of customer service from companies. Citi Ventures asked Fahrenheit 212 to define the tenets of customer service so as to bridge the gap between current capabilities and future possibility. 

The Outcome: Fahrenheit 212 developed a vision of customer service complete with a portfolio of solutions designed to increase retention and advocacy while increasing bottom-line savings on the cost to serve. From this initiative 3 work streams were developed resulting in the implementation of a new digital statement solution. 

Role: Consumer Insights, Innovation Strategy, Idea Development, UI, Usability Research

@Fahrenheit 212, 2012

Bridgewater Associates Client Solutions

Client Application Suite: A New Era of Bridgewater

The Brief: Many firms pursue excellence, few achieve it: Bridgewater is one of those rare firms. Combining a proven track record of superior performance, client satisfaction, objective thinking and a legacy of pioneering new practices in its industry, Bridgewater’s achievements and stature are unquestioned.

Since it’s launch, from Ray Dalio’s apartment in 1975, Bridgewater has been challenging the status quo. The firm is relentlessly searching for a new paradigm, a deeper explanation of “what’s radically truthful.” The firm is constantly evolving and improving. Bridgewater now manages more than $150 billion, employs more than 1,200 people and is one of the most profitable funds ever.

As the next phase of its evolution, Bridgewater was seeking to create the premier platform that will educate and empower its clients, helping them to better understand and engage with Bridgewater’s way of looking at the financial system and managing money.

The Outcome: Client Application Suite shapes their clients most important investment decisions and enhance our relationships by engaging clients with a world-class technology platform and application suite that embodies Bridgewater’s most innovative principles, concepts and frameworks and delivers them in a seamless and beautiful way. (Note: For confidentiality reasons, work samples of this project can not be shared.)

Role: Research, Strategy, Solution Development

@F212, 2015

Altec Lansing

InMotion Max Family

Role: Industrial Design, Research

@Essential Design, 2007

All Digital Transition

Cox Communications All Digitial Transition 

Responsible for the development of Cox’s All-Digital Transition strategy and Self-Install Kits, elevating the customer upgrade experience across key touch points, while delivering significant cost savings.

Role: Consumer Research, Industrial Design, UI, Usability Research

@Fahrenheit 212, 2013

Sensix

Allergy Alert System

Sensix is a monitoring and response system for children susceptible to severe allergic reactions. It includes three age-specific monitors that are physically and aesthetically suited to each age group. When an allergic reaction occurs, the monitor alerts parents or caregivers while simultaneously identifying the location of the child and the medicine.

The automated epinephrine injector device is more compact, rugged and convenient than a standard EpiPen. It also notifies users when injectors need to be replaced. The system works in concert with proposed food labeling standards that would use graphical icons and colors on packaging to identify potential allergens before an exposure occurs

Role: Concept, Design, Illustration

Awards: IDEA 2007, Spark 2007 

@Essential Design, 2007

Engaging Tech-averse Seniors

Frontier Communications  My Frontier

Role: Idea Development, UI, Consumer Research

@Fahrenheit 212, 2012

LeGrand Adorne Under Cabinet System

Role: Design Lead

@Essential Design, 2010

Substantial Snacking

Nestle Fired Up Hot Chips and Good Life Hot Breakfast Bars

Role: Idea Development, Packaging, Brand Development

@Fahrenheit 212, 2011

Blazing New Trails

Babies R Us Baby Registry of the Future

Crafted the long-term brand vision and positioning for the Babies R Us registry; redefined the registry experience across channels, expanding role form a transaction-focused list to a confidence-building relationship increasing LTV.

Role: Idea Development, UI/UX, Usability Research

@Fahrenheit 212, 2014

Shure PG Microphones

Role: Design

@Essential Design, 2008

Philips System One CPAP

Role: Design Lead

@Essential Design, 2008

Puma Outsole Concept

Role: Design Lead

@Essential Design, 2010

Philips CPAP Patient Interface Concepts

Role: Design Lead

@ Essential Design, 2010

Philips Life with Sleep Apnea Strategy

Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA) is a potentially life-threatening condition where breathing stops repeatedly during sleep. This is due to an obstruction in the upper airway.

The therapy for OSA is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) in which a user wears a mask in bed which receives pressurized air from a CPAP unit, ensuring the airway stays open.

The Sleep Apnea therapy experience is riddled with problems and ripe for improvement.

Role: Strategy Lead, Design Lead

@ Essential Design, 2008

Altec Lansing Desktop Speakers

Role: Industrial Design

@Essential Design, 2010

Philips Respironics

Simply Go Portable Oxygen System

Role: Industrial Design, CMF

@Essential Design, 2010

TreePac

Reusable Shipping Container

Treepac is a reusable shipping container intended to replace cardboard boxes. The structure is made entirely of sustainable wood-based polymer cellulose acetate, Treepac is used like cardboard packaging but is designed to enable and encourage people and companies to improve their environmental footprint. The more times each pack is used, the greater its positive effect on the environment.

Awards: IDEA 2008, Spark 2008

Role: Concept, Design, Illustration

@Essential Design, 2008

Jarden Dual Temperature Crockpot

A revolutionary dual temperature crockpot, creating a new category for Jarden. Providing consumers with new a benefit, temperature flexibility, keeping hot foods hot and cool foods cool.

This new-to-world product required an update to the traditional slow cooker aesthetic, to convey the cooling benefits. 

Role: Design Lead

@Essential Design, 2010

Return

Indoor Composting System

Awards: IDEA 2010, Red Dot 2012 

Role: Idea Development, Industrial Design, Illustration

@Essential Design, 2009