UC student uses co-op to build human-centered design skills

The fifth-year communication design major in the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) has put those talents to the test during four co-op experiences — two with NELSON Worldwide and two with the Live Well Collaborative and, both located in Cincinnati.

She begins another co-op this month with Procter & Gamble’s Home Care design team. Her work has focused on accessibility, clarity and representing perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked.

“I would always recommend a co-op for students,” Nunn said. “You get professional experience you might not have otherwise until after graduation. A lot of companies ask for two years of experience for entry-level jobs, and many students leaving college don’t have that. At UC, a lot of students do get that experience because they have had co-ops. It’s an extra step up.”

Through UC’s co-op program, Nunn will graduate with five paid co-op rotations and more than a year of full-time experience, helping her build a portfolio, expand her network and offset the cost of college while she studies.

During her most recent co-ops with NELSON Worldwide, a global award-winning architectural and interior design firm, Nunn worked as an environmental graphic designer, producing wayfinding, signage, and graphic wallcoverings.

“That was a totally different realm of design, and it was interesting. I wanted all of my co-op experiences to be different,” Nunn said. “That’s the hope — that you get a chance to learn about a bunch of different things.”

At the Live Well Collaborative, a one-of-a-kind human-centered design studio, Nunn worked with other UC students and faculty members, along with industry partners, to design innovative, user-centered solutions that promote well-being at any age. The nonprofit organization was founded by UC and Procter & Gamble in 2007.

Each semester, teams use a hands-on design-thinking process — frame, explore, create — to develop new ideas and prototypes in sectors such as healthcare and consumer goods within 16 weeks.

Nunn said she worked on projects with the Council on Aging, Cincinnati Children’s Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute and Procter & Gamble.

“Each focused on designing for specific audiences and played a key role in shaping my design approach,” Nunn said. “It is all about research, which is a fundamental part of communication design.”

Linda Dunseath, executive director and chief operating officer of the Live Well Collaborative, said Nunn made a significant impact during her co-ops.

She helped co-design tools for an app prototype aimed at improving patient insurance literacy at Cincinnati Children’s.

At the Council on Aging, Nunn worked with the project team to develop a touchpoint journey map and service blueprints that led to identifying interventions for the Elderly Services Program billing system.

Nunn also refined her human-centered research skills to better understand the laundry habits of certain populations, Dunseath said. She identified meaningful opportunity areas that aligned with user needs and translated those insights into possible solutions.

Featured top image of Grace Nunn on the University of Cincinnati campus.  Photo provided.