OREANDA-NEWS. March 15, 2016. frog, the global design and strategy firm, and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare (PCH) today announced the launch of the Design Collaborative, an ongoing initiative that will develop new health and wellness solutions for consumers in the areas of improved sleep, stress management, energy, aging and nutrition.

At the outset of the Design Collaborative last year, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and frog worked together to identify a wide range of opportunities within the target areas. Through a rapid process of insight gathering, concept creation and iterative design, the Design Collaborative will bring new products and services to market that empower people to take health and wellness into their own hands. 

"Working together with external partners allows us to build on our internal commitment to develop new ways for consumers to achieve better health and wellness," said Suneet Varma, president and general manager, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. “The Design Collaborative extends Pfizer Consumer Healthcare’s innovation capabilities by tapping into the creativity and design expertise at frog.”

The Design Collaborative is an example of Venture Design: an approach to leveraging design methodologies for rapid, scalable business impact through the creation of new product ecosystems, services and businesses. The team includes members from both frog and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, who are tasked with making strategic, insight-driven decisions that favor forward progress over a rigid process. Key members of the team are co-located, allowing for continuous engagement, creative intensity and alignment.

"Pfizer Consumer Healthcare has a remarkable track record of empowering people to take charge of their own health," said Ethan Imboden, vice president and head of venture design, frog. “By working together in the Design Collaborative, we are able to combine our expertise, focus our efforts on the most impactful innovations, and rapidly bring them to the world."

This partnership demonstrates Pfizer Consumer Healthcare’s ongoing commitment to external and out of the box collaboration. Recently Pfizer Consumer Healthcare announced a joint health and wellness innovation program with Galvanize, which will enable up to ten startup companies specializing in the development of potential solutions in the same key areas of improved sleep, stress management, energy, aging and nutrition. 

frog and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare will celebrate the launch of the Design Collaborative in Austin, Texas during the SXSW Interactive Festival March 11-15, 2016. Innovators interested in being a part of Design Collaborative efforts, contact David Steuer at (415) 235-6782.