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If youve ever felt like your pet knows exactly when to pull you away from the stress of your computer screen, you arent alone. A landmark study surveying over 30,000 pet owners in 20 different countries found that 78% of dog or cat owners report that their pets remind them to take breaks during work or tasks, with 50% of the participants saying this happens daily. The study, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Mars, is the largest international survey of its kind in the world. The findings resonated deeply with David Reilly, global VP at Mars. If my dog’s at daycare, I don’t take a break at lunch time, he says. But if my dog’s not at daycare, somehow miraculously, I find the space to create up an hour to take my dog on a walk. Knowing that his relationship with his own pet had such an impact on his mental health, Reilly was excited by the data. I think 46% of people globally report their mental well-being is their number-one health priority and 56% of the population of the world has a pet. So if we can help unlock this idea that the pet could be your well-being superhero . . . then theres a real opportunity there, he says. To do this, the Mars team needed to seek further expertise. We have a deep knowledge of pets and we actually have a deep knowledge of the bond between people and pets. But we aren’t experts in human mental health, says Reilly. The solution was to collaborate with consumer mental health company Calm. Together, Mars and Calm collaborated on a collection of content meant to help pet lovers think about their bond with their pets as ways to improve their own well-being. Its launch marks the first pet-inspired collection featured on Calm. [Image: Mars, Calm] The content on Calm will include: A series of sleep stories inspired by the emotional connection between people and their pets. A series of guided meditations meant to help listeners reflect on the ways pets support their mental wellness. A series of breathing exercises. On Marss pet advice platform Kinship, Mars and Calm are launching the interactive quiz My Pet Guru, which helps pet owners learn which of six wellbeing superpowers their pet has based on questions about their personalities and behaviors. Together, were helping more peopleand their petsexperience the proven benefits of the human-animal bond through real stories, science-backed tools, and supportive content, says Greg Justice, chief content officer at Calm. Once the insights are rich . . . it doesn’t need to be overly clinical says Reilly. The researchers, pet experts, and content creators, worked together to find the sweet spot of ensuring that the content was true to what we’d heard, but also really accessible and also engaging for pet owners or other people who love pets. Mars and Calm are also seeking touching stories from pet owners to inform the wave of pet stories from Calm. What I’m looking forward to, honestly, is hearing the stories that people share. Pets genuinely make a really incredible impact on people’s lives, says Reilly.
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E-Commerce
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Imagine someone with Parkinsons sipping their morning coffee with a steady hand. A person with chronic pain or overactive bladder enjoying simple pleasures like going to the movies, taking a road trip, and a restful sleep. A life changed and potentially saved because signs of colorectal cancer were caught and treated early. These examples represent real people whose lives were changed with healthcare technology. Medical devices and therapies that once seemed like sci-fi are now alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending lives. Artificial intelligence, data, and robotics rightfully get credit for supercharging many recent health tech breakthroughs, but innovation will always be powered by people. Behind every new product is a team of individuals who grew up tinkering, dreaming, and embracing challenges, while ultimately dedicating their careers to improving lives. Yet, as optimistic as we are about the future of health tech and the people behind it, a global talent shortage of 4.3 million tech workers by 2030 threatens innovation. Making matters more urgent, a looming shortage of 11 million health workers could disproportionately impact health outcomes in low-income regions. These arent merely statistics. If left unaddressed, workforce shortages could stall the development of life-saving therapies and compromise the quality of care that all of us deserve. We cant allow that to happen. Could a global challenge also be a needed solution? We think so. Despite global workforce shortages, theres a generation at risk of being left behind. Currently 80% of young adults from low-income communities globally are not able to find a secure job and 65% of students in primary school today will work in jobs that dont currently exist. Many of these will be in fields where early exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is critical. This raises important questions: What if we could equip a generation with the critical skills needed to meet workforce shortages while also breaking cycles of poverty? And, what if we could change the trajectory of lives while also saving them? We believe this isnt only possibleits essential. Here are three key things that need to happen: 1. College degrees are valuable, but can no longer be the only path to entry In health tech we see how personalization is driving better health outcomes. Now, paths and preparation for careers in our industry (and other innovation-driven fields) must follow suit. The next idea that sparks a health tech breakthrough could come from anywhereor anyone. But heres the stark reality. There are bright students who face significant barriers to a post-graduate degree, even after theyre accepted into a program. According to Jobs for the Future, only 14% of low-income students who attend a four-year college will graduate. We must open new paths to health tech jobs; skills-based training, apprenticeships, and credentialing can all be effective alternatives. At Medtronic weve already worked with InStride to shift 150+ roles from degree-based to skills-based hiring, but we know more must be done. 2. Students need hands-on STEM experiencesearly and often Research from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found that three-quarters of Gen Z youth are enthusiastic about STEM fields, but only 29% would rank a STEM role as their top career choice. Lack of exposure to STEM concepts, and their real-world application, could be fueling this gap. Similarly, the Smithsonian Science Education Center conducted a five-year study in North and South Carolina. They found that hands-on, innovative STEM education not only improved science achievement but also enhanced reading, math skills, and essential workforce skills like collaboration, problem solving, and creativity. These foundational skills are key to preparing students for future jobs. But students must also know jobs existand see themselves in them. 3. Building awareness of health tech careers must be a priority Every day, health tech innovators are harnessing groundbreaking technologies to improve lives and help close critical gaps in our global healthcare system. Yet despite its cool factor most students will never hear about the health tech industry unless they or a loved one need it. To combat this, we are launching Medtronic Sparka 10-year initiative that aims to address the growing health tech talent gap through three programs: Medtronic Spark Innovator Labs, Medtronic Spark Credentials, and the Medtronic Spark Scholarship. These programs aim to propel 1 million students from low-income households into health tech careers. We know we cant do it alone, but were committed to sparking a conversation that we believe can help fuel the future of healthcare. Our goal isnt to merely touch young peoples lives. It is to truly change the trajectory of their lives with opportunities in health tech that have potential for lasting generational impact. Because at its core, innovation isnt just about technologyits about people. Torod Neptune is senior vice president corporate marketing and global chief communications officer at Medtronic and chairman of Medtronic Foundation. Sally Saba, MD is the president of Medtronic Foundation and global chief inclusion and diversity officer at Medtronic.
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E-Commerce
Google’s logo just got a little bit blurrier. In a new logo quietly rolled out across iOS and Pixel, the search giant ditches its color-blocked G for gradients. Google’s new logo keeps the same letterform, as well as the bright red-yellow-green-blue color sequence, but now those colors blur into each other. The new G is Google’s biggest update to its visual identity since retiring serifs for its current sans-serif font, Product Sans, in 2015. [Images: Google] Why a gradient? In 2013, Google was among the first tech companies to move from skeuomorphic, dimensional lettering to a flat logo design. It arguably ushered in the blanding eraa moment when companies embraced simpler sans-serif logos. This was both an aesthetic and utilitarian choice: A simple, flat design conveyed the sense of efficient functionality that underpins modern technology. It also made it easier for companies to show up across the many screens and media required in the current media landscape. Google’s G took this idea even further, reducing the company’s famous wordmark down to a single letter icon in 2015. That first G was playful enough with is color blocking. But a decade on, it’s easy to see how it feels representative of a different moment on the internet. A gradient is a safe choice for the new G. Tech has long been a fan of using gradients in its logos, apps, and branding, with platforms like Instagram and Apple Music tapping into the effect a decade ago. Still today, gradients remain popular, owing to their middle-ground approach to design. They’re safe but visually interesting, soft but defined. They basically go with anything, thanks to their color wheel aesthetic. Other Google-owned products have already embraced gradients. YouTube is now using a new red-to-magenta gradient in its user interface (UI), and Gemini, Google’s AI tool, also uses them. Now it’s bringing the design element to its flagship Google app. The change to Google’s logo is so subtle that some users might not immediately notice the difference on their phones. And the effect hasn’t shown up in other applications like Gmail or Google Maps, where it will be more identifiable. Still, it’s not a small change for a behemoth of a company. We’ll never know how many meetings, iterations, and deliberations went into making that little blur effectbut we can safely guess it was many.
Category:
E-Commerce
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