🎈

matt
callahan

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I am a product designer and researcher based in Oakland, CA.

I use human centered research
to design experiences that feel
joyful, playful, and new 🐬✨

I co-lead a team of designers
in the IDEO PlayLab to imagine and design the future of play.

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FEATURED WORK

PRODUCT DESIGN

Transforming
Sick Days with Play

What would kid's care experiences look like if they were designed to center a child's POV?

ROLE: RESEARCH LEAD, PROJECT LEAD, PRODUCT DESIGNER

CLIENT: PLAYHOUSE MD

RESEARCH + STRATEGY

Uncovering the
Future of Fandom

What new experiences and opportunities are fans around the world craving?

What trends and signals are occurring in gaming, sports, music, and entertainment fandoms and what might these learnings mean for how Pokemon connects with their future fans?

ROLE: RESEARCH LEAD

CLIENT: THE POKEMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL (TCPi)

DIGITAL + UX

Co-Designing an AI enabled OS with Gen Z

How might we build a multi-year vision for compelling Android experiences that will resonate with the next generation user?

How can we uncover insights and opportunities to inspire product teams across the org to work towards a shared five year product vision?

ROLE: RESEARCH LEAD

CLIENT: GOOGLE

🗣️ Recent press:

TIME Magazine - Best Inventions of 2025 - Playhouse MD Light Up Nasal Bulb (2025)

Forbes: Startup Playhouse MD Wants To Add Power Of Play To Kids’ Healthcare (2025)
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Yahoo Finance: Left Field Labs and Hasbro Win Two Webby Awards for Twister AIR (2025)

All Things Pixel: AI-Powered Screenshot Memory + Organization (2024)

‍Mojo Nation: Hasbro’s Tanya Thompson and IDEO’s Matt Callahan talk Drop Trivia (2024)

📝 Recent publications in the IDEO Journal:

Is Gen Z ready to embrace AI? It’s complicated
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Values-Led Prototyping for Next-Gen Creative AI
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Will AI Interfere with Relationships? Gen Z Thinks So
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👷 Latest inventions from the IDEO PlayLab invention team:

IDEO Invention Instagram

ABOUT MATT

I am a designer, researcher, and team leader with a decade of experience in product design and design consulting.

I love to create things that people love, and believe a joyful design practice is the key to unlocking creative solutions to tough challenges.

When not conducting research or dreaming up new product designs, I like to spend my time making games, music, and gifts that make my friends and family laugh.

Full portfolio of research and design work, as well as design leadership experience, is available on request.

Find me online here:

Gmail
LinkedIn
Instagram