What Is Connective Design?
Rethinking Spaces for Human Connection
We approach connection the same way we do our “To Do” list. Drinks with friends? On the calendar. A “quick” coffee with a colleague? Booked between meetings.
But it wasn’t always like this. Some attribute this to the pace of life today. And there is certainly truth to that.
What fewer people realize is how much of our malnourished need for human connection is done by design.
Spatial and experiential design today generally prioritizes consumption and transaction over human connection. The strategic placement or promotion of products and services often informs the layout and flow of a space. And in spaces designed to sell, it is beneficial to distract humans from other humans and allow them to instead connect emotionally with an item. In modern day development and design, it is also common for environments that naturally lend themselves to fortuitous or serendipitous connection - shared courtyards or sitting rooms, for example – to be sidelined or reserved for a certain ‘VIP’ population (meaning the type of people who may connect in these spaces is controlled.)
The result is a worsening scarcity of space for people to be, engage, and belong - and conversely, a capitalistic motivation to perpetuate a trend of developing isolating environments which are linked to feelings of social disconnection and unhappiness.
Fortunately, research shows that capitalism and human connection do not have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, environments designed with communal interactions in mind—like shared tables or public seating—significantly increase opportunities for engagement and emotional attachment. Two human responses that marketers keep constantly top of mind.
And this can be applied to spatial and experiential design on just about any scale —from the way we revitalize downtowns to how we structure events meant to bring people together.
Let’s dig in a bit. We’ll start big picture.
Zooming Out: The Design of Downtown Revitalization
Downtown revitalization projects often promise to transform neglected urban centers into vibrant spaces for living, working, and gathering. Parks, plazas, and mixed-use developments are added to attract people and spark a sense of community. Yet these spaces frequently fall short of their promise.
Retail-driven designs often center around shopping and dining, emphasizing transactions over organic interaction. Spaces like manicured plazas or open-air malls may look beautiful but often lack adaptability, functioning more as destinations than integral parts of daily life. Research indicates that urban public spaces focused on social engagement—rather than consumption—are more likely to encourage genuine connections. A study published in the Journal of Public Space highlights that public areas designed with community interaction in mind promote social cohesion and trust among users.
But some places get it right.
For example, Santa Fe’s historic plaza has been a hub for community connection since 1610. With Sunday markets, live performances, and public events, it invites residents and visitors to engage meaningfully. The city’s commitment to preserving its unique 'Santa Fe Style' while also remaining adaptable to evolving community needs creates a sense of place that feels cohesive and deeply rooted in the community.
This kind of intentional design matters. Research in the Journal of Environmental Psychology shows that public spaces reflecting local culture and supporting social interaction significantly boost community belonging and well-being.
Santa Fe shows how blending cultural authenticity with practical, communal spaces can create an environment where meaningful connections happen naturally.
By integrating similar principles, other cities can transform their downtowns into true centers of connection, rather than destinations reliant on marketing events to create engagement.
Zooming In: The Design of Public Activations
Public activations often face the same challenge as other spaces: prioritizing spectacle over genuine connection. Consider a LaCroix activation in New York City, for example, a visually striking pop-up celebrating the brand’s new flavors. With eye-catching design and plenty of Instagram-worthy moments, the activation attracted crowds—but the experience centered on passive consumption rather than active engagement. Visitors walked through, snapped photos, shared it to their social media channels, and left.
Contrast this with the Empathy Museum, a traveling installation designed to spark conversation and understanding between strangers. Its flagship exhibit, A Mile in My Shoes, invites participants to literally walk in someone else’s shoes while listening to that person’s story. That story carries on with lasting impact through a ripple of story sharing from the participant to others in their communities, decision making with new perspective, and referring back to the initial experience, creating a bond with the brand more powerful than any pop-up. This setup transforms a simple activity into a powerful, shared experience, proving that spaces designed for connection don’t need grandeur—they need intention.
These examples highlight the gap between creating spaces that dazzle and those that connect. Whether designing a public activation, a downtown plaza, or an event, the goal shouldn’t be to draw crowds for the sake of visibility but to create environments where relationships and understanding naturally develop.
A marketer might argue that visibility is the point—draw a crowd, snap a photo, and amplify the brand message. But the reality is that people are craving connection more than ever. Designing for connection doesn’t just meet this need—it gives brands a competitive edge by aligning with what consumers value most: authenticity, shared experiences, and deeper engagement.
When people feel genuinely connected, the experience goes beyond a transaction or a fleeting moment of entertainment. It taps into their emotions, creating memories that inspire them to share and return. Connection-centered design doesn’t just amplify a brand—it activates communities, drives loyalty, and fulfills a human need that static, photo-ready moments simply can’t.
Designing connection is more than a thoughtful gesture—it’s a strategic advantage. Meeting consumers where they are, and giving them what they truly need, ensures long-term resonance that keeps them coming back—not just for the product, but for the feeling it creates.
The Common Thread: Spaces That Make Connection Intuitive
The challenge across public activations, downtown revitalization, and other designed experiences isn’t just a lack of connection—it’s that our spaces and systems don’t make connection intuitive. Designing for connection requires more than proximity or shared spaces. It demands intention built on principles that acknowledge how people engage, what they crave, and what keeps them coming back, or otherwise put, empathy for your audience’s experience.
Principles for Designing Connection
To transform spaces from isolating to connective, we can apply these key principles:
Proximity: Design choices that naturally bring people closer—like a plaza that mixes café seating with open communal tables or a courtyard where pathways converge—encourage interaction without forcing it. Spaces that feel adaptable and shared make casual encounters inevitable, turning everyday moments into opportunities for connection.
Shared Experiences: Activities that require collaboration, like communal gardens, interactive installations, or participatory exhibits (such as A Mile in My Shoes), create moments that go beyond consumption and lead to shared stories that create connection. These experiences forge emotional connections that linger, inspiring people to share and return.
Intentional Flow: Spaces that immediately engage or give your audience something to do and/or interact with to signal their belonging while boosting curiosity is step one. They should have natural gathering points, such as open kitchens, community tables, or breakout areas that provoke an action or prompt a reaction that leads to conversation, inviting unplanned yet meaningful interactions. These designs create the kind of relational moments that can’t be scheduled or staged.
Pacing and Pause: Restful spaces—quiet seating areas, reflective nooks, or shaded plazas with something to observe—give people the chance to slow down and process. These pauses allow deeper conversations and more genuine interactions to unfold.
Authenticity: Spaces that incorporate local culture and history resonate more deeply because they feel real, not transactional. People are drawn to environments that reflect a shared story or identity, creating a sense of belonging.
Connection as a Strategic Advantage
People are craving more meaning, so creating spaces and experiences that meet this need becomes a competitive edge. Whether in urban centers, public activations, conferences, or shared spaces, prioritizing connection builds loyalty, inspires engagement, and transforms fleeting interactions into lasting relationships.
When applied thoughtfully, these principles can transform spaces from places of assembly into environments where connection thrives.
By reimagining how we design for connection—centering on intention, authenticity, and the natural ways people engage—we can create environments where relationships don’t feel scheduled or forced. Instead, they happen naturally, intuitively, and meaningfully, leaving a lasting impact far beyond the moment