Designing (or not) for community

"As much as curated spaces, planned interactions, crafted products, and intentional takeaways can enhance experiences and deepen connection, could too much design also stand in the way of us building and engaging in real communities? What really happens when we overly design our communities? When we overly design, planning halts action. Planning the perfect event or building the perfect structure can feel productive, but it often becomes a stall."

"We wait until the idea is polished, until the branding feels right, until the schedule lines up, until we can justify gathering people around something that looks "enough." We often say that design is about iteration, but in practice, the planning and polishing can take over. The more we perfect something, the further we drift from the natural rhythms that actually allow community to form. Real connection needs space to unfold in ways we can't predict."

Excessive design and perfectionism can stall actual community action by turning planning into an end in itself. Polishing ideas, branding, and schedules often become reasons to wait instead of reasons to gather. Community more often grows from proximity, repetition, and ordinary presence than from flawless formats or mission-driven initiatives. Real connection requires space to unfold unpredictably and benefits from simple invitations and regular, low-bar interactions. Thoughtful design can enhance experiences, but design should create affordances and gentle structures that invite participation rather than replace the basic work of showing up together.

Read at Medium