better cities, happier people
Why is a friendship expert talking about urban design? Because they’re more connected than you think.
If this is our first time meeting, here’s the synopsis of my 20+ year career: My talks, workshops, press interviews, newsletter, TEDx Talk, and best-selling book, We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships, have helped thousands of adults around the world create stronger friendships, neighborhoods, and workplaces. My background in community building and design (visual, programmatic, and UX/UI) gives me:
✔️ a UX designer’s toolbox
✔️ a qualitative researcher’s methodology
✔️ a product creator’s entrepreneurial mindset
✔️ and a facilitator’s heart for people
Plot twist incoming…
But after working as a UX designer whose work reached millions, and as a facilitator and coach guiding adults through the process of cultivating platonic connection, I noticed an uncomfortable truth:
The hidden reason why so many people struggle to feel connected is because of a failure of design. Our distraction-filled digital lives and the car-centric, lonely cities we live in were designed (even if accidentally) to result in disconnection, anxiety, and isolation. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
If our lives, cities, and neighborhoods were designed for human thriving, people wouldn’t have to work so hard to meet basic human needs like friendship and community.
Until we accept our role in redesigning our lives and redesigning our cities, people will continue to feel lonely and struggle to create the life-giving friendships and community connections they need and deserve.
Design creates cities.
Design creates culture.
And design can create connection.
Let’s build that future together.
