Designing for Human Connection
Written by Su Lim, Experience Foundation.
Last month, it was a privilege to be part of the conversation on ‘The REvolution of experience’ at the CoreNet Global Australia Chapter's annual conference in Sydney. What follows falls out of the talk I gave at the conference, the conversations had when there, and since.
Whilst I may be better known to the audience as a workplace strategist, my practice over the past few years has seen me step beyond the workplace and engage with projects across a range of place types: universities and cultural districts; airports and stations; high streets and city centres.
Working across different sectors has been refreshing! After all, our lives move continuously between them, seamlessly flowing from home to the station, work to leisure, airport to conference. We do not perceive the red lines of asset development classes, nor should we. The opportunity is to consider the city from a connected human experience – designing whole journeys for people to come together, rather than as discrete blocks developed as separate destinations.
We live in an increasingly uncertain world, where perspectives are polarised, communities fragmented, and cities under-utilised. Mo Gawdat, one of the world’s leading voices on AI, happiness, and the future of humanity, predicts AI is set to transform every job, dominating intelligence and promising efficiency. Against this backdrop, what remains is our ability to connect with one another. This is not a luxury: it’s essential for mental health, personal well-being, and the functioning of society itself.
The challenge is clear: we must design infrastructure that not only serves function, but fosters connection - not just attraction to brands, products, or services, but to each other. We must create places that draw people into conversation, relationships, and belonging.
Rethinking the method
Today’s infrastructure is measured in throughput and productivity. For a resilient tomorrow, infrastructure must be measured in time well spent, stories created, and relationships ignited.
This requires an experience-led approach, one that understands people not as users but as communities in motion - a method that I discussed in five parts:
Understand the audience Who are we bringing together? Infrastructure that thrives draws in diverse people and perspectives and celebrates the richness of difference.
Co-design with story and radical participation Stories shape our sense of place. By inviting communities to participate as co-creators, we embed lived experiences into the very fabric of design.
Consider the whole journey Designing for “time well spent” ensures that people value not only the destination but the transitions, encounters, and moments along the way.
Allow for surprise Connection thrives in the unexpected. Designing in moments of friction, discovery, or wonder encourages people to look up, pause, and engage.
Layer for change Resilient infrastructure must embrace both the slow and the fast. Slow change creates coherence, while fast adaptation ensures relevance. Together, they allow places to evolve with their communities.
A Future Worth Building
The future of infrastructure isn’t steel, concrete, automation or code. In this ‘fourth industrial revolution’, it’s time to double down on what only we can do: connect, belong, and care.
If we design for productivity alone, we create efficient emptiness.
If we design for connection, we cultivate resilience for generations to come.
Image credit: Natasha Bidgood