The Wheel of Belonging: Designing for Inclusion, Connection, & Community
The Wheel of Belonging, created by Storycraft Lab in partnership with Google Xi, is a dynamic framework that explores pathways to belonging in human-centered experience design. This initiative evolved from a qualitative study into a robust interactive installation and further expanded into the Belonging Playbook, offering designers tools to foster inclusion, connection, and community in diverse contexts.
Role & Contribution: As the Creative Director, I led the research, design, and development of the Wheel of Belonging framework and its applications. This included:
Research Leadership: Directed the qualitative study to uncover themes and pathways to belonging, using interviews, surveys, and participatory workshops.
Framework Development: Translated research findings into the Wheel of Belonging framework (in collaboration with the team), highlighting eight distinct pathways and their associated touchpoints.
Interactive Installation Design: Conceptualized and designed the physical installation to bring the framework to life, enabling participants to engage with the concept of belonging through experiential stations.
Resource Creation: Contributed to the development of the Belonging Playbook, providing actionable insights and applications of the framework for designers and organizations.
Reflection: This project reinforced the importance of belonging in design and provided valuable insights into fostering inclusive and meaningful experiences. The evolution from research to framework to actionable tools demonstrates the potential of design to impact human connection and community building.
Research and Discovery
Collaborated with Google Xi to conduct a study on belonging through participatory workshops and qualitative research methods.
Posed key questions such as, "How can belonging be facilitated in diverse contexts?"
Analyzed personal and collective experiences to identify eight distinct pathways to belonging.
Framework Development
Created the Wheel of Belonging framework, with each pathway representing unique touchpoints guiding individuals from initial engagement to deeper connection.
Designed a visual map to articulate the pathways and their progression.
Interactive Installation
Designed a mobile, physical installation to bring the framework to life.
Integrated interactive stations that allowed participants to explore their belonging journey, gather real-time feedback, and foster discussion.
Showcased the installation at events to engage diverse audiences and collect data for further refinement.
Content Expansion & Resources
Contributed to extending the framework into The Belonging Playbook, a resource that equips designers with actionable tools to implement Belonging-Centered Design. During this phase we also created a Wheel of Belonging card deck to support workshopping.
Development of the Wheel of Belonging – Co-Author
Collaborated with the Storycraft Lab team to share our work to develop the "Wheel of Belonging," a research-driven framework designed to identify and measure pathways to belonging in event settings.
Building Belonging – Co-Author
Collaborated with Storycraft Lab and Google Xi to co-create this WonderPaper, which explores the diverse journeys people take toward belonging.