“HOW do you know it’s fun? What does it FEEL like?” I challenged a group of students and teachers, steering them beyond their usual thoughts about their playground structure favorites. When the conversation shifted to feelings, a student illustrated his anticipation vividly: “When I’m about to slide, my hands do ‘this’”—he clenched and unclenched his fists—”and my heart does ‘this,’” he continued, tapping his chest, before stretching onto his tippy-toes, “I just feel…light all over.”

The room buzzed as more students shared their whole-body joy experiences. We translated these emotions into tangible forms, creating models and artworks from found objects. This burst of creativity was richer and deeper than any traditional, feature-focused design approach.

As designers, it’s crucial to elevate our community engagement strategies. It should transcend typical presentations and survey methods, fostering genuine expression and joy. Too often, professionals dwell on tangible results, missing the profound impacts of intangible outcomes like fostering unity, igniting creativity, and capturing the soulful essence of enjoyable spaces.

When engagement efforts become an invitation to play and express freely, they create profound connections that go beyond any single project. The community feels not only heard but valued and inspired. Together, we can shape spaces that resonate with true joy and wonder, reflecting the voices, hearts, and hands of those who inhabit them.

Are your engagement efforts leaving you—and, more importantly, the community—energized, inspired, and connected?