Algorithms and generative artificial intelligence have put digital life on a treadmill of optimisation. Online experiences are engineered to make our lives more convenient and more connected. They do this by removing friction and delivering increasingly personalised content. So, why is it that the relentless drive for efficiency is leaving people in fact feeling increasingly disconnected?
The rise in spending on in-person events and experiences points to a clear human desire for real world connection. But what is it about these physical experiences that makes us tick? And how can you design for it? To move forward, we don’t need to invent new, high-tech ways of gathering. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel of human connection; we just need to remember that the wheel is there in the first place, whether that’s communal celebrations, dinner parties or family walks in a park.
What sets an experience in the physical world apart from its online counterpart is serendipity. When physical experiences are designed to allow for chance encounters and discovery, they create deep emotional bonds that hyper-optimised digital platforms cannot replicate. They help us learn, and they lead us down a path that teaches us about things we wouldn’t otherwise have stumbled upon. It’s the smell of food walking down the street, bumping into an old friend at an event, even learning how to fix something when a physical item decides to break. These small, sensory details ground us, making us feel at home in the world. They use our brain as it’s designed to be used, as an experiential, emotionally charged memory-muscle, not a processing unit.
In a region currently redefining physical space and experiential destination design, the risk isn’t a lack of scale, but in over-curating every square meter until no room is left to human chance and discovery.
The psychology of surprise The psychology of gathering explains why we crave these real-world moments. The human brain is a meaning-seeking organ. When an event has an easy-to-find, logical explanation, the brain closes the case and moves on. But when an occurrence takes us by surprise and evades easy explanation, it creates ambiguity. This ambiguity is the fertile ground where serendipity grows. Because we can’t find an obvious external reason for the encounter, we bring our own imagination and meaning to it. This psychological mechanism builds a powerful bond with the circumstances, brands, or places that produced the feeling.
Designing for positive friction Designing for this emotional return requires separating negative friction from positive friction. Good design removes negative friction. We must handle logistics with absolute clarity. At an event this means ensuring the seating is comfortable, the cloakroom has enough space, and the toilets are near the entrance so guests don’t get lost.
Once logistical obstacles are gone, we must build positive friction back in. We do this by designing for sensory discoveries that cannot be automated: a sudden shift in the weather, a change in ambient lighting, or the scent of coffee from across the foyer. Imperfection is not a design flaw to be fixed; it is the exact space where organic human moments thrive. We must design the physical layout to encourage unexpected interactions through organic pathways and interactive elements that invite conversation. You’re creating a space where a diverse group of strangers can participate in a shared, slightly turbu…