This project explored how people move from first-time participants to active, long-term contributors in communities.

Conducted as part of the Practical Ethnography for UX course at the School of Information, Pratt Institute, New York City, in collaboration with Woven City by Toyota, the work focused on understanding what motivates individuals to transition from curiosity to meaningful, sustained participation.

We examined diverse communities across multiple contexts: globally through secondary research, surveys, and in-depth interviews, and locally at Pratt Institute through contextual inquiry and observations of community spaces and events.

Our secondary research highlighted that the transition from first participation to active contribution represents the highest-leverage intervention point for design, offering the greatest opportunity to foster sustained engagement.

This insight led to our first HMW: How might we create community experiences that turn first participation into active contribution?

Our primary research aimed to answer key questions: How do people discover and join innovation communities? What motivates their first participation? What factors sustain long-term engagement? And where and why do people disengage?

Synthesis using affinity mapping revealed consistent patterns: social relationships, recognition, and a shared vision drive engagement. Trust established through friends or mentors lowers the barrier to initial participation, while visible acknowledgment and shared goals help transform casual involvement into regular contribution.

Key Insight 1: Social friendships and trusted support networks are the strongest drivers of joining and staying engaged in a community.

Key Insight 2: Recognition reinforces commitment - when achievements are acknowledged, motivation and pride increase, driving continued participation.

Key Insight 3: Having a shared goal among community members and a visible progress sustains participants’ motivation.

From these insights, we identified a key design opportunity: How might we leverage social connections to turn first participation into active contribution in innovation communities?

We explored research-informed solution concepts in the context of Woven City to support this transition, including guided onboarding experiences, visible recognition systems, and shared spaces that celebrate collective progress. Rather than proposing a single product, this project presents scalable engagement strategies for understanding participation as a social and emotional journey, one that can guide innovation communities like Woven City in designing for long-term engagement.

Solution 1: The Weaver’s Trail: From Visitor → Active Contributor - A National Park Service–inspired Visitor Experience for Toyota Woven City (Connected to Insight 1)

Solution 2: Kakezan Milestones: A co‑creation award system that celebrates Weavers’ contributions with digital milestones and physical pins. (Connected to Insights 2 and 3)

Solution 3: Level Up Lounge: Meetup space celebrate shared goals and progress of the community events. (Connected to Insight 3)

NOTE: Below is a Work-In-Progress Outline for the final portfolio case study with images