Is this for me?
Do I belong here?
Do I want to belong here?
We ask ourselves these questions all the time when we interact with a product, service, group, organization, community, situation, and with one other.
We’re continuously looking for signals that indicate “this is for me”, that we’re seen, understood, and valued. These signals help us decide how we want to show up, that is if we want to keep showing up. These signals help us decide if we want to take the risk to extend our trust.
When you’re asking people to invest their attention and inviting them to participate in an interaction—a meeting, an email, a hiring process, a team project, an app, a community conversation, etc.—what signals are you sending?
Do the actual signals that your interaction conveys match your purpose?
Is your interaction saturated with clear, consistent welcoming beacons for the specific people you have designed it for? Or might you be conveying signals that are serving as a bouncer, excluding people essential to your purpose?
