Unlikely Things: Why UX/UI Belongs in Classrooms & Community Hubs

We live in a world where we can order groceries with a thumbprint, scroll for hours through customized content, and complete tax forms with intuitive software. That’s the power of UX/UI—User Experience and User Interface design—working in the background. It’s how the tech industry builds products that are usable, accessible, and often addictive. But here’s the unlikely thing: what if that same intentionality, precision, and empathy belonged in the places where people go to learn, get help, and find belonging?

In public-serving organizations—schools, health centers, housing programs, youth services—the product is people. If that’s true, then those people deserve at least as much design attention as a shopping app. UX/UI thinking has been too long confined to tech startups and consumer goods. It’s time to bring it into classrooms, school systems, and the public sector—not as an aesthetic upgrade, but as a philosophical shift toward service, dignity, and better outcomes.

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