👋 Hi, I'm Ben.

The world is changing fast and I'm not sure we're keeping up. We can't have difficult conversations without either blowing up or shutting down. Climate change feels hopeless. Democracy is backsliding.

Future People Lab is where I make research-backed tools for future-critical skills. Not self-help books. Not academic papers. Actual tools you can use.

Most products get optimized to extract money, not solve problems. I avoid equity funding to stay focused on what actually works. These tools are Designed with Purpose™: shaped by public health research, behavior change design, and UX research, not growth metrics.

How I build each tool:

  • I use a salutogenic approach, focusing on factors that promote well-being, like fostering healthier disagreements, reducing climate anxiety, or supporting safer neighborhoods.

    Each outcome connects to specific behaviors that drive healthier, safer, more connected lives.

  • To move the needle on these outcomes, like better disagreements, we have to identify which behaviors need to stop, start, or shift.

    In this case, the science shows constructive disagreement requires dropping old habits (e.g. winning, logic-only debates) and building new ones (e.g. sharing communication styles, making each other feel heard).

    Behavior research maps the levers of change tailored to each audience and the target behaviors, leading to evidence-based prototypes ready for real-world testing.

  • Science-backed prototypes only matter if people want to use them.

    User research shapes prototypes through real feedback, until disagreements feel as easy as following a trusted trail guide.

What exists right now:

  • Disagree Differently – a co-op conversation card game for staying close through any disagreement

In development:

  • mixtapes for working through climate despair

  • safe-house gift baskets for supporting our immigrant neighbors

Each tool tackles one specific problem. Together, they're building a toolkit for navigating what's ahead.

Want to help shape what's next? Vote on priorities, join play-tests, or consult as an expert.

Welcome,
Ben

Reach Out

I also do contract work for organizations tackling problems that matter, using the same methodology:
- public health research
- behavior change design
- UX research

Background: Master's from Harvard Chan School of Public Health, 11+ years of UX research experience. Past clients include:

Fidelity Investments | CoinMetrics | Meedan | Nigeria Health Watch | Harvard University