Don't Be A Stranger

Let's collab!

Strangers Challenge

The Strangers Challenge is part of The Strangers Project , an interactive, creative experiment exploring how tiny moments between strangers can spark joy, reflection, and connection in everyday public life.

Whether it’s a smile, a compliment, a shared doodle, or a short story, I really believe that every interaction matters, being able to create a ripple effect on our wellbeing and happiness.

I'm inviting you to step out of your comfort zone and into connection one ticket, one story, one challenge at a time.

SMALL ACTS, BIG CONNECTIONS.

Pick a Challenge
Take a physical ticket at one of my events or scroll below to choose your own.
Do the Challenge
It could be giving a compliment, sketching someone, or sharing a kind note.
Share It on Instagram
- Post a photo, drawing, or short story.
- Tag @Flipsieflopsie
- Use the hashtag from the challenge #DontBeaStranger
Spread the Word
Let your post inspire someone else to join the challenge!

HOW IT WORKS

TAKE A TICKET!

#DrawAStranger

Sketch someone you see today (even just a silhouette). Share it with a caption about the moment.

#SayHello

Say hello to a stranger and post about what happened — even if it was awkward.

#NoteToStranger

Leave a kind message somewhere for someone to find. Snap a photo of it!

#ComplimentSomeone

Give a compliment to someone random. Record their smile with words or images.

#HeardToday

Post a funny or nice quote you overheard from a stranger.

#WeSharedASeat

Take a photo from a shared space (bus, café, park) and reflect on it.

“The feeling afterwards, i think it can be a little awkward, but most of the people i talked to were happy because in that Moment they forget about their worries, and it becomes easier the more you practice”

-Jennyfer, Thomas Street

JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

Every challenge you post helps grow a ripple of connection in the world.

Tag @flipsieflopsie and use the hashtag on your ticket.

We’ll be sharing our favorites and maybe even turning some into illustrations or prints!

HOW MIGHT WE...

...integrate playful, scalable, safe invitations into daily life without large infrastructure or funding to support wellbeing and reduce the sense of aloneness in everyday life, not just for novelty?

...design “permission” for people who want to connect but don’t know how, normalizing the act of talking to strangers?

...build community in the gaps left by efficiency, fostering small acts of kindness in everyday life, reminding people we are all part of something bigger?

...design for presence in a distracted world, reducing the instinct to pull out a phone and disengage?

RESEARCH

Our research combined desk research, interviews, and user testing to understand what might encourage more meaningful engagement in Ireland.

We spoke with a range of people—including migrants, young adults, neurodivergent users, and long-time residents—many of whom felt excluded from public discourse due to complex language, unclear processes, or past experiences of being ignored. Several recurring insights emerged:

People are often reluctant to engage—due to anxiety, ambivalence, or anger.
Public consultation is frequently perceived as performative rather than impactful.
Policy communication is abstract, wordy, and overwhelming, especially for those without formal education or digital fluency.
Many experience consultation fatigue, feeling bombarded with requests for input that rarely lead to visible change.
There’s a desire for clearer, quicker, and more relevant ways to have a say—especially on local and everyday issues.