I’m Sam Hankins, a product design leader who builds digital experiences that bring people together and make communities stronger. My work lives at the intersection of design, trust, and technology creating tools that help people connect safely, meaningfully, and with purpose.
Designing Products That Foster Community
I specialize in community focused products: platforms that balance user needs, product goals, and the messy, human realities that come with both. My design leadership centers on collaboration: working side by side with engineers, product managers, and researchers to move fast, test ideas, and build with intention.
Over the past decade, I’ve led design and research for products like Coral, the community engagement platform used by publishers including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine. I’ve helped teams launch new formats, rethink editorial workflows, and design safer spaces for public conversation. The through line in all of it: helping people feel seen, heard, and connected.
My Collaborative and Research-Driven Approach to Design
I believe great design starts with curiosity and trust. I’m at my best in environments where design, engineering, and product collaborate as equals, where research and experimentation guide the process, not slow it down. I value progress over perfection, context over ego, and clear communication above all.
How Education and Law Shape My Design Philosophy
Before design, I worked in education and law: fields that taught me how structure and empathy can coexist. Law school trained me to think critically about systems: who they serve, who they exclude, and how design decisions can shape that balance. Working in education reminded me that access and belonging aren’t side effects of good design; they’re the point.
That blend of rigor and care shows up in everything I do. Whether it’s moderating online conversations, designing tools for underrepresented communities, or building features for trust and safety, my work is driven by one question
How do we make digital spaces feel more human?
Committing to Community Beyond Design
I mentor designers from nontraditional backgrounds, advise LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC led nonprofits, and collaborate with teams that want to build products with heart. Community isn’t just what I design for; it’s how I work.
If you’re building something meant to connect people, challenge norms, or create belonging, I’d love to help you bring it to life.