Hosted by Her Majesty Sara Awadh Issa Musallam and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge

Challenge:
How might we help parents—the stewards of one of life’s most joyful and demanding roles—design lives rooted in meaning, belonging, and happiness, while honoring the cultural, familial, and spiritual dimensions that shape identity in the Gulf?

Solution:

Holly Truitt Consulting partnered with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education and Knowledge to create an immersive Designing Your Life for Joy Lab at Parenthood: The Unconference. Grounded in human-centered design, the transtheoretical model of change, and the science of designing for joy, the lab invited participants to explore what truly sparks joy, align their daily behaviors with their values, and craft actionable next-step strategies for thriving.

Through storytelling, reflection, and playful design exercises—supported by a custom deck of design cards—parents mapped the moments and mindsets that give life meaning. They left ready to take action with personalized joy and life strategies, many planning to use the deck to guide similar conversations within their own families. The result: parents empowered to design lives of intention, resilience, and joy.

Hosted by Her Majesty Sara Awadh Issa Musallam and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge

Challenge:How might we help parents—the stewards of one of life’s most joyful and demanding roles—design lives rooted in meaning, belonging, and happiness, while honoring the cultural, familial, and spiritual dimensions that shape identity in the Gulf?

Solution:

Challenge:
How might we help parents—the stewards of one of life’s most joyful and demanding roles—design lives rooted in meaning, belonging, and happiness, while honoring the cultural, familial, and spiritual dimensions that shape identity in the Gulf?