On-site research evaluating community experience in one context — space evaluation, at-event research, or post-program listening. Delivers a concise findings document with three prioritized recommendations.
The marks people leave without knowing.
Helping arts and cultural organizations strengthen community engagement and produce the impact evidence that makes grant applications competitive.
Human Experience Research
The Work
The community engagement evidence
The community engagement evidence
your grants require.
Arts and cultural organizations pour everything into their programming. But when funders ask for documented community impact evidence, most organizations don't have real data to point to.
The Felt Project goes in, observes, and talks to real community members — producing findings that are honest, specific, and actionable.
A focused research sprint answering one specific question about how your audience experiences your organization. Eight to ten community interviews, field observation, and a findings report that strengthens grant applications.
Comprehensive research covering your organization's full audience experience. 15–25 community interviews, field observation, findings report, journey map, and Brand Sensing document. The most complete community impact documentation available.
Ongoing research partnership providing continuous insight into how your community experiences your organization. Monthly field visits, a "What I'm Noticing" briefing, and a quarterly synthesis report serving directly as grant evaluation documentation.
The Approach
Presence over process.
The Felt Project is grounded in showing up — to the space, to the events, to the places your community goes when they're not with you.
People tell the truth with their behavior before they tell it with their words. And they tell a neutral outside researcher things they would never say directly to the organization.
That's the research.
Who this is for
Organizations that believe what they do matters.
The Felt Project works with arts and cultural organizations that exist not for profit, but because they believe in what culture and human presence can do for people.
For organizations seeking grants, this research is the community impact evidence that makes applications competitive.
- Arts and cultural organizations
- Galleries and museums
- Community nonprofits
- Third spaces and gathering places
About
Ashlyn Harris
I'm a human experience researcher based in the Hi-Desert of California, with seven years of experience studying the gap between what organizations intend and what people actually feel.
I work with arts and cultural organizations across the Morongo Basin and beyond — showing up in person, talking to real community members, and bringing back findings that are honest, specific, and worth acting on.
"Replenishing human attention through belonging."
Contact
Let's talk about your community.
If you're wondering what your community actually feels — and you're ready to find out — reach out. No pitch. Just genuine curiosity about your work.
ashlyn@thefeltproject.com