Designing & measuring mental strength and community culture in the wild .
Wild Implementations: Spreading Mental Strength and Wellness Everywhere for Everyone
I’m Nic Sams, a Research & Design Consultant and PhD student in Human-Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington. My work bridges design, research, and lived experience to build tools, cultures, and technologies that support mental strength and community resilience, especially for youth and emerging adults.
With over 20 years of experience leading high-impact projects in extreme and everyday settings—from oceanographic research vessels to school sports teams—I specialize in designing and measuring mental health in “wild” environments: places where traditional care models don’t reach, but where emotional endurance, identity development, and collective care thrive.
Design Research Strategies for developing resilent futures
I co-create and lead community and youth-driven advisory boards, trauma-informed design frameworks, and develop narrative-based technology & non-tech interventions grounded in science, design, ethics, and culture. My collaborations have supported global mental health projects, youth mental health communities, athletes, non-profit leaders, educators, and engineers in shaping stronger, safer ecosystems for growth.
Whether you’re looking to evaluate community culture, design participatory mental health programs, or measure the invisible strengths that help young people thrive—I offer creative, evidence-based strategies that move ideas from intuition to implementation.
Let’s build something RAD together.
“The way you asked questions helped me feel safe to share about my real experiences and who I really am”
—Research Participant UW L.I.F.E Measure.