Stop designing for generations. Design for life.

For a while there—say, ten years ago—everyone was all about targeting Millennials. They were the hot audience. Every marketing and visitor experience strategy revolved around understanding their habits, interests, and needs. Fast forward to today, and suddenly, it’s all about Gen Z. Millennials? Barely mentioned. What happened?

This shift raises an important question: were we ever truly targeting Millennials, or were we just targeting young adults? If Millennials were important then but aren’t important now, there’s a good chance it wasn’t about the Millennials at all—it was about the life stage they happened to occupy at the time.

Parisian millennials are fabulous.

Cohort vs. Life Stage: What’s the Difference?

A cohort remains a cohort. Boomers will be Boomers until they go to Boomer heaven. Millennials are aging from young adults into (broadly speaking) young families. Gen Z are the young adults now—for the moment. In another decade, they’ll have moved into the next life stage, and the next batch of young adults will take their place.

Life stages, on the other hand, remain constant. There will always be young adults, though the actual individuals in that category change over time. The same goes for middle agers and seniors. What it means to be in each of these life stages shifts slightly with cultural and technological changes, but the core needs and motivations within those stages are fairly predictable. Young adults, for example, are often in a phase of exploration, self-discovery, risk-taking, and social bonding. Middle-aged people tend to focus more on stability, career, and family. Seniors are often interested in legacy, leisure, and health.

So when organizations say, “We need to connect with Generation Z,” are they really interested in that specific cohort’s characteristics? Or do they just want to capture people in their young adult years before they transition out of that stage?

Why It Matters for Visitor Experience Planning

This isn’t just a semantic debate. Misunderstanding the difference between cohort and life stage can lead to strategic missteps. I see it all the time: a client declares, “We’re pivoting to Gen Z! All about Gen Z!” But when I dig deeper, what they really mean is that they want to engage young adults. They just happen to be calling them Gen Z right now.

Focusing too much on generational labels can make organizations reactive rather than strategic. If you build an entire experience around Gen Z’s supposed preferences—say, short-form video, gamification, and TikTok-style engagement—you might find that your next wave of young adults doesn’t respond the same way. Instead of designing for a transient generational identity, it’s often more effective to design for the deeper motivations that come with the life stage.

When Cohort Does Matter

That’s not to say cohort is irrelevant. Generations do experience formative events that shape their attitudes and behaviours. Boomers, for example, were shaped by the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the radical shifts in social norms of the 1960s and ‘70s. Gen X were shaped by being the latch-key generation, with both parents preoccupied elsewhere during formative years. Millennials grew up with the rise of the internet, the 2008 financial crisis, and the expansion of social media. These experiences leave lasting impressions that influence how different generations approach work, socializing, and leisure.

But generational characteristics can also be overstated. Gen X aren’t nearly as hardened as the endless TikTok’s suggest; Millennials still have a lot of youthful energy though social media likes to portray them as becoming comically sedentary.

And here’s the point: the idea that Millennials were fundamentally different from previous generations when they were young adults is exaggerated. Every generation, when young, has tended to be more progressive, more socially connected, and more open to new experiences than they will be later in life. Some of what we attribute to cohort differences may simply be life stage effects.

Practical Takeaways

So how do you apply this insight when planning visitor experiences? Here are a few guiding principles:

Start with life stage needs. Instead of asking, “What does Gen Z want?” ask, “What do young adults need from this experience?” Are they looking for social engagement? Adventure? A sense of identity? For many of us, that’s as deep as we need to go.
Identify lasting cohort influences. Some generational traits will stick. Millennials, for example, are likely to carry their digital-first habits forward as they age. But be cautious of trends that may fade with time. And be cautious with stereotypes that emerge through pop culture.
Think beyond buzzwords. If you find yourself saying, “We need to appeal to Gen Z,” push deeper. What exactly do you mean by that? What specific needs are you addressing?
Design for adaptability. Instead of tailoring everything to one generational identity, build flexibility into your visitor experience so it can evolve as new waves of young adults, say, come through.

The Bigger Picture

Chasing generational trends is tempting. There’s always a new audience to capture, and there’s a certain comfort in having a label like “Gen Z” to guide decision-making. But if you want a more sustainable and effective approach, start with the predictable patterns of life stages.

That way, when the industry inevitably shifts its focus to Gen Alpha or whatever label comes next, you won’t have to overhaul your entire strategy. You’ll already be ahead of the game, designing experiences that meet people where they are—no matter what year they were born.

Hey does this kind of writing tickle your brain? Sign up for monthly goodness from donenright.com.

Wanna see what past newsletters look like? Clickity click.