Frankly™ is an open-source online video-based discourse platform designed to facilitate constructive dialogue and collaborative decision-making across and within diverse groups.
Our vision is to build a world where the practice of constructive dialogue is the norm—where diverse perspectives catalyze innovative solutions, rather than deepen societal divides. To realize this vision, we’re not only developing the platform ourselves but also open-sourcing its code, to enable a global community to expand and adapt this framework.
The project is operated by Harvard’s Applied Social Media Lab at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. It is co-developed with Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, founder of Creative Commons, Deliberations.us and Equal Citizens.
Vision
To build a world where the practice of constructive dialogue is the norm, and where diverse perspectives catalyze innovative solutions, rather than deepen societal divides.
Goals
This project aims to make constructive discourse accessible, adaptable, and scalable by
- Redesigning our platform to be intuitive and adaptable, with easy-to-use templates for various events and organizations
- Embracing open collaboration through open source global contributors
- Collaborating with leading practitioners to ensure our platform embodies best practices in facilitating constructive conversations.
Why This Matters
Frankly provides communities with a trusted online space for structured dialogue, helping groups move beyond polarization toward understanding and collaborative problem-solving. This platform aims to address the shortage of cost-effective tools for virtual collaboration and decision-making. Platforms like Zoom are not natively built for structured engagement. Frankly offers unique features that can help organizations provide sustainable and impactful programming.
“Social media has given us the tools to scream at each other. What we need now is better tools to talk to each other, constructively and with patience. Frankly is our contribution to that social need. And by open sourcing the code, we invite community builders everywhere—from schools to churches to local towns and national political parties—to take our code and build upon it. Here is a platform you can trust will be there for you, because it is licensed freely and forever.”
—Professor Lawrence Lessig
How It Works
Through video-based discussions, Frankly fosters inclusive participation designed to drive collective problem-solving, ensuring that every voice is heard and equitably represented. Organizers create events on Frankly and invite community members to register. Participants then engage in video-based discussions in balanced breakouts with integrated discussion guides and deliberative tools.
Integrated Discussion Guides: Facilitate discussions with structured, unified agendas embedded directly within the platform environment.
Flexible Facilitation Options: Offer hosted or hostless events for various meeting styles and participant preferences.
Deliberative Tools: Gather feedback and crowdsource solutions collaboratively.
Intelligent Group Matching: Automatically create balanced breakout rooms to ensure a variety of perspectives and foster meaningful discussions.
Who Can Benefit
Frankly enables communities to talk, listen, understand, and solve—together. It serves as a versatile platform to facilitate various forms of structured dialogue and group deliberation, from team meetings and town halls to policy deliberations. Here are a few of the communities served:
- Corporations
- Civic Organizations and Community Groups
- Government Agencies and Policy-makers
- Educational Institutions and Student Organizations
- Non-profit Organizations and Advocacy Groups
Get Involved
If you’re a software engineer passionate about building tools for democracy, check out our Want to help? issue to get started on contributing to our open source.
If your community could benefit from Frankly, please email hello@frankly.org to request access to our closed beta.
Team
Additional Partners
Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador-at-large