“Envisioning is about stepping through the portal of time to report back on the experience of a place that exists far in the future. It is about seeing the greatest potential of a plan on paper through the eyes of a future tenant, guest or admirer. It is a time to leave our comfort zone and explore the wildest reaches of our imaginations, before returning to the present with the ideas, intents and fodder to begin crafting a place of sincere timelessness.”

- Griffintown envisioning session prep document

Though they are becoming more and more common, envisioning sessions remain the territory of experienced organizations with concrete ideas as to the results they need and how to get them. Deeper than a charette and far more expansive than a focus group, an envisioning session is typically a two-day exercise that takes a group to the outer reaches of their imaginations in order to examine a place or brand from fresh angles and inspired perspectives. A good session will set aside a budget for influential guest speakers to participate and present innovative ideas on related topics, upon which sessioners can build the future experience of the project at hand. These can range from local historians, to designers, to trendhunters, to academics. Yet the key to a successful outcome - and a meaningful brand story to follow - is asking the right questions.

The ultimate goal of an envisioning session is to extract the core truths, experiential treasures and unique language that belong to the project alone. This is the basis from which a riveting, unforgettable, shareable and altogether galvanizing story can be written and told in every medium known to man.

After spending two years with the experts at ENVISIONING+STORYTELLING, I’ve learned a thing or two about envisioning, and storytelling. If you’d like to know more about how this process could help a new project or refresh a tired brand, write me.

A few images from the Griffintown envisioning session, August 21-22, 2009 in Montreal