Belonging is a human need, just like food or shelter. And today, as loneliness is reaching epidemic proportions, connection is more important than ever. Naomi Clare Crellin believes stories are at the heart of belonging, and as people move from storytelling to story sharing, a sense of belonging naturally arises among them. In event and experience design, creating that sense of belonging allows brands to better understand their audiences and create a sense of connection, which can have a dramatic impact on the bottom line.

EM: What was your impetus to launch Storycraft Lab?
Naomi Clare Crellin: I believe there are ways to bridge and connect our shared humanity and create a sense of belonging in the designed experience. Storycraft Lab's engagement strategies are grounded in the art and science of experiential design, where visitor-centered observation is a cornerstone of our research approach. This approach enables us to understand audience behaviors, needs, and motivations. And by studying how visitors interact with environments, we uncover actionable insights that shape meaningful and engaging experiences.

EM: How do you define belonging and why is it important in the realm of designed experience?
NC: Belonging is the feeling of security that arises when everyone in a group feels a sense of acceptance, inclusion, safety, and trust. It's an idea that's been around for a while, and there's lots of data that shows it's not just good for humans — it's good for business, too.

EM: Tell me about the data behind the idea that belonging is essential for business.
NC: Various business sources agree that fostering a sense of belonging within an organization improves productivity and positive development by unlocking individual potential and organizational growth. Belonging is tied to higher performance (56 percent), more recognition, and individual career growth, according to Forbes, while loneliness lowers organizational commitment and limits engagement. Interestingly, a full 40 percent of people say they feel isolated at work. Belonging is a key missing ingredient.

EM: Is centering belonging a completely new approach to design?
NC: Belonging being defined as a strategic goal and driver of intentional design and audience-centered thinking is relatively new. The idea of inclusion, of course, is not. But the notion of understanding inclusion as something that is experienced as a sense of belonging, something that we can design to create as a state of being — as opposed to fulfilling a set of codes or checklists — is a new development.

Research from valugraphics.com shows that belonging is the number one value in the United States, and according to further research, consumers are willing to pay 13 percent more for products and services that align with their values. Those who experience belonging with a brand or service are 167 percent more likely to recommend that service or product.

EM: How does your team help brands create this important sense of belonging with their audiences?
NC: We begin by understanding audience preferences. Then we use that to craft exhibit content that connects visitors to key messages, enhancing understanding and inclusion. Each element is designed with accessibility, readability, and emotional resonance in mind.

EM: How is the content developed?
NC: It is developed with clear and concise narratives that highlight key takeaways while leaving room for visitor interpretation. Our graphic design is really striking, with visuals that incorporate branding and exhibit themes. Purposefully designed text panels and signage ensure accessibility for all visitors and include multi-language support and universal design principles. We often test different approaches to storytelling with key stakeholders through focus groups and workshops.

EM: But it's not the storytelling that matters. Rather it's the story sharing.
NC: Yes. Both in understanding an audience and in engaging them in designed environments. When we transform storytelling into story sharing, it sparks a sense of belonging, and trust increases. We find our tribes. Story sharing also creates connection and empathy, leading to a sense of community.

EM: The Wheel of Belonging activation is an important visual tool. It's described as a “safe space” where belonging stories may be shared and data may be collected. How does it work?
NC: We began our research in summer 2021 and launched the Wheel of Belonging in early 2023. It was originally incubated within Google's Experience Institute, and it has most recently been integrated into a proprietary app. It identifies eight distinct pathways to belonging, helping to connect the dots between what people feel, think, and experience. As participants proceed through the touchpoints, they create their individual pathway to belonging. The pathways provide critical insights into how we can foster belonging among individuals and communities, and they help designers strategize toward intentional experiences. The Wheel encourages self-reflection, active listening, and mapping to gain insight into how one's story connects with others, and it may also be used as an internal measurement that helps an organization identify where they need to intervene.



EM: Storycraft Lab's portfolio includes workshops for teams to help create that sense of belonging within an organization. Can you tell me about them?
NC: Our workshops rolled out in 2024, and they are meant for leaders and teams, as well as designers, to build corporate culture and encourage an atmosphere in which all team members feel valued and motivated. The workshops assist in a variety of areas — from navigating organizational change to reducing turnover and its associated costs, from increasing innovation and productivity to improving problem-solving skills. We facilitate discussions and mine audience data in three primary areas: meaning, feeling, and magic, though there can be some overlap.

EM: Would you describe each area and its significance?
NC: Meaningful experiences leave a lasting impressiong. They're resonant. They prompt us to reflect and consider possibilities. They are applicable and actionable and empower us to innovate within existing practices, processes, and frames of reference. Feeling experiences are emotional and visceral and are felt and expressed. They connect us to the moment, to others, and to ourselves. And when shared with others, they become transcendent in their power to create belonging.

EM: And the magic?
NC: Magic is also known as transformation. These experiences produce a paradigm leap, a great reframing. They change our perspective and open our minds to new worlds and ways of being, resulting in changes of behavior, action, or trajectory. Then there are pathways, or the eight ladders, within each area that lead to belonging.

EM: Would you give some examples?
NC: Empowerment, for example, is a pathway of action and ignition, wherein a person seeks dialogue with like minds and becomes uniquely understood and ultimately empowered to act. We have found that leaders on the Freedom to Be pathway value small group conversations where concerns can be shared without repercussion to support new opportunities for innovation. Leaders on the Fulfillment & Joy pathway benefit from the ability to share their observations with other leaders and speculate on intended versus actual outcomes using scenario thinking.

These insights give us guidance into how we can better share our stories with these individuals to connect more deeply. And using the ladders to belonging as a way to provoke design thinking helps individuals and teams place the audience at the center of their design decisions and establish an empathic dialogue with those we design for.

EM: What does the future hold?
NC: We're launching dashboards that event planners can use to see collected data in real time, in addition to offering a time-sensitive post-event insight report. And, of course, AI will play a role in tailoring programs. The challenges we encounter in fostering belonging are not just obstacles — they are opportunities for meaningful change. E