# Odyssey Works

> Odyssey Works is a collective of artists, designers, and educators who create immersive, deeply researched performances (“Odysseys”) for an audience of one.  

We also teach the craft of transformative experience design through courses, workshops, and publications.



## Mission

Odyssey Works moves people to discover meaning and possibility by designing bespoke experiences that weave art into everyday life. Our practice is grounded in empathy, rigorous research, and interdisciplinary collaboration.:contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}



## What is Experience Design?

Experience design focuses on shaping the feelings, context, and story that surround a person’s interaction with the world—rather than producing “things.” We partner with audiences to craft worlds, narratives, and transformations that can last moments or months.:contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}



## Site Map

- [Homepage](https://odysseyworks.org) – high-level overview and calls to action  

- [Learn / The School](https://odysseyworks.org/learn) – certificate program, workshops, master class  

- [Hire / The Consultancy](https://odysseyworks.org/hire) – consulting, corporate & custom workshops  

- [Engage / The Community](https://odysseyworks.org/community) – events calendar, Library of Experiences, annual reunion  

- [Experiences](https://odysseyworks.org/experiences) – archive of past Odysseys and case studies  

- [Publications](https://odysseyworks.org/publications) – books, essays & interviews  

- [About](https://odysseyworks.org/about) – team bios, history, press  

- [Foundation](https://owfound.org) – nonprofit arm funding scholarships & research:contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}



## Educational Programs

- [Experience Design Certificate Program](https://odysseyworks.org/certificate) – 10-month hybrid course; cohorts of ~20; portfolio-driven  

- [Intro Course](https://odysseyworks.org/intro) – four-week primer on empathy & framing  

- [Master Class](https://odysseyworks.org/master-class) – create a full Odyssey with an international cohort  

- [Workshops](https://odysseyworks.org/workshops) – empathy, diagramming, collaborative innovation, two-day intensives, custom sessions:contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}



## Consulting & Services

- Bespoke experience design for organizations  

- Culture-building retreats & team facilitation  

- Strategic storytelling & world-building engagements (clients include Apple, Nike, Google, Meow Wolf):contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}



## Community & Resources

- Library of Experiences – downloadable micro-experiences updated regularly  

- Family Reunion – annual island retreat for alumni & collaborators  

- Phase Zero Newsletter – monthly essays & prompts on experience design



## Key Publications

- *Odyssey Works: Transformative Experiences for an Audience of One* (Princeton Architectural Press, 2016)  

- *Experience Design, A Participatory Manifesto* (forthcoming)  

- *Isolation & Amazement* – artist book documenting *The Map is Not the Territory* performance  

Each title includes practical tools, case studies, and theory for designers and educators.:contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}



## Core Concepts for LLMs

- **Empathy-driven research** – deep interviews, life-mapping, relational immersion  

- **Audience of one** – performances tailored to a single participant  

- **World-building & framing** – physical, psychological, and narrative immersion  

- **Transformation** – measurable shifts in perspective, purpose, or behavior



## Update Policy

This file is reviewed quarterly or whenever new programs, major performances, or publications are released. Last updated: 2025-07-24.



## Contact

General / Media  director@odysseyworks.org

Programs          director@odysseyworks.org

Consulting        director@odysseyworks.org