Great Destinations Start with Story

Featuring insights from Blake Ryan

Partner, Storyland Studios

Every city, organization, or community has a story, one ripe for imagining what could be next. The story’s already there, it’s woven in history, people, and culture. The question isn’t whether a story exists. It’s whether anyone has listened for it.

At Storyland Studios, that’s where we start. Not with blueprints, not with renderings, not with a list of amenities a site should have. We start by listening. We explore what a place or organization means to the people who live or work there. What do they want it to become? What are they aspiring to achieve? What are the stories that are just waiting to be told? That process of co-creation is at the heart of how we imagine alongside our clients. It’s also what separates a destination that truly resonates with its context from one that simply exists.

The Gap Between Vision and Expression

When we begin co-creating a new destination, our clients often have a vision, but they haven’t always defined the vocabulary to express it. They know something special is possible; they can feel it. But translating that feeling into a unified plan, one that connects with residents, attracts visitors, and speaks a cohesive message across every touchpoint; that’s where things can become difficult for our clients.

“Sometimes there’s a lack of an expressed story that connects people to raw amenities,” says Blake Ryan, Partner at Storyland Studios. “We help people see something in a resource that others aren’t catching. We bring a visual vocabulary to that so it can be expressed.”

At Storyland, we help our partners move from a spark of desire, a sense that something more is possible, into a fully realized vision with the narrative backbone to support it. We achieve this through our BlueSky process – live sketching and collaborative workshops which give shape to ideas that hadn’t been articulated before.

Story as Strategy

Story is the foundation we discover with our clients, the organizing principle that informs every decision, from site planning and architecture to brand development and digital presence. A strong story acts as a filter: every design choice, every material, every guest experience gets measured against it. We ask, does this serve the story? Does it deepen the connection between this place and the people who will experience it?

We’ve seen this firsthand working with the City of Lake Elsinore on Launch Pointe. By taking time to listen to the City’s history, understand its aspirations, and learn about its desire to be known as the action sports capital of the world, we were able to co-create a brand, a physical environment, and a digital presence that all spoke with one voice. We didn’t arrive with the vision for Launch Pointe, they already knew they wanted a renewed site. What we helped them do was uncover the story that would bring their vision to life in a way that was tangible, relatable, and accessible.

The result didn’t just serve visitors. It shifted how residents thought about their own community; it changed the conversation. It earned trust, both from the people who live there and from City leadership. The City had a great destination, a fantastic brand, and a digital presence that spoke their authentic story. Suddenly there was momentum, evidence that placemaking works. The community started to believe in what the future holds for Lake Elsinore.

“We’re actually helping build the need,” Blake explains. “They don’t know what could be until it’s built, then they can’t imagine living without it.”

One Story, Every Platform

One of the most common pitfalls in destination development is fragmentation. The architecture says one thing, the brand says another. The website feels disconnected from the on-site experience. Fragmentation results in a place with multiple personalities, with none of them sticking.

Because Storyland Studios operates across disciplines, from architecture and landscape architecture to brand strategy, digital experiences, and interactive media, we’re able to carry a single story through every platform and every touchpoint. We think of it as layers of storytelling: the spatial story told by the built environment, the strategic story told through brand, and the interactive story told through digital and immersive experiences. When all three align, you get something powerful. A destination that is intentional, cohesive, and alive.

This isn’t just a creative preference. It’s a real, practical advantage for our partners. Instead of coordinating between a branding agency, an architecture firm, a web developer, and a landscape architect, each interpreting the vision differently, our clients get a single team stewarding the story from dream to dedication.

A Partner for What’s Next

Every community and organization has potential waiting to be tapped. Maybe it’s a waterfront that’s ready for its next chapter. Maybe it’s a downtown district on the verge of reinvention. Whatever it looks like, the starting point is the same: a willingness to explore what story could be told.

Our role isn’t to arrive with a prepackaged solution. It’s to come alongside our partners, listen deeply, and help them articulate a vision that’s authentic to who they are and where they’re headed. From there, we bring our creative firepower to make it real. And because our BlueSky work is designed to be accessible, communities and organizations can explore what’s possible before committing to the full scope of development. It’s a cost-effective way to test a vision and build confidence before ground is ever broken.

“It really starts with vision, and then it comes to life as story. Those are two things we come alongside our clients in and develop well,” Blake says.

The best destinations in the world didn’t happen by accident. They started with a unique idea for a place that others hadn’t imagined yet, brought to life through perseverance, creativity, and passion. That’s the work we love, and that’s the adventure we’re ready to take on with you.

About Blake Ryan

Blake Ryan is a Principal at Storyland Studios. Over nearly two decades of service, Blake has helped to shape a standout culture at Storyland, while working alongside notable clients such as The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Salesforce, SoFi Stadium, and World Vision. As an entrepreneurial leader, he champions vision, culture, creative innovation, and collaboration.