Designing Transformation: How Experience Changes People | Claus Raasted and Paul Bulencea, Revisited

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Most organizations approach change as something to manage. A new strategy, a new structure, a new set of goals. But what if real transformation doesn’t come from plans or policies, but from experiences that change how people see themselves and each other? Claus Raasted and Paul Bulencea design those kinds of experiences. Through the College of Extraordinary Experiences, they bring together people from very different worlds and immerse them in something unfamiliar, often uncomfortable, and deeply human. The goal isn’t just learning. It’s transformation.

In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss what it means to design for transformation, why difficulty is often a necessary part of growth, and how leaders can create the conditions for meaningful change inside organizations.

Claus Raasted is an experience designer and entrepreneur known for his work in live-action role-play and organizational transformation.

Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator focused on creating co-creative, transformational experiences.

In this episode, Dart, Claus, and Paul discuss:
- What makes an experience truly transformative
- Why discomfort is often required for real growth
- How immersive design changes how people think and behave
- Why traditional learning often fails to create lasting change
- What leaders get wrong about driving transformation
- How environment and context shape human behavior
- The difference between entertainment and transformation
- How to design experiences people carry back into work
- Why transformation can’t be forced
- And other topics…

Claus Raasted is a Danish entrepreneur, speaker, and experience designer. He is a pioneer in live-action role-play and has authored more than 40 books. His work focuses on mindset change, leadership, and designing experiences that drive behavioral transformation.

Paul Bulencea is an experience designer, author, and educator working at the intersection of innovation and transformation. He has collaborated with organizations including IKEA and Google to design co-creative experiences, and is co-founder of the College of Extraordinary Experiences. He holds a master’s degree in Innovation in Tourism from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences.

Together, Claus and Paul co-founded the College of Extraordinary Experiences, a five-day immersive program that brings together people from around the world to explore transformation through lived experience.

Resources Mentioned:
World Experience Organization: https://worldxo.org/
London Experience Week: https://londonexperienceweek.com/
College of Extraordinary Experiences: https://www.extraordinary.college/

Connect with Claus and Paul:
https://www.clausraasted.com/
https://de.linkedin.com/in/paulbulencea
https://dk.linkedin.com/in/clausraasted

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.