Workshop Alchemy: How Scenario Notes Power Better Design

If you know me, you know I never recycle a workshop. Every session is built from scratch because every group, every project, every challenge deserves its own approach. But here’s my best-kept secret: I keep every single scenario note. Not to rerun the same script, but to examine what worked, what surprised me, and what I’d tweak next time. These dozens of notes are my personal workshop lab; they help me test out new variations on activities, timing, and even outcomes, making each experience more effective.

First of all, what's a scenario note?

The scenario note is a key planning tool I use before running any collaborative event like a workshop. It’s where I capture not just the what, but the how and why behind the session design. Typically, it includes things like logistics, clear goals, intended outcomes, a profile of the participants, and a detailed annotated agenda. It’s all the specifics: the location, the structure, the flow of activities, timing for each step, the materials needed, and the instructions that help participants engage and understand what’s expected. In short, it pulls together the entire design and structure in one place to make sure the session runs smoothly and purposefully.

Documentation is Customization

For me, the scenario note isn’t just a list of what’s supposed to happen. It’s the engine behind truly tailored design. The note documents all the decisions I make as I work backward from desired outcomes: clarifying the gaps in knowledge, figuring out which activity will unlock that missing insight, and mapping out the flow that supports each group’s unique context.

I never copy-paste old agendas. But I review past scenario notes to spark new workshop ideas, test out improvements and changes, and remind myself why a certain activity landed (or totally flopped). It’s about remixing, not repeating.

Evolving Practice Through Reflection

After the workshop wraps up, I can use the scenario note as the blueprint for a future session by considering:

• Did we actually meet the goals we set?

• Did we close those knowledge gaps or spark new ones?

• Did the activities deliver what the group needed or does the format need a rethink before next time?

• Was there enough space and time in the flow to allow for creativity, discussion and to produce the desired outcomes?

My workshop design approach keeps evolving, built on lessons learned, not just intuition. And that means every new workshop starts from a higher baseline because it’s informed by lived experience, not by guesswork.

I believe that the more you annotate, reflect, and refine, the stronger your sessions get and the more you’re able to deliver on what really matters for your clients and participants.

Download a sample scenario note

I’ve put together a sample scenario note (a resource I usually share with Workshop Workshop participants) that you can explore as a newsletter subscriber. Download it and steal whatever’s useful for your own practice.