WHAT IS the EGM FRAMEWORK?
Evolutionary Guidance Media (EGM) is the foundational model behind STORIENT™ used for designing immersive, ethically grounded, and impact-driven media. Developed by Dr. Dana Klisanin and grounded in systems science, psychology, and futures studies, EGM supports creators in aligning their work with personal, social, and planetary well-being.
Whether you're developing a game, storyworld, app, or immersive experience, the EGM Framework provides a roadmap for integrating values-driven innovation into your creative process.
Designing Media that Guides Human Evolution
THE EGM FRAMEWORK
Designing Media That Shapes the Future
The Evolutionary Guidance Media (EGM) Framework is the foundation of our approach to immersive, ethical, and impact-driven storytelling. Created by futurist and psychologist Dr. Dana Klisanin, the framework brings together psychology, systems theory, media ethics, and futures thinking to guide the conscious design of transformative technologies and narratives.
First introduced in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology (2005), the EGM Framework has evolved through peer-reviewed publications in:
Futures (Elsevier) – expanding EGM to digital and ethical design
Journal of Integral Theory and Practice – introducing the EGM-Integral Framework, integrating Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory (2010)
Journal of Futures Studies – refining EGM for foresight and systems communication (2012)
RGD Design Educators Conference – applying EGM principles to media and design education (2016)
A Framework for Ethical Innovation & Immersive Design
The EGM Framework provides a multidimensional roadmap for designing content, campaigns, and technologies that promote:
Ethical engagement
Psychological development
Environmental & Technological responsibility
It serves creators working across storytelling, game design, immersive experiences, and educational platforms—supporting deeper audience connection, future-conscious innovation, and positive cultural impact.
A Simple but Radical Question:
Can the stories we tell—and the technologies we build—guide our evolution rather than disrupt it?
At EGM, we believe the answer is yes.
And the EGM Framework helps make it possible.
Core Dimensions of the EGM Framework
Multidimensional Design
Considers personal, cultural, societal, and planetary levels of impact.
Informed by Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory (quadrants + levels of development).
Spiral of Intentionality
A developmental lens that helps creators clarify the purpose and impact of their media—whether it’s meant to inform, entertain, inspire, heal, or transform.
Ethics by Design
Encourages the conscious inclusion of values like empathy, compassion, digital altruism, ecological awareness, and collaborative heroism.
Biophilic & Sensory Integration
Brings together immersive aesthetics and biophilic design principles to foster deeper emotional and embodied engagement.
WHERE IT’s APPLIED
Used by Creators, Developers, and Educators Across Sectors
The EGM Framework has shaped projects across industries, including:
Interactive storytelling and transmedia campaigns
Educational platforms with gamified learning
Immersive media and Experiential sensory storytelling
Narrative architecture for experiential entertainment
Corporate and Nonprofit storytelling with ethical innovation goals
While much of our work is protected under NDA, the principles of EGM are embedded in our collaborations with leading brands and mission-driven organizations.
relationship to STORIENT™
From Philosophy to Practice
The EGM Framework is the intellectual foundation of STORIENT™, a proprietary tool we use in consulting and IP development. It transforms the abstract into actionable design, guiding everything from character arcs to campaign strategy to audience engagement.