Critical discussions within the field of instructional design have addressed the roles and competencies of designers, as well as the nature of design work per se. This article presents an overarching metaphor--namely, instructional design as a journey into the unfamiliar--that views design as a two-fold learning enterprise (i.e., innovative and maintenance learning) and characterizes designers as sojourner-learners. This metaphor places instructional design in a narrative context and emphasizes designers, rather than formalisms, as the primary drivers of the design process. The article then presents several implications of this metaphor related to the identity and innovative practices of designers in the field. Finally, the article suggests that this metaphor can serve as a framework for inquiries into everyday instructional design work, examinations of innovative design practices, and further discussion of the respective roles of instructional designers and design formalisms.