What Can We Learn from Designers About Navigating Our Work Lives?

From Skepticism to Practice: My First Encounter with Designing Your Life

Some time after I read yet another debate about whether design thinking is dead or just another business buzzword, I came across a book titled Designing Your Life by Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.

My first reaction was: Seriously? Design… your LIFE?

I was first trained in design thinking at INSEAD in 2016, as part of a strategy execution program. That experience shifted how leaders in the room thought about innovation. Since then, I’ve used design thinking to build globally implemented leadership development programs and in various HR projects – especially in situations where data was limited and clarity had to be created, not found. 

So the idea of applying design thinking beyond product design wasn’t new to me.

But designing life? 

That felt a bit pretentious, I must admit.

Still, I gave it a chance. And I’m glad I did.

Work-life Design Team

Using the DYL tools, I allowed myself to imagine a worklife and a career I hadn’t seriously considered before. I kept prototypes small and practical. I tested ideas instead of overthinking them. Over time, I didn’t create “the perfect life.” I created versions of my life that feel more like my life – where work is meaningful, but not the whole story.

I let the approach pass the test of time before bringing it into my work with others.

What Is Designing Your Life?

Origins at Stanford University

The Designing Your Life methodology emerged from one of the most popular elective courses at Stanford University. Professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, both from Stanford’s d.school, began teaching students how to apply design thinking principles to career and life decisions. The course quickly gained traction because it addressed a real gap: high-achieving students struggling with uncertainty about what comes next.

The approach was later expanded beyond the university setting and supported by academic research showing measurable positive effects on clarity, decision-making confidence, and the ability to navigate career uncertainty.

At its core, the idea is simple: when you don’t have a clear answer, prototype your way forward instead of trying to think your way into certainty.

Why This Approach Resonated With Me

Revisiting Your POV and Behavioral Patterns

This perspective also connects with my ongoing education in Organizational Transactional Analysis, according to which we make some early decisions in life that impact our behavior and work-life as well. As adults, we are capable of revisiting those decisions, examining the options available to us, and choosing to act from our autonomous principles.

At work, we often replicate relational and behavioral patterns that we adopted much earlier, at a time when we did not yet have the capacities or information we have today. That is why it is valuable to consciously examine our approach to work as a part of life and design it in a way that fits us more intentionally.

DYL tools and exercises integrate very naturally with this perspective. Instead of staying stuck in internal narratives, we test alternatives in small, low-risk ways. My coaching has always started from the bigger picture – purpose, values, long-term direction. DYL added concrete tools for exploration and prototyping.

Why I Decided to Integrate DYL into My Coaching Practice

Before integrating it into my practice, I tested the approach locally. During a webinar on goal-setting that I delivered just before New Year, I experimented with several DYL exercises. The response was strong. People appreciated the structure and the permission to explore multiple options instead of forcing a single “right” answer or making New Year’s resolutions that fade before spring.

The certification process itself also mattered to me. The structure – prework videos, assignments, and the two books (Designing Your Life and Designing Your Work Life) – is, in my view, an example of a well-designed flipped classroom program that truly enables coaches to add DYL to their practice.

It confirmed that this has nothing to do with motivational pep talks, building the best version of yourself, or forcing toxic positivity. It is a structured framework grounded in design thinking and tested in educational and professional settings.

Most importantly, the philosophy aligns with my own.

I strongly believe work is an important part of life – not only because it provides income and financial stability. It can bring meaning, growth, and impact. But it should not quietly take over the whole picture. We don’t need to organize our entire life around work. We can design work so that it supports the life and values we want to live.

How I Work With the DYL Methodology

Designing Your Life is used by coaches, career counselors, HR professionals, and mental health practitioners as an addition to their expertise. In my case, it complements my work with professionals who want to improve how their work life fits into their overall life.

This is not therapy, and it is not generic life coaching. It is a structured way to apply design thinking to career questions and transitions.

I currently offer:

DYL 1:1 Coaching

Bi-weekly 60-minute sessions over 3–6 months.

DYL Coaching Circle

A small group (4–6 participants), six 90-minute sessions, bi-weekly. The group functions as a design team.

Both formats are available online or in person.

Is This Approach for You?

This approach may be relevant if you:

• feel stuck or frustrated with your current career direction

• sense that your role no longer reflects what you stand for

• are considering a career transition or job change but lack clarity about the next step

• feel professionally successful, yet internally uncertain about what comes next

• want to explore a wider range of possibilities for your work-life

• find yourself overthinking decisions instead of moving forward

If this way of thinking about work resonates with you, you can find more information on my coaching page.