Designing Your Life Book Summary

Book Summary

15 min

Audio available

Brief Summary

Designers proactively identify problems and keep an open mind while brainstorming and prototyping all possible solutions. They understand that success is not a finite goal, so they embrace failure as a necessary part of the process of learning and growing. By embracing the five key mindsets for designers, individuals can reframe the problems in their life and proactively design their future. They should reflect and evaluate the four key areas of their life to understand where they should focus their time and energy to improve, and they should use a Good Time Journal to help them understand where they should direct their future. They will experience more happiness and fulfillment by pursuing the activities that they find makes them feel energized, engaged, and happy.

About the Author

Dave Evans is a Management Consultant and a Lecturer in the Product Design Program at Stanford University. He is also a co-founder and the first VP of Talent at Electronic Arts. Previously, he worked at Apple. He earned a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and holds a graduate diploma in Contemplative Spirituality from San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Bill Burnett is an Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the Executive Director of the Design Program at Stanford University. He serves on the board of multiple internet start-up companies, including the high fashion start-up VOZ. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Product Design from Stanford University.

Topics

Self Development

Designing Your Life Book Summary Preview

What You’ll Learn

How to use a Good Time Journal to assess which activities you should pursue and which activities should be eliminated in your life
The most effective ways to network and seek out new career opportunities
Why failure is not a negative thing but is an essential part of the learning process

Who Is This For

People hoping to use a design mindset to improve the four key areas of their life
Individuals looking to find a better way to balance their personal and professional lives
Anyone who is struggling to design a map for their future

Key Insights

Thinking like a designer can help anyone improve their life. The design mindset means proactively identifying problems, and seeking out the best solution by devising and testing prototypes until the best one is uncovered. Designers embrace failure because they understand it is an important part of the learning process and will ultimately lead them to the best possible solution.

Thinking like a designer also means focusing on the right questions. Designers can reframe seemingly impossible questions in a way that presents multiple possible answers, and then they test their theories out. People can apply this practice in their own life by evaluating and tracking the four key areas of their life - work, play, health, and love - to understand what is going well and where they can improve. They can also utilize a Good Time Journal to identify which activities in their life bring them energy and positivity, and which tasks should be eliminated. Once people identify areas where they need to change, they should ensure they are using their time effectively, continuously track their progress, and reach out to learn from others who are successful in their field. Most importantly, they should take the time to brainstorm, test multiple prototypes, and never be afraid of failure.

Designers Proactively Address Problems

Designers have a unique perspective on the world. One of their most important skills is their ability to reframe questions. While many people get bogged down by misconceptions and dysfunctional beliefs, designers are able to reframe the problem in a way that best enables them to come up with the best solutions. They study the problem, brainstorm, and use prototypes to determine the best solution.

Designers do not avoid problems, but rather proactively identify them and seek out innovative solutions. Similarly, the best way for individuals to be successful is for them to address their life’s problems proactively, and not let themselves become bogged down by emotion or dismiss problems as mere inconveniences. The key to designing the right solutions is identifying the right problems to solve.

Many people get hung up on trying to solve the wrong problems. There are two general types of problems people will face in their lives. The first type is called gravity problems, and they do not have solutions. The second type is anchor problems, which can be solved. While many times, people get stuck on these problems for so long that they can seem impossible, anchor problems do have solutions.

According to Stanford University professor...