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Dartmouth staff gathered in early September for hands-on “life design” training led by , co-author of the bestselling book Designing Your Life.

Sponsored by the , the multiday workshop invited participants to step into the role of learners—experimenting with design-thinking tools to help students, and themselves, navigate the questions of work, purpose, and possibility. 

Life design applies the principles of design thinking—curiosity, prototyping, reframing problems, and collaboration—to the challenge of building a fulfilling career and life. Rather than seeking a single “right” answer, the approach emphasizes creating multiple options, testing ideas through small steps, and drawing insight from reflection and community. 

At Dartmouth, the training is part of a broader effort to equip educators and advisers with tools to guide students through career exploration in an era of rapid change. 

An Interactive Studio Experience

The atmosphere in the “studio,” held in an interactive classroom in the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center, was intentionally lively and creative. Tables were set with colorful pens, notebooks, and Legos to spark imagination. Sessions opened with energizing warm-ups that got participants moving, laughing, and collaborating. 

Burnett, co-creator of , along with Mariel Rosic and Deepak Ramola, lecturers and fellows at the Life Design Lab, set the expectation that participants act as “learners first, educators later.”

By experiencing the curriculum as students themselves, participants gained firsthand perspective on the process of discovery. Activities ranged from writing and sharing personal “workviews” and “worldviews” to experimenting with problem re-reframing exercises that challenge assumptions and generate fresh solutions. 

Burnett emphasized that design is about empathy—understanding both oneself and the world around you. 

“This is a design class, not a philosophy class,” said Burnett. “It’s about asking, ‘how might I?’ and always creating more than one option. Never pick your first idea. The goal is to build a designer’s mindset by cultivating curiosity and human-centered design.”

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From left, Center for Career Design staff member Brandon Green, Mathias Machado from Human Resources, and Leyou Belayneh from Career Design take part in the life design training. (Photo by Robert Gill)

Participants explored practical strategies such as mapping their energy levels across a week, brainstorming alternative “odyssey” paths for their careers, and learning to identify and reframe “gravity problems”—obstacles outside their control—into solvable challenges.

, who was appointed executive director of the Center for Career Design in early 2025, said that life design played a critical role in his professional and personal life. The mission of the Center for Career Design is to partner with students as they explore and prepare for life after college. 

“This training is important because it equips staff and faculty to apply these ideas in advising, mentoring, and classroom settings, which amplifies the impact of our work across the student experience,” Catrino said.

Supporting Students’ Career Journeys

The training reflects Dartmouth’s investment in preparing students not only for career readiness, but also for lives of meaning and adaptability. By equipping faculty and staff with these tools, the Center for Career Design is integrating opportunities for students to find agency and creativity in exploring future opportunities.

This fall, in addition to focused workshops and the Fall Job and Internship Fair on Sept. 18, the center is inviting students to engage with a network of that will help them explore fields of interest. 

, associate director of the , said, “This framework encourages embracing ideas that can be prototyped, tested, and refined through feedback and experience. In this way, we can release perfectionism and strive towards collaborative, creative experimentation.”

, assistant dean of graduate student affairs at , attended the planning and plans to use life design principles in her own advising sessions and workshops with students. 

“The methodology is similar to the scientific process: generate hypotheses, test them quickly, learn, and iterate. It helps students imagine many possibilities for their future instead of narrowing too quickly,” Keeler said.

Burnett said he has received feedback that the process offers something rare, one of the few spaces where people are having this kind of conversation. For faculty and staff at Dartmouth, stepping into that space together was a chance to practice the same mindset they hope to instill in their students—one that pairs critical and creative thinking to design meaningful futures.