What is it you really want out of the life that your Stanford education is making available to you? Have more questions than answers? Have too many ideas for your career - or not enough? Wondering how to weave together what really fits you, is doable, and will be satisfying and meaningful? Then join us for Designing the Professional. All graduate students from all disciplines are welcome, no design thinking experience or engineering background is needed! 

We apply the principles of design thinking to the "wicked problem" of designing your life and career. Design thinking, innovated at Stanford over the last 50 years, anchors the framework of the course, allowing students to gain awareness and empathy, define areas of life and work they want to work on, ideate about ways to move forward, try small prototypes and test their assumptions. The course is highly interactive, and will conclude with the creation of 3 versions of the next 5 years, and learning ways to generate prototypes that make those futures a reality.

The course will include brief readings, writing and reflections, and in-class exercises. The condensed SGSI format gives participants an intensive experience to thoroughly grasp the concepts while having plenty of time to reflect and talk with others on how to apply it. 

The course is taught by members of the Life Design Lab.

Course Schedule

Monday, Sept. 8 – Friday, Sept. 12 from 9 AM - 2 PM

• Full attendance is expected.
• Course requires 1-3 hours of homework per day in the form of reading and reflective exercises.