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About
The classes, books, and workshops that are part of the Designing Your Life Movement came from a simple idea that was born in 2007. We asked ourselves how can we reframe the question;“
What do you want to be when you grow up?”
We hate that question because it implies that you are somehow not yet “done” with “growing up” and that life's goal is to mature into something that is fixed, static, and fully-baked.
We think that’s a horrible end-point, particularly if growing up means that you’ve lost your childlike curiosity and you’ve stopped wondering what makes the world and the people in it so interesting. Instead, we decided to work on a different question;
“What do you want to grow into as your life design unfolds?”
We like that question, a more generative question, a lot more.
Origin Story
Designing Your Life (DYL) began at Stanford University, where Dave Evans and Bill Burnett created a course to help students apply design thinking to navigate life and career decisions. It quickly grew into a global movement, with over 570 universities adopting its transformative approach.
In 2020, Mark Wee, then Executive Director of the DesignSingapore Council, was introduced to Bill Burnett through a mutual friend. Around the same time, Mark had encountered several people who described DYL as life-changing. Sensing a deeper relevance for Singapore, he invited Bill to lead an online workshop for career counselling and adult education leaders. The overwhelming response revealed a clear opportunity — to bring life design principles to a wider audience in Singapore.
By 2021, Singapore was facing urgent societal challenges: an unhappy and disengaged workforce, an aging population seeking purpose, and graduates uncertain about their future. Inspired by these realities, Mark and Bill envisioned a bold goal— to launch a national movement that would equip Singaporeans with the tools to design meaningful lives, and reignite everyone's creative confidence.
In June 2023, the Designing Your Life Institute (DYLI) was founded in Singapore. Connected to Stanford's Life Design Lab, DYLI serves as Asia's hub for life design, focused on building capacity, forging partnerships, and researching impact across society.
DYLI Vision & Mission
Our Vision & Mission is to help people design their lives using the innovation principles of design thinking — creating sustainable careers and joyful lives at every stage of life's journey. Ultimately, we want to make Singapore creative again, through empowering everyone into the full expression of themselves.
After years of drawing cars and airplanes under his Grandmother’s sewing machine, Bill Burnett went off to Stanford University and discovered, much to his surprise, that there were people in the world who did this kind of thing everyday (without the sewing machine) and they were called designers. Forty-five years, five companies, and a couple of thousand students later Bill is still drawing and building things, teaching others how to do the same, and quietly enjoying the fact that no one has discovered that he is having too much fun.
Bill Burnett is also an Adjunct Professor and the Executive Director of the Life Design Lab at Stanford. He received his Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science in Product Design at Stanford and has worked in start-ups and Fortune 100 companies, including seven years at Apple designing award-winning laptops and a number of years in the toy industry designing Star Wars action toys. He holds a number of mechanical and design patents and design awards, and, in addition to his duties at Stanford and the Institute, he advises several of his students’ startup companies.
Director of the Designing Your Life Institute; Executive Director of the Life Design Lab at Stanford; Adjunct Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford, father, grandfather, husband, artist.
Executive Director, Designing Your Life Institute,
Architect, Artist, and Entrepreneur.
Mark is a design thinking and experience design pioneer in Singapore who believes that good design can change the world, and that creativity is the key to Singapore’s future. He passionately believes that everyone should be able to design a meaningful and purposeful life, and that a design mindset is the key.
Mark was previously the Executive Director of the Design Singapore Council from 2018-2022, where he led the Council in driving and implementing national policies on design to make Singapore an innovation-driven economy and a more loveable city. Since leaving public service, Mark has redesigning his own life into an exciting portfolio career.
Also an award winning architect and a practicing artist, Mark illustrates his view of the world around him in his own colorful and childlike style, and also still selectively practices under his firm ANNEX A. Prints of his artworks can be purchased at the National Gallery Store, and his work can also be enjoyed on his website www.markwee.sg and Instagram at @markwee
With over two decades of experience with administrative and financial services in both the private sector and statutory boards, Mandy has a strong understanding of financial management, administrative efficiency, and organizational dynamics. Mandy is passionate about continuous reflection and self-improvement, believing they are key to personal and professional growth. As a member of the DYLI team, Mandy creates comfortable environments where people feel welcomed and valued, fostering unity and creativity in both work and everyday life.
Manager
Life Design Instructors
With over 35 years in adult education, Alison specializes in experiential learning methodologies that drive meaningful change. Her expertise spans leadership, management, and personal development, delivered across various sectors and countries. Alison's commitment to social contribution is evident in her volunteer work and involvement with organizations like Mums for Life, where she co-created the "Heart of a Mother Experience."
Human Resource Development
Practitioner
Certified DYL Facilitator, Executive
Coach, and Speaker
Dane is a global life designer with over 25 years of corporate leadership experience across continents and industries. As a LinkedIn Top Voice on Work-Life Balance, she transforms life's challenges into opportunities for peak performance. Dane guides professionals in discovering their best selves, blending her international expertise with local insights to create balanced, fulfilling lives.
Joanne empowers individuals to craft their unique life stories. With a background in diplomacy and executive search, she brings a global perspective to her coaching. As an adjunct lecturer at Singapore universities, Joanne imparts essential career management skills. Her passion for nurturing talent extends to her role as an INSEAD MBA interviewer and her love for cultivating both careers and her rooftop garden.
ICF PCC Certified Coach and
Adjunct Lecturer
Scientist and Life Design
Enthusiast
Roy bridges the worlds of plant genomics and life design. As a scientist at ASTAR's Genome Institute of Singapore, he leads innovative agritech research. Roy's journey with Designing Your Life began at Stanford, where he was both a student and teaching assistant. Now, he's bringing life design principles to ASTAR's undergraduate internship programs, while balancing his roles as a researcher, sci-fi enthusiast, and father.
Sharon embodies the spirit of life design, having reinvented herself across diverse roles from chemical engineer to professional actor. Her multifaceted career exemplifies the Designing Your Life principles. As a DYL practitioner and guide, Sharon helps others infuse joy and flourishing into their life designs. Her eclectic interests, from cooking to supporting social enterprises, reflect her commitment to a rich, well-designed life.
Certified DYL Facilitator,
Executive Coach, Actor-Singer
Certified DYL Facilitator,
Coach
Choon Jin, a former accountant turned human development practitioner, has over 15 years of experience in coaching, facilitation, and leadership programs. A DYL and Action Learning coach, he supports individuals and teams in growth and transformation. He also mentors, volunteers with nonprofits, and enjoys long walks, books, and coffee when not raising three kids with his wife.
Life Design Coaches - Singapore based
Mark Wee
Executive Director, Designing Your Life Institute, Architect, Artist, and Entrepreneur
