Process
What if you approached your life the way a designer approaches a problem?
Taking the whole apart, seeing the same things differently, and putting it back together in a whole new way.
The process grew directly out of thirty years of designing products for Fortune 500 companies. It rests on five foundational principles — optimism, empathy, holistic thinking, collaboration and an open mind — and has helped thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds transform their lives.
01
Take your life apart. Map what you’re carrying, what no longer fits and what truly matters — without judgement.
02
See the same things differently. Shift your perspective, reconnect with your values and find a clearer lens.
03
Put it back together in a whole new way. Build a more intentional life around what you found.
04
Give your new life a form. Draw it, name it, prototype it — and start living it tomorrow.
Ten Speed Press · 2015
What if you approached your life the way a designer approaches a problem? Instead of accepting the life you’ve been given, design one that reflects who you are, what you value, and what you want to become.
“A fun, interactive workbook for unleashing creativity and redesigning our daily lives.”
Running Press / Hachette · 2022
We are living longer than ever. But what if the question isn’t simply how long we live — but how we want to live those years?
“People casually use this term; this changed my life. In reality, they’re usually exaggerating, or it’s hyperbole. I can say for Ayse Birsel and her program, it did change my life in a huge way.”
In person and virtual
Hands-on experiences that bring design thinking and Deconstruction:Reconstruction™ to life. Ayse doesn’t lecture; she teaches by doing. Participants leave the room changed, not just informed.
Offered as one-hour masterclasses, half-day or full-day workshops, in three tracks: Design the Life You Love, Design the Work You Love and Design the Team You Love.
If your answer is no, then you’re in the right place.
In this course, Ayse guides you to design a life you love. You’ll use simple exercises to dive into your own heart and mind to find out what’s holding you back, what makes you tick, and what you really want in life. Upon completion you’ll receive a personal life map — your unique plan for designing the life you love. It’s private and totally custom to you; no two life maps are the same.
Testimonials
“People casually use this term; this changed my life. In reality, they’re usually exaggerating, or it’s hyperbole. I can say for Ayse Birsel and her program, it did change my life in a huge way.”
Marshall Goldsmith
New York Times #1 bestselling author of Triggers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
“Design your Life. Design the work you love. What could possibly be more important? Ayse Birsel has a unique process to help you achieve these goals. Her process is incredibly effective and extremely practical.”
Hubert Joly
Former CEO of Best Buy and author of The Heart of Business
“Ayse Birsel has designed furniture, office systems, cookware and even a toilet seat. Taking what she’s learned from product design, she has developed a fun, playful approach to designing a life you love.”
John Edelman
CEO, Design Within Reach
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