Bill Burnett

Bill Burnett has revolutionized both product design and life design education as the Executive Director of Stanford's Design Program and co-founder of the Life Design Lab. After earning his BS and MS in Product Design from Stanford, he built an impressive career spanning both startups and Fortune 100 companies, including seven years at Apple where he designed award-winning PowerBook laptops. His innovative work extends to toy design, creating the original Hasbro Star Wars action figures, and he holds multiple mechanical and design patents, including one for the first "slate" computer. At Stanford, he directs both undergraduate and graduate design programs, interdepartmental initiatives between Mechanical Engineering and Art departments, while co-founding the Life Design Lab where he developed the groundbreaking "Designing Your Life" framework. His work has earned him numerous design awards, and he continues to influence future innovators through his teaching while serving on the board of VOZ, a socially responsible high fashion startup, and advising various internet startups. His co-authored books, including the New York Times bestseller "Designing Your Life," have helped transform how people approach career and life planning worldwide.