Howdy Modern Authors!
The other day someone asked me, "what's the book I give away the most, besides yours?"
I immediately knew the answer: Designing your Life.
The origin of the book is part of its charm... two friends with experiences in the emerging field of design thinking at Stanford decided to teach a class applying those principles to life. The course became a hit with students and alums, but when I spoke to Bill Burnett at our Modern Author community session about how he and his coauthor wrote the book, he said something I'll never forget:
"We Didn't Just Write It. We Designed It."
And Bill's take is something I believe in my core about how modern authors should think about their book: create a series of prototypes for your idea, testing the content with your editors, your early readers, and the broader world.
You see, Bill Burnett didn’t set out to be a best-selling author. He set out to help people design better lives.
But when he co-authored Designing Your Life with Dave Evans, the book exploded. It wasn’t just the design-thinking audience that loved it. It was career switchers, college students, retirees, and leaders in transition.
Bill brought something new to the world of thought leadership:
- A process-driven writing style that mirrors how people actually learn
- A willingness to use reflection, story, exercises, and iteration inside a single chapter
- And a tone that’s humble, hopeful, and highly useful
In this edition of Write Like a Thought Leader, we break down Bill Burnett’s Design Thinking Framework, a 7-part structure you can use to teach transformation by helping readers build, test, and reflect their way to clarity.
Why The Design Thinking Framework Works
Bill’s approach works because it treats the reader like a co-creator, not a passive recipient.
✅ It’s rooted in design thinking, not lecture-style writing
✅ It shows people how to iterate, prototype, and reflect, just like in a real design lab
✅ It blends story, strategy, and exercises so the reader learns by doing
✅ And it treats transformation like a creative process, not just a decision
This structure is both practical and inspiring, perfect for life coaches, career change authors, or personal development writers who want to teach mindset and methodology.
When to Use This Framework
While this framework does fit certain styles of books better than others, I'll say the design thinking approach that focuses on creating deep empathy with your customer (aka reader) is something nearly every modern author can leverage.
Best For:
- Writers teaching readers how to rethink life, purpose, or career
- Coaches, advisors, or educators teaching through reflective action
- Nonfiction authors with systems, processes, or mindset shifts
Great Fit For:
- Life design, career pivots, personal reinvention
- Personal growth meets strategic frameworks
- Books or chapters combining how-to, reflection, and transformation
If your book is about building a better life by thinking differently, this is the definitely a framework to consider.
The Design Thinking Framework: Bill Burnett’s Writing Structure
The important thing to note about this framework is the requirement you're building a book based on a deep understanding of your reader. Design thinking as a philosophy requires you to first empathize before you prototype. And while the framework for writing up these findings definitely works, don't skip the first phase required:
Know Your Reader's Needs Deeply
Bill’s chapters walk the reader through a guided journey of exploration, learning, and iteration. They don’t just explain but they engage.
Here’s the 7-step chapter template:
1️⃣ Open With a Relatable Problem (400–600 words)
- Start with a situation your reader faces (e.g., stuck in a job, unclear life goals).
- Use a simple narrative or reflection to introduce the core tension.
💡 Why it works: Creates resonance. The reader feels seen and curious.
2️⃣ Challenge the Default Thinking (400–600 words)
- Show how the current mindset or advice fails (e.g., "follow your passion" isn’t enough).
- Use logic, story, or data to show the limitations of conventional wisdom.
💡 Why it works: Breaks assumptions. Opens space for a new approach.
3️⃣ Introduce the Big Idea or Mindset Shift (400–600 words)
- Present your core idea (e.g., life is a design problem).
- Use analogies, metaphors, or frameworks.
- Include a short story or example.
💡 Why it works: Provides a new lens. Teaches by analogy.
4️⃣ Show Real-Life Application Through Stories (500–700 words)
- Highlight stories of people who applied the idea.
- Use dialog, turning points, and change moments.
- Mix success and stuck points.
💡 Why it works: Adds credibility and emotional connection.
5️⃣ Introduce a Practice or Tool (400–600 words)
- Share a worksheet, exercise, or reflection (e.g., Odyssey Plans).
- Break it down step by step.
💡 Why it works: Moves reader from idea to action.
6️⃣ Invite the Reader to Prototype or Experiment (400–600 words)
- Encourage low-risk exploration or iteration.
- Offer a journaling prompt or behavior test.
- Include questions like: What would it look like to try this on a small scale?
💡 Why it works: Builds confidence through action.
7️⃣ Reflect and Loop Forward (300–500 words)
- Reflect on what’s changed and what’s next.
- Close with: What might happen if you did this for real?
- Preview next idea or build momentum.
💡 Why it works: Offers closure and curiosity. Creates a learning arc.
One unique element of this book is how it smartly incorporates tools and exercises into the book. I often discourage authors from overly weaving interactive elements into a book as most readers simply read the book, but given this book's origins from a very successful course, it actually works here.
✍️ ChatGPT Prompt: Design Thinking Writing (Bill Burnett Style)
"I’m writing a chapter using Bill Burnett’s Design Thinking Framework. Please help me:
- Start with a real-world life/career challenge that readers face
- Challenge the conventional logic that keeps them stuck
- Introduce a new mindset or framework to solve it
- Show a story of someone applying this shift
- Share an exercise or worksheet the reader can try
- Suggest a small test, prototype, or journaling prompt
- End with a reflection or preview of what’s next
Here’s my draft: [Insert Content]"
Final Word for Modern Authors
I'll put in a quick plug for the book if you're doing any sort of lifestyle planning, thinking or strategizing. It's one of the books I look at quite regularly given it's thoughtful and simple ways to help prototype aspects of your life (aka don't change your life, make prototypes to test out how you could change your life).
And for those of you actively writing, if you want your writing to help people build lives, not just understand them, this is the blueprint.
Bill Burnett’s structure works because:
- It’s learner-centered
- It’s grounded in real stories
- And it turns reading into real change
You don’t have to have a PhD in design to use this.
You just have to believe that life is something you can build.
Happy Writing Y'all!
Eric
Originally published in The Modern Author newsletter.
