Student Spotlight: Life Design

Empowering the Next Generation of Business Leaders

When David Fortna, Director of Executive Education and Leadership Development at Duquesne University, attended a Life Design program at Stanford University in June 2024, he discovered a philosophy he believes could transform business education.

“In today’s world, professionals at every stage are asking the same question: What’s next?” Fortna explained. “But too often, the default is to wait for clarity, opportunity, or direction to arrive. Life Design challenges that mindset.”

Life Design, rooted in design thinking, flips that waiting game on its head. It empowers individuals to “prototype” their futures. Students and professionals experiment with small, low-risk steps, such as trying an internship, attending a networking event, or scheduling a meeting with someone new.

“Life Design is about applying product design principles to your life,” Fortna said. “It encourages people to test ideas and learn from them. Clarity doesn’t come from sitting still—it comes from action.”

The process begins with honesty. Each workshop starts with the prompt: “You are here.” It’s an intentional reminder to begin with your current circumstances rather than an idealized version. From there, participants ask two guiding questions: “Is this a real problem?” and “Is this a human problem?” These ground the process in relevance and practicality.

Life Design is not just about reflection; it’s about community. “People gain clarity through conversation,” Fortna said. “They find confidence when they realize they’re not alone in their questions. Life Design is deeply collaborative.”

Fortna has embedded these principles into the One-Year MBA graduate curriculum through the Career and Life Design course. The course combines career coaching, professional development, and reflection, ensuring that graduates have an understanding of their strengths, values, and goals, along with an actionable strategy to pursue them.

For Lauren Terry, a recent One-Year MBA graduate, the process was life-changing. With her coach’s guidance and the support of her peers, Lauren turned that vision into reality. “At the beginning of the program, my goals felt more like a dream than a plan,” she said. “But my career coach and cohort believed in me when I didn’t, and that made all the difference.”

The program’s emphasis on experiential learning, through consulting projects, case competitions, and networking opportunities, further prepared her to transition confidently into the workforce. “Once I landed interviews, I was ready. Duquesne had prepared me well, especially through the consulting experience built into the program,” Lauren said.

By graduation, Lauren accepted a position as a Business Development Executive at Infosys, where she now works across sales, marketing insights, and consulting to manage client relationships.

Stories like Lauren’s illustrate why Fortna is so passionate about bringing Life Design to business education. “We’re not just preparing students for their first job,” he said. “We’re equipping them with tools to navigate an entire career filled with twists, turns, and reinvention.”

At its heart, Life Design is about cultivating curiosity and courage—the willingness to explore, experiment, and grow. “If you’re reading this and feeling curious, that’s exactly the point,” Fortna added. 

Fortna’s message to students, educators, and business leaders is clear—stop waiting for life to happen. Instead, cultivate the tools necessary to design your own success.