Warren Berger set out to research if design could improve and refine your life. He interviewed 100 designers/innovators and the results can be found in his book “Glimmer”

Here are three ways design thinking can be applied to your life:

1. Designers are good at asking stupid questions. “Step back and reassess everything. Ask fundamental questions: Why are we living in this city? Why am I in this job? There are all sorts of assumptions in your life to reconsider.”

2. Designers put problems into visual form. “Bruce Mau never thought he’d apply design principles to his own life, but when he was overwhelmed by travel and work he created a graphic representation of how he spent his time. Designers know that when you see everything in front of you, connections and patterns become more understandable.”

3. Designers think laterally. “They force their brains to go sideways and consider solutions that are off the path. For example, a bank can transform into boutique hotel or a community center. Most of what Dean Kamen does is apply technology to new areas. The trick is to avoid problems in a straightforward manner so that you’re open to left-field possibilities. It’s all about getting away from heuristic bias.”

Via: Fast Company

(The picture is of Bruce Mau and not Warren Berger. I just loved it so much I had to use it!)