The History of Life Design: Transforming Personal, Career, and Professional Development with Modern Frameworks

Introduction

Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Innovation to Empower Holistic Growth and Purpose

Life design, as a concept, goes beyond contemporary frameworks like Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. The essence of life design has deep roots in human civilization, emerging through ancient philosophies and practices across various cultures. For centuries, societies have relied on rituals, rites of passage, and philosophical teachings to help individuals navigate their paths, finding fulfillment and purpose. Today, we build on these timeless principles through time and technology with modern tools and frameworks to meet the demands of an increasingly complex and dynamic world.

The development and evolution of the Career and Life Design framework, integrating personal and professional growth, has been the cornerstone of my work over the past thirty years.

In this article, I explore the ancient origins of life design and beyond, tracing its evolution into the Career and Life Design framework—a holistic, AI-integrated approach that empowers individuals to navigate personal and professional development with agility, precision, and purpose. By blending ancient wisdom with modern technology, we create a new path forward, bridging personal, career, and professional growth with AI and ancient wisdom, one that aligns personal growth with the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Ancient Foundations of Life Design

Long before the term “life design” became a contemporary focus, it existed as a guiding philosophy across cultures. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle emphasized eudaimonia, or the idea of living well through a virtuous and purposeful life. This concept highlighted that a fulfilling life is achieved by aligning one's actions and virtues with the greater good of society. Similarly, Confucianism and Buddhism in Eastern traditions stressed the importance of finding balance, harmony, and alignment with cosmic forces, promoting ethical living and self-awareness.

The Japanese concept of Ikigai, which translates to “a reason for being,” serves as a powerful example of ancient life design principles. It emphasizes the integration of passion, profession, vocation, and mission. The philosophy of Ikigai invites individuals to connect their talents and passions with the needs of the world, ensuring personal fulfillment and a meaningful societal contribution. This approach remains relevant today, demonstrating the timelessness of aligning one’s purpose with broader life contexts.

As Carl Jung once said,

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” Such ancient wisdom provides a holistic perspective on life design, integrating all aspects—health, relationships, purpose, and career—into a unified and meaningful path."

These foundational teachings paved the way for today’s life design frameworks, which seek to create lives that are not only personally satisfying but also connected to a larger purpose.

The Transition to Modern Life Design: Evolution of Life Design in the 20th Century

The 20th century marked a pivotal shift in life design as ancient principles were integrated into psychology and career development theories. The rise of vocational guidance, spearheaded by Frank Parsons in the early 1900s, marked a turning point. Parsons believed that individuals could design their careers through self-analysis and exploration, linking personality with career fit. This concept, while revolutionary at the time, was still limited in scope—it primarily focused on career rather than the holistic design of one’s life.

Carl Jung and Abraham Maslow later expanded upon these ideas, introducing psychological frameworks that emphasized the pursuit of meaning and self-actualization. Jung’s theory of individuation stressed the importance of integrating various life elements to form a cohesive identity, while Maslow’s hierarchy of needs underscored the value of aligning actions with higher aspirations and intrinsic motivations. These theories influenced the emergence of life design as a structured process, one that extends beyond career choices and encompasses the holistic development of individuals.

Kintsugi: Embracing Imperfections as Opportunities for Growth

In my TEDx Talk, I introduced Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold glue, as a metaphor for Career and Life Design. This gold glue embodies the philosophy that life’s challenges and imperfections are not only inevitable but are also valuable parts of one’s story. Rather than masking or hiding flaws, the practice of Kintsugi embraces these imperfections, turning them into unique, beautiful features that enhance the overall value of the object. This ancient philosophy aligns seamlessly with the modern life design framework.

This approach draws upon the principles of Kintsugi by encouraging individuals to see setbacks not as failures but as opportunities for transformation and growth. Just as pottery is mended with gold glue to highlight its cracks, we, too, can highlight our experiences—both positive and negative—as essential elements that shape our career and life paths. By integrating these moments with care and attention, we create a stronger, more resilient version of ourselves.

The Emergence of Career and Life Design: A Holistic Approach

The evolution of life design into a novel framework was shaped by my experiences and observations throughout my career in career development. It's also what gets me up in the morning and makes me excited to come to work each day. Expanding life design into both career and life provides a holistic framework. Recognizing that traditional life design models focused primarily on personal fulfillment, I saw an opportunity to expand the framework to include the professional domain, acknowledging the intertwined nature of work and personal growth.

In the early 21st century, my work at institutions like Columbia University, UCLA, and UC San Diego laid the groundwork for what I call Career and Life Design—a modern theoretical framework that integrates personal and professional development through a holistic lens. This approach not only considers the career trajectory but also emphasizes personal growth, emotional agility, and purpose-driven living. My research and application builds upon and extends beyond the traditional models and design thinking approach by integrating elements of AI, experiential learning, and the future of work into a cohesive, actionable framework.

At the core of the model is the #mindset and idea that individuals must not only find their fit but continuously design and redesign their lives as circumstances, industries, and technologies evolve. This framework considers the interconnectedness of life domains—such as health, relationships, finances, and purpose—and their impact on career decisions. Unlike traditional career counseling, which often operates in silos, this model integrates diverse aspects of life, allowing individuals to craft a fulfilling career and life in tandem.

By incorporating career elements into life design, this framework allows individuals to approach their professional journeys as an integral part of their life paths, ensuring that career decisions are made in alignment with broader life goals and values. This expansion responds to the complexities of modern life, emphasizing the continuous and iterative process of designing and redesigning one’s life and career as circumstances evolve.

The Power of Imagination and the Human Story

Imagination and storytelling are at the heart of Career and Life Design. While AI and technology serve as valuable tools, it is the human ability to envision the future and craft meaningful narratives that ultimately shape our lives. Storytelling empowers individuals to actively design and adapt their career journeys, using imagination to explore possibilities and redefine their paths. The framework emphasizes that each individual's story is unique, building a mosaic of experiences that define personal and professional growth.

The AI-Powered Future: The Next Paradigm in Career Services

Imagine a supercharged career and life ecosystem.

We stand on the brink of a new paradigm in career services—one where imagination, creativity, and technology converge to create truly personalized and transformative experiences. This new era, the AI-Mosaic of Career and Life Design, builds upon ancient wisdom while harnessing the power of modern technology. It is a holistic, adaptive framework designed to meet the demands of the modern world and future-proof careers.

This framework envisions a world where individuals have the tools to continuously design their careers and lives, adapting to new challenges and opportunities as they arise. It integrates emotional intelligence, lifelong learning, and skill-building, facilitated through AI and personalized digital agents.

The future of career development and life design is being shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and the ever-evolving landscape of work. AI-powered Career and Life Design agents are already transforming how we interact and scale programming. Imagine a future where every individual has a personalized AI-powered life design agent in their pocket—an agent that knows their skills, aspirations, emotional state, and market trends, providing tailored advice and guidance. This goes way beyond the concept of "career readiness."

This new era will leverage AI to create a seamless and dynamic experience for individuals at all stages of life. Skills, the currency of the future, will be central. AI will help individuals identify skills gaps, suggest new learning pathways, and connect them with experiences that build both career and life readiness competencies.

The integration of agents and AI-driven systems will make career services more scalable and transformative, moving beyond the transactional, one-size-fits-all model of today. Programs must become more customizable and scalable, leveraging AI and technology to provide personalized, real-time guidance while maximizing student engagement.

The goal is to move beyond simple job placements and focus on long-term career outcomes. By integrating elements of career readiness, personal growth, and lifelong learning into the framework, we can create programs that adapt to each individual’s unique trajectory. This approach ensures that students not only find jobs but also craft meaningful careers aligned with their life’s purpose.

Integrating custom GPTs and APIs is a game-changer for organizations and entrepreneurs, creating tailored, on-demand solutions that transform both client engagement and internal processes. For example, at the Career and Life Design Lab, the custom GPT serves as a personalized career and life design guide under the umbrella organization, Career and Life Mastery. This showcases how such similar tools can deliver continuous, meaningful interactions at scale. This approach enhances both efficiency and impact, providing unique, adaptive experiences that deepen client connections and elevate brand distinction in today’s competitive landscape.

Human Leadership and Future-Proof Skills

Despite AI’s rise, human leadership remains essential. Institutions must cultivate creativity, resilience, and inclusivity. Encouraging innovation and alignment with institutional goals while supporting diverse stakeholders is key. The following skills are essential to future-proof individuals:

1. AI Proficiency and Insight: Developing a working understanding and competence of AI tools, their applications, and implications, and leveraging these technologies effectively for strategic decision-making and problem-solving.
2. Entrepreneurial Innovation and Agility: Developing the ability to adapt swiftly to market changes, integrating tools like custom GPTs and APIs to create seamless, scalable solutions. This skill ensures entrepreneurs can innovate while maintaining the flexibility to pivot, fostering a brand that resonates in the fast-paced digital landscape. Navigating career shifts and changing environments with agility, resilience, and openness to new experiences and perspectives.
3. Emotional Intelligence: Leading with empathy and managing human dynamics effectively to build trust and foster productive relationships.
4. Creative Problem-Solving: Developing innovative solutions, thinking outside the box, and adapting quickly to overcome complex challenges.
5. Global and Cultural Competence: Embracing and leveraging diverse perspectives and cultural insights to work effectively within globalized, multicultural teams.
6. Lifelong Learning: Committing to continuous learning and upskilling to remain adaptable and relevant in an era of rapid technological advancements and shifting job requirements.
7. Human Leadership: Inspiring and guiding others with integrity and empathy, fostering a culture of support, and encouraging team growth and innovation.
8. Motivation and Self-Awareness: Cultivating intrinsic motivation and self-knowledge to sustain engagement, recognize strengths, and pursue meaningful growth.
9. Empathy and Compassion: Understanding and valuing others' perspectives and experiences, fostering inclusive, supportive environments that enhance collaboration and well-being.
10. Imagination and Creativity: Envisioning new possibilities, generating original ideas, and adapting creatively to solve complex challenges. This skill is essential for innovation and allows individuals to think beyond conventional boundaries, driving both personal growth and organizational success.
11. The Power of Storytelling: Crafting compelling narratives to communicate ideas, connect with others, and inspire action. Storytelling enhances communication skills, builds empathy, and helps convey personal and professional journeys, enabling individuals to lead, influence, and create meaningful impact.
12. Personal Brand: Developing a unique and authentic professional identity, cultivating a following, and establishing a network that supports growth and amplifies reach. This competency empowers individuals to distribute their ideas, connect with influential communities, and leverage relationships for mutual success, positioning them as trusted voices in their field.
13. Human Connection: Building genuine, meaningful relationships that foster trust, collaboration, and emotional engagement. In the face of AI and digital interactions, human connection remains vital, helping individuals bridge gaps, foster understanding, and create environments where people, truth, and ideas thrive.
14. Career and Life Vision: Cultivating a clear, purpose-driven vision for both career and personal life, setting strategic goals that align with one’s core values and long-term aspirations. This competency empowers individuals to navigate their professional and personal paths with intention, ensuring a balanced and fulfilling journey.
15. Focus: Developing the discipline to prioritize meaningful goals while minimizing distractions from overstimulation—such as constant cell phone notifications and digital noise. This skill emphasizes the importance of actively using tools to enhance productivity and growth, rather than passively allowing tools to dictate behavior, helping individuals avoid inertia and maintain dynamic progress.

Future Trends and Disruption in Career Development and Experiential Learning

As we look to the future, several trends will shape the evolution of career development and experiential learning. Globalization, automation, and the gig economy are already reshaping how individuals engage with work. Institutions must respond to these changes by developing agile, future-focused programs that prepare students for the unpredictability of modern careers.

The integration of AI into career development is one of the most significant disruptions we will face. AI will provide students with real-time insights into labor market trends, skill requirements, and career pathways. Additionally, experiential learning programs will become increasingly immersive, blending virtual and augmented reality to create global co-op programs that allow students to work in environments they may never physically access.

However, these advancements come with challenges. Higher education institutions must navigate issues of access and equity, ensuring that AI-driven career services do not perpetuate biases or create new inequalities. Collaboration across global networks will be essential to establish ethical guidelines and best practices, ensuring that these tools are inclusive and support diverse communities.

Cooperative Internships and Student Employment: Real-World Impact

Cooperative internships, often referred to as co-ops, are a powerful extension of experiential learning. Unlike traditional internships, which are typically short-term, co-ops are longer, immersive experiences that offer students the opportunity to work in professional environments over extended periods. These real-world experiences allow students to not only apply classroom knowledge but also develop industry-specific skills, adapt to workplace cultures, and build professional networks. Co-ops bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing students with the practical experience necessary for career success.

However, cooperative internships are just one part of a larger ecosystem that includes student employment. As highlighted in the article, Reimagining Student Employment, student jobs on campus can be structured to provide similar developmental benefits as internships. By aligning student roles with career pathways and integrating skill-building opportunities, institutions can transform student employment from a transactional experience into a strategic one.

When students engage in meaningful work on campus—such as roles that connect with their academic and career interests—they gain valuable, practical skills and insights that are transferable to professional settings. This approach expands the spectrum of experiential learning opportunities beyond internships and co-ops, providing flexible options for students who may not have access to traditional internship programs due to location, schedule constraints, or other factors.

By reimagining student employment as a form of experiential learning, career centers can scale their reach, ensuring every student has access to hands-on learning experiences that align with their personal, career, and professional goals.

The Full Spectrum of Internships

Internships encompass a wide array of formats, each tailored to meet specific learning outcomes and professional skills. From traditional and cooperative internships to project-based roles, the diversity in internship types allows for a more personalized career development journey. Service learning, for example, blends community service with academic learning, helping students build professional skills while addressing real-world community needs. These experiences foster not only practical skills but also empathy, teamwork, and a deep sense of civic responsibility.

Virtual internships have become increasingly valuable, offering flexibility and enabling students to connect with organizations across various regions and industries. This remote modality expands access to opportunities, particularly relevant in today’s interconnected global environment, allowing students to gain work experience regardless of geographic constraints.

Here's a list of different types of internships, each offering unique experiences and benefits for students and professionals alike:

1. Traditional Internships: Short-term roles, typically lasting a semester or summer, providing hands-on experience in a professional setting.
2. Cooperative Education (Co-op): Educational programs that combines traditional academic learning with practical, hands-on work experience. Students in co-op programs alternate periods of study with paid work in their field of interest, typically in longer, more immersive stints than a typical internship.
3. Virtual or Remote Internships: Internships conducted entirely online, allowing students to gain experience without geographic constraints, making them accessible and flexible.
4. International Internships: Opportunities that allow interns to work abroad, providing global exposure, cultural competence, and language skills alongside industry experience.
5. Paid Internships vs. Unpaid Internships: Paid internships offer a salary or stipend, helping to attract diverse talent by making internships financially accessible. Unpaid internships, often found in industries such as non-profit, arts, and media, provide students with the chance to gain experience without compensation.
6. Volunteer Internships: Volunteer internships are typically structured within non-profit or community-focused organizations, where students engage in work that supports a charitable mission or social cause.
7. Service-Learning Internships: Internships that combine community service with professional skill-building, aligning personal and career growth with positive societal impact.
8. Research Internships: Typically within academic or scientific institutions, these internships focus on contributing to research projects, helping students gain expertise in data collection, analysis, and report writing.
9. Clinical Internships: Designed for students in fields like healthcare, these internships provide supervised, practical experience in clinical settings such as hospitals or clinics.
10. Micro-Internships: Short-term, project-based internships that can last a few days to a few weeks, giving interns a quick, intensive experience on specific tasks or projects.
11. Project-Based Internships: Internships focused on completing specific projects, often in consulting or freelance roles, allowing interns to gain targeted experience in a defined area.
12. Government Internships: Internships within local, state, or federal government organizations, providing exposure to public policy, administration, and regulatory work.
13. Startup Internships: Internships at startups, often providing broad, hands-on experiences across multiple roles, ideal for students interested in entrepreneurship and fast-paced environments.
14. Rotational Internships: Internships that rotate interns through different departments or roles within an organization, offering a comprehensive view of the business and varied skill development.
15. Creative Internships: Opportunities in fields like media, advertising, design, or entertainment, allowing interns to work on creative projects and gain exposure to industry-specific tools and workflows.
16. Apprenticeship-Style Internships: A blend of mentorship and hands-on work, often in skilled trades or artisan fields, allowing interns to work closely with experienced professionals.
17. Nonprofit Internships: Internships focused on social impact, advocacy, or charitable work, often with roles in fundraising, outreach, or program management, which also cultivate a sense of civic responsibility.
18. Industry-Specific Internships: Internships tailored to specific industries, such as tech, finance, engineering, or law, providing specialized skills and knowledge within a particular field.
19. High School Internships: Entry-level internships designed for high school students, offering early career exposure and helping students explore future career paths.
20. Capstone or Senior Project Internships: Internships structured around a final project or capstone assignment, where students apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges in partnership with an organization.

Each type of internship provides unique opportunities, and they collectively broaden experiential learning possibilities, helping individuals build the skills and insights necessary for long-term career success. For example, co-op programs are designed to give students a more comprehensive understanding of their industry, allowing them to apply what they learn in the classroom directly to their work and build valuable professional skills and networks before graduating. Compared to internships, co-ops tend to be more structured and integrated into a student's degree program, often requiring a formal agreement between the educational institution, the student, and the employer., where students alternate between full-time work and school, often resulting in deeper skill-building and professional growth.

Another example is volunteer internships that differ from traditional unpaid internships in that they emphasize service and community impact, often aligning with students’ values and career goals in public service or social responsibility. While these internships also lack financial compensation, they offer a unique opportunity for students to contribute to meaningful work and develop professionally in mission-driven environments.

While unpaid internship roles can offer valuable insights and networking opportunities, they remain controversial, as they can limit access for students who cannot afford to work without pay. Note: Unpaid internships are increasingly discouraged, with many advocating for all internships to offer financial support and/or institutions to build funds to help to ensure equitable access for students of all backgrounds.

Don't forget externships and/or job shadowing, too! Externships are evolving in popularity and will transform into immersive opportunities that allow students to explore careers through advanced technologies like spatial sound, virtual reality (VR), and AI-powered real-time interactions. Imagine entering a virtual workspace before committing to an internship or full-time opportunity where you not only observe professionals in action but engage with them in real-time, guided by AI that provides contextual insights, explanations, and prompts for critical thinking. Spatial sound creates a lifelike environment, where you hear the nuances of team discussions and experience the workspace as if you were physically present.

This next-gen externship offers a rich, interactive, and immersive way to explore career paths, gaining firsthand insight into day-to-day roles and industry practices without geographical constraints, revolutionizing how students approach career discovery.

By providing a broad spectrum of internships—including startup, research, and international career outcomes—institutions can address the diverse needs and career aspirations of students. A well-rounded offering ensures that each student has the opportunity to engage in valuable real-world experiences, bridging academic knowledge with hands-on practice and preparing them to navigate the complexities of their future careers.

The Importance of Mentorship in Scaling Career Services

Mentorship plays a critical role in scaling, serving as an extension of the career center’s reach. As career centers expand their programming and scale services to accommodate larger and more diverse student populations, mentorship becomes an invaluable tool for personalizing the student experience. Mentors provide guidance, support, and industry insights that are essential for students navigating their career paths.

Advancements in technology, such as hologram and avatar-based interactions, are transforming mentorship. Soon, students will be able to connect with mentors’ avatars or holograms in real time, bringing a new level of accessibility and engagement to mentorship experiences. Imagine connecting face-to-face with a mentor’s hologram, where nuanced body language and real-time communication enhance the quality of guidance and create a more immersive, relational experience, even from miles away.

Effective mentorship enhances students’ professional growth and reinforces the connection between the career center and industry partners, alumni, and other stakeholders. This network of mentors extends the reach of career services in specialized and niche areas that many career centers may not have coverage, offering students ongoing support in emerging industries and creating opportunities for professional development that continue beyond graduation.

Conclusion

Unlocking Fulfillment

The Future of Career Services is being designed collectively as we speak. One thing I can promise you, we won't call it, "Career Services." We will move beyond the outdated career services title, embracing a more comprehensive and dynamic approach that reflects the true breadth of guiding individuals through holistic life, career, spiritual, and professional development.

"This living lab, or design studio, will serve as your personal sanctuary—a safe, individualized space where you can engage in self-reflection and craft the unique blueprint for your career and life mosaic."

It’s a dedicated environment designed to empower you to explore, experiment, and shape your future with intention and purpose. The journey of life design has evolved from ancient philosophies into modern frameworks that integrate personal and professional development.

My work has been part of this evolution and timeless art, expanding and refining the concept into a holistic and transformative approach that aligns with the demands of an era shaped by AI driven futures and globalization. It's what unlocked my fulfillment and Ikigai.

The modern framework of Career and Life Design offers a dynamic, transformative path, ensuring that individuals have the tools, experiences, and mentorship needed to design a fulfilling life and career in an ever-changing world.

References

1. Aristotle. (350 BCE). Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by W. D. Ross.
2. Confucius. (500 BCE). The Analects. Various editions.
3. García, H., & Miralles, F. (2017). Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. Penguin Books.
4. Jung, C. G. (1966). The Practice of Psychotherapy. Princeton University Press.
5. Parsons, F. (1909). Choosing a Vocation. Houghton Mifflin.
6. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review.
7. Akmal, H. (2023). “From Guidance to Growth: Unlocking AI-Driven Career and Life Design.” LinkedIn.
8. Burnett, B., & Evans, D. (2016). Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life. Knopf.
9. Harari, Y. N. (2018). 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. Spiegel & Grau.
10. Dey, F., & Cruzvergara, C. Y. (2021). “Five Future Directions for University Career Services.” National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

About the Author

Hassan Akmal is an American career and life mastery consultant, author, professor, thought leader, philanthropist, and former professional tennis player and athlete ambassador to the United States. He is best known for his Amazon best-selling book—How to be a Career Mastermind?: Discover 7 “YOU Matter” Lenses for a Life of Purpose, Impact, and Meaningful Work. He is the host of the UC San Diego Career Podcast (CP), Designing Your Career and Life. Akmal is very passionate about giving back and led global efforts in humanitarian work dedicated to Forced Migration and Health early on in his career.

Akmal has been a senior leader in career services for over fifteen years and in higher education for nearly 30 years. Akmal became the inaugural executive director of industry relations and career strategies at Columbia University in 2017 and founded the award-winning Career Design Lab. In 2018, he served on the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) “Future of We” — Advisory Committee and served as a senior advisor to Graduway (now Gravyty), a prominent and top 10 global EdTech startup. He wrote the foreword for the book, Career Revolution: A Design Thinking Approach to Career Development in a Post-Pandemic World, authored by Graduway’s CEO, Daniel Cohen. In April 2019, he delivered the keynote address on the “Future of Career Services” at the Global Leaders’ Summit hosted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also serves on several other prominent boards internationally.

In December 2019, Akmal was selected as a speaker for Columbia University’s TEDx RE-VISION, RE-FOCUS-themed event that took place on March 27, 2021. His TEDx Talk was released in May 2021 and has already received over 1.6 million views.

Before his current role, Akmal served as the inaugural executive director of the UCLA Career Center. He led an ambitious re-imagination of career services culminating in a large-scale renovation. In September 2021, he became the Executive Director of Career and Professional Development at UC San Diego where he is currently leading a multiyear reimagination of the career center. He is also the host of the UC San Diego Career Podcast (CP), Designing Your Career and Life.

His most recent book, published in May 2023, is entitled, The Interior Design of Your Career and Life?. He also published a children’s version, You Are the Artist of Your Life: The Interior Design of Your Future.