Coherence and alignment, along with innovation and problem solving, are all attributes of Birsel’s work. Her secret? Deconstructing preconceptions (both hers and those of others) in order to see things from a fresh perspective. When she reflects on her life, Birsel applies much the same technique—because, like design, a good life is a harmony of what you want and what you need. When the two are in balance, the results can break new ground.

Learn more about Ayse Birsel’s approach to designing life on Why Design, a new video series featuring designers from Herman Miller’s creative network. There are eight videos in total, with a new one debuting every Monday. Stay Tuned; next week is designer Irving Harper.

George Nelson said, “The aim of the design process is always to produce an object that does something,” and what the umbrella does is protect.

People have been shielding themselves from sun and rain for centuries underneath the umbrella’s curved contour⎯an ingenious design with multiple applications, including Nelson’s fiberglass parasols at the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow.

As exhibition design director, Nelson’s structure covered exhibits, including Edward Steichen’s “Family of Man” photography collection. Charles and Ray Eames also took part, displaying their film “Glimpses of the USA” on multiple screens showing basic aspects of American life. Additionally, Herman Miller Modern Classics⎯before they were classics⎯showcased as leading innovations in American home furnishings.

Fifty years later, the umbrella’s shape made its way inside, providing shade for computer screens. Designer, Ayse Birsel, compares her Resolve canopy to “a parasol on a beach.” And her umbrella does more than block overhead glare, “It defines your territory and augments your sense of space.”

Resolve creates open, inviting, space-efficient workstations where people feel comfortable and connected. When underneath the umbrella-like Resolve canopy, there’s “a very tangible sense of one’s own space without the use of walls,” as Birsel put it.

We’re all designers, busy designing our own lives. Powerful stuff but sounds a bit cliché, doesn’t it? Designing Is About the Decisions You Make Every Day, a recent article on Fastcompany.com, got me thinking, and before I knew it, the questions were popping up.

The problem is that design has become a fantastical buzzword invoked to change the world, heal your woes, and make your life easier. But if you were to ask people on the street the meaning of design, you would receive a new defintion with each person you stopped. And, too often, design is associated with aethistics. And even if you throw function into the mix, what difference does it make? Does advocating a designed life equate to filling your life with good-looking, functional widgets? Is that how design can make your life better?

The key is to divorce design from any assocation with consumption, which is exactly the direction Ayse Birsel takes in Design the Life You Love, a recent project challenging us to stop and “think about [our lives] for a moment.” Conceived as a recipe, Birsel proposes a simple and thought-provoking way of examining the complexity of your life and to ask what’s next. It’s so simple, in fact, you could do it over a cup of coffee.

Birsel recoginizes that design, at its essence, is decision-making—and good design means good decisions—whether that manifests itself as a cool product, choosing to riding your bike to work, or deciding to go back to school—you’re designing your life when you make a thoughtful decision about what is right for you and for your life. And that doesn’t sound like a cliché.

The Atlantic recently did a piece examining the notebooks of influential people from Milton Glaser to Meriwether Lewis, but with a focus on graphic designers and street artists. The pages, full of sketches ranging from quick doodles to fine art, provide a glimpse into their minds and the creative process.

In 2009, we featured the notebooks of two important Herman Miller designers: Ayse Birsel and Yves Béhar. The videos were part of “A Week in Your Life,” a series commissioned by Moleskine.

What are you creating? We’d love to see your latest doodle.

Galerinternet.com, a virtual gallery based in Turkey (Ayse’s birthplace), is now featuring Ayse and some of her sketches in a really engaging and fun video.

Internet galleries like this are great because they make art accessible to everyone. Of course, there’s nothing like seeing the real thing, but these galleries help expand and globalize our awareness and give artists places to show and sell.

See more Ayse sketches in A Week in Your Life, a series of videos commissioned by I.D. magazine and Moleskine, the notebook/sketchbook maker. In the videos, the books are shot from overhead while someone simply pages through them. Very cool.

Also featured is a book of sketches by Yves Béhar, who designed Herman Miller’s Twist LED task light, the Leaf personal light, and the Ardea personal light.

Ayse designed Herman Miller’s Resolve system, and she co-designed Teneo storage furniture with Bibi.

In its 29th year, the annual design competition honors design excellence in products, eco design, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research, and concepts. Sponsored by BusinessWeek and presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America, it received more than 1,600 award entries from over 15 countries.

Teneo provides a new paradigm for the filing and storage category. It combines the functional qualities of storage with the aesthetic qualities of furniture, and its systemic approach allows it to be a product platform that can evolve and adapt. All Teneo products are made from the same set of elements and share design features to provide a consistent look and create a unified aesthetic within an environment.

“Teneo storage furniture is an excellent example of a sophisticated and versatile modular storage system,” said juror Stefanie Kubanek, associate partner, Pentagram. “It’s simple, yet it combines high functionality and materiality with a playful and user-focused, sustainable design.”

By Marcia Davis