Your next design might be your last

"We don't usually design as if time is finite - but what if we did? Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch turned his "last lecture" into a masterclass on living - and leaving - with purpose. His story challenges designers to think about their own "last designs," whether at school, in teams, or in life. (image source: Stoic Reflections) Randy Pausch had every right to do whatever he wanted. After all, he was a highly reputable professor at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)."

"Virtual reality was his area of expertise, and at the time it was a groundbreaking technology. He first started out in 1997 after clinching a role with the coveted Walt Disney Imagineering team. He could have dived deep into the technological advances he had made in VR, having many papers under his name. He could have gloated about his career achievements. After all, he co-founded the Entertainment Technology Center at CMU and led the team that created ALICE, a revolutionary free software."

"Instead, on the day of his "last lecture" - a tradition for CMU professors leaving or retiring - Randy spoke about his childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and lessons learned along the way. There were stories filled with humor: vomit comets, drawings on walls, a student who became a living Jedi, and more. Eventually, he did talk about designing VR, how he taught it to students, and how to overcome setbacks."

A final, time-limited perspective reframes design choices toward purpose and legacy. Childhood dreams and enabling others' aspirations provide guiding priorities for professional and personal work. Technical achievements and institutional prestige remain less important than storytelling, humor, and practical lessons shared with students and teams. Educational tools like ALICE exemplify creating accessible, impactful technology that teaches and empowers. Career highlights in virtual reality and industry collaborations illustrate expertise, but the deeper focus lies in teaching, overcoming setbacks, and helping others realize their dreams. Designing with mortality in mind yields more intentional, service-oriented outcomes.

Read at Medium