Using design to help you get unstuck on what matters most
 

hello!

I’m Amy Bonsall—sharp questioner, creative nudger, architect of brave experiments… and liminal guide.

I’m a former IDEO and Old Navy executive, Harvard Business Review author, and coach to high-achievers navigating the messy, meaningful space between what was and what’s next.

At IDEO, I spent a decade leading the creation of new ventures across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S., in a practice I built called venture design. I also led global client relationships for companies like Google and John Deere. At Old Navy, I sat on the executive team and co-led the creation of a multimillion-dollar business focused on body equity.

I started my career as an engineer, earned an MBA, and have since worked across six countries and four continents—including Lausanne, London, Melbourne, Singapore, and San Francisco. All told, I’ve moved over 20 times and reinvented my career often enough that “what’s next?” became more than a question—it became a skillset.

I’ve been published multiple times in Harvard Business Review, featured in Entrepreneur, spoken at SXSW, and co-lead a popular IDEO U course on Designing a Business.

But none of that means I’m immune to liminal moments.

I’ve navigated moves, reinventions, and endings that changed everything—personally and professionally. I’ve stood at the edge of what’s next more times than I can count.

Recently, I learned we spend about 70% of our lives in transition.
I know—I thought the same thing: only 70%?
It turns out, the in-between isn’t a detour. It’s most of the terrain.
And like waves in the ocean, new liminal spaces just keep rolling in.

Over the years, I’ve found that navigating change with clarity and creativity doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intention. Design. Support. A nudge. A pause. And sometimes, a well-placed experiment that shows you the way forward.

That’s what I now help others do—through coaching, cohort experiences, and a mindset rooted in design thinking, somatics, mindfulness (I trained with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach), and what I’ve learned the hard way (and sometimes the fun way).

Because if we’re going to spend this much time in the in-between… we might as well get good at it.

 
 
 

Photo: Wavybabe

 

My approach

This isn’t a method. It’s a mindset.
Well… and also a method. 😉

Design-led. Somatically grounded. Curiosity-driven. Built for forward motion.

It starts with curiosity—about what matters now, what’s shifting, and what’s possible.

It moves through experimentation—small, intentional steps that create clarity through action.

And it stays grounded in the body—because real momentum comes when the mind and body are on the same page.

My approach blends:

  • Design thinking — to shape experiments, not just set goals

  • Somatic practice — to engage the body as a source of wisdom and direction

  • Behavioral science — to make change that sticks

  • Mindfulness — to navigate the discomfort of the in-between

  • Lived experience — of building companies, crossing continents, and making real-life reinventions

It’s structured but flexible. Strategic but human.

And always—always—designed to move you forward.

 
 

In the words of a client:

 

We just checked back in as a group. People were still glowing [a month after the event]. More than half of us expressed that we had been on a high since the retreat. One person used what you taught us with their kids, another with their partner. The impact of that day has been radiating outwards and has had such positive impact already on people's lives.

Founder and CEO, Hipcamp (YPO experience)

More testimonials here.

Helping my clients feel amazing is why I do this.

Here are some of their experiences.

 

“Working with Amy is a dream. Think back to the best brainstorm you've ever experienced... ideas are flowing, it's a whole lot of fun. Now imagine the thing you're trying to solve is yourself. That's what the 'Where is Home?' program is like. Amy is supportive, collaborative, and a master synthesizer. She has helped me take big questions—like "what's important to me right now in a home?" or "how do I build community in a new place?" or "how will I know when it feels right?"—and break them down into tangible steps and experiments to prototype and try out.”

Where is Home? client

I wasn’t sure where to start at all because there were so many ways I could take my career at this point, both in terms of the kind of work (which area of expertise to pursue) and the mode of work (employed, self-employed, etc.) . What I love about your method is that it’s values-based, not process based (although you do have a process to lead us to values). I appreciate that it’s not prescriptive, and that you’ve allowed time and space for me to reflect and act.

Designer and tech leader, Client, What’s Next for my Career?

“Amy has changed how I think about hard decisions. Her experiment-led approach has reframed the way I look at the world. Big decisions no longer seem so monumental, just because they're big, because I'm no longer attached to one path working out the way I used to be.

It’s the secret to everything.”

Lea, Client

We loved our day and I would say it changed all of our lives. THANK YOU. It wasn’t the easiest crowd. You had 7 busy and exacting CEOs and everyone was like best day ever.

Founder and CEO, Hipcamp (YPO experience)

We just checked back in as a group. People were still glowing [a month after the event]. More than half of us expressed that we had been on a high since the retreat. One person used what you taught us with their kids, another with their partner. The impact of that day has been radiating outwards and has had such positive impact already on people's lives.

Founder and CEO, Hipcamp (YPO experience)

Amy Bonsall helped me navigate a pretty tricky career decision. Her approach is full of empathy, novel and brilliantly simple. One measure of making a good decision is being able to live with it through the good times, and the challenging ones.

To borrow a little cliché, "I am right where I am supposed to be right now," and much of this is because of the work that Amy and I did together.

If you're feeling a little stuck, wherever you are in the world, I highly recommend working with Amy to Get Unstuck.

David Beath, Head of Business Development at Neol

“I’ve been working with Amy while looking for my next new home for the past year and I can’t imagine the puddle I’d be in if it weren’t for her expert insight and support.”

Where is Home? client