The Heart of Design

Spirituality, Creativity & Entrepreneurship

The Heart of Design is a unique and timely guide to aligning professional and spiritual aspirations by designing for remembrance, not for distraction.
Join the Program
Next program cycle starts May 15, 2025.
Contentent
Ridaā
Integrity
Ikhlās
Blessings
Barakah
Intentionality
Niyyah
Excellence
Ihsān
Trust
Amanah

The Heart of Design

Spirituality, Creativity & Entrepreneurship

The Heart of Design is a unique and timely guide to aligning professional and spiritual aspirations by designing for remembrance, not for distraction.
Join the Program
Next program cycle starts May 15, 2025.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

What is the Heart of Design?

A unique 5-week journey to develop your ideas, plan your next chapter and explore the intersection of design, entrepreneurship and spirituality.
PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Embark on a 5-week journey with learners from around the world

Join a global community of learners on a 5-week journey of transformation through The Heart of Design. Peter Gould will guide you through this online program aimed at empowering creatively confident, talented leaders to launch spiritually-grounded ideas that can meet our communities’ challenges.

Enrol Now
WEEK 1

Embracing 
Design

  • Understand the role and potential of design in our world during uncertain times

  • Reframe personal goals, community and global problems 
as design challenges

  • Discover and embrace Design Thinking as a transformational mindset

WEEK 2

Design with Heart

  • Align deep inner purpose and spiritual aspirations with meaningful work

  • Redefine success to consider spiritual & life goals beyond commercial outcomes

  • Envisioning your journey ahead with engaging, interactive learning activities

WEEK 3

Seeking the Path

  • Embrace creative & spiritual practices for fostering & maintaining energy

  • Learn practical tools developed by Peter over years of personal experience

  • Design your personal planner at the intersection of design & spirituality

WEEK 4

Finding the Way

  • Feel inspired by successful startup founders & established creative leaders

  • Experience entrepreneurship as a transformative, not transactional journey

  • Learn ways to overcome tribulations and setbacks on the road towards success

WEEK 5

Illuminating the Road

  • Connect with inspiring, like-hearted people across the globe

  • Build a tribe and community to share and enrich your vision

  • Share in discussions with companions seeking purpose 
and balance

Live Sessions

All registered learners will receive an email detailing weekly interactive sessions.

The weekly interactive sessions will be run on a private link for live discussion at a set time. The first session starts at the times listed below. (Note: This is one weekly two-hour session, as listed in the various time zones below. The date will vary based on your specific time zone).
*Please find more time conversions here. Over 300 participants have joined from many countries and time zones.
AVAILABLE NOW

The Heart of Design Book

Order your copy of The Heart of Design: Spirituality, Creativity & Entrepreneurship, and help us launch a global movement to empower a new wave of creatively confident, talented leaders.

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HEART OF DESIGN ALUMNI

Testimonials

Thank you Heart of Design team and Peter Gould for creating this beautiful space. I'm grateful to have been part of the July 2023 program, and one of my main takeaways from this life-changing experience is to reframe my mindset to do transformative work instead of it being transactional as a designer.

Amera Ibrahim

Philippines

The curriculum was so holistic, delving into how the spiritual, creative, practical, and community spheres are connected, and how we can develop them in harmony to approach design challenges. Through the weekly assignments, I practiced how to let go of perfectionism, and instead focus on beginning and iterating. As a “dreamer” who wants to be a “doer,” this course pushed me to simply start my ideas - through elevating my questions and purpose, using design tools like the Heart-Centred Canvas, and cultivating a community of like-hearted people to share with and learn from.

Maria Azam

Canada

I just want to let you know that just after this short time in the course I start to see the seeds of a life-changing path, some early internal prototypes. I want to thank you for putting this course together. The material is more than amazing. May Allah reward you.

Sharif Shawky

UAE

I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Heart of Design program offered by the Gould Studio in January 2023. As a health sector worker, I have been on a journey of recovery from burnout in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The course, with its heart-centred approach, provided me with a beautiful path by which to explore creativity and spiritual grounding.

Abeer Majeed

Canada

I have been following Peter Gould's work for some time through the people who have worked with him and have always been drawn to understand how to design with an intention. I am glad to take part in the Heart of Design program as it opened my eyes to understanding how design is integrated through an Islamic lens and can bring value to what we believe in and be of service to the people and planet around us. As the name of the course implies, everything has to be evaluated from the heart foremost.

Athina Ibrahim

Indonesia

Overall, I really enjoyed the course, I would highly recommend it, especially for people who have some sort of idea percolating on the back burner and they're trying to figure out how to push it forward. I think the course will give lots of ideas and it will also bring you into a wonderful, vibrant community of light hearted individuals who are also there to be your cheerleaders and supporters.

Hamzah Henshaw

USA

Thank you Heart of Design team and Peter Gould for creating this beautiful space. I'm grateful to have been part of the July 2023 program, and one of my main takeaways from this life-changing experience is to reframe my mindset to do transformative work instead of it being transactional as a designer.

Amera Ibrahim

Philippines

The curriculum was so holistic, delving into how the spiritual, creative, practical, and community spheres are connected, and how we can develop them in harmony to approach design challenges. Through the weekly assignments, I practiced how to let go of perfectionism, and instead focus on beginning and iterating. As a “dreamer” who wants to be a “doer,” this course pushed me to simply start my ideas - through elevating my questions and purpose, using design tools like the Heart-Centred Canvas, and cultivating a community of like-hearted people to share with and learn from.

Maria Azam

Canada

I just want to let you know that just after this short time in the course I start to see the seeds of a life-changing path, some early internal prototypes. I want to thank you for putting this course together. The material is more than amazing. May Allah reward you.

Sharif Shawky

UAE

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ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS

Inspiring Stories

Peter Gould explores topics with creative leaders, spiritual teachers and startup founders from around the world.

Read More

Designing with Divine Love

A. Helwa
Author and Poet

Reclaiming the Heart of Creativity

Yasmin Mogahed
Psychologist, Author, Academic, & Globally-loved Speaker

Building Purposeful Teams

Melanie Elturk
Founder & CEO of Haute Hijab

A Journey of Remembrance

Baraka Blue
Poet, Author & Teacher

The Power of Play

Rami Ismail
Video Game Developer and Activist
MEET THE FOUNDER

Peter Gould

Peter Gould is a strategic design leader. He advocates for heart-centered design to create meaningful cross-cultural understanding.

Over 20 years his engagements have included Apple, Google, United Nations and a diverse portfolio from senior government projects to globally successful products. His contributions to design have resulted in international acclaim, including a major award from the UAE Vice President.

He is a recipient of the Stanford Certificate of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and has lectured Design Thinking at the University of Technology, Sydney.

In 2020, Peter was appointed as an Australia for UNHCR Ambassador in recognition of his efforts supporting refugees. At the intersection of design, spirituality & entrepreneurship, Peter aims to inspire a global heart-centered design movement for a bright, shared future.

Visit peter-gould.com

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