Brian Chesky Design Thinking Morning

Focus on user experience mapping and product simplification before starting your workday. This design centered start helps founders and creators build with total clarity.

4 time blocks, 50 minutes in total.

Time blocks

Quiet Mindful Tea: 10 min
Slow start without screens, establishing clear focus for the day
Customer Journey Storyboarding: 15 min
Map out the ideal end to end user experience on paper
First Principles Product Audit: 15 min
Examine core project details and strip away unnecessary elements
High Impact Simplification: 10 min
Refine the single most important detail to make it effortless

About this routine

Brian Chesky's morning routine is built on his background as an industrial designer. Instead of immediately reacting to messages, he uses the early hours to evaluate projects through the lens of user experience.

The approach centers on storyboarding and extreme simplification. By mapping out every step of a customer journey, you can identify hidden friction points and focus on what actually matters for your primary project.

Adopting a design mindset in the morning sets a high standard for your creative work. Using a step by step morning routine helps protect your time for deep, intentional focus.

Why this routine works

Builds empathy by viewing work from the user perspective
Eliminates unnecessary friction and complexity early
Protects morning focus from reactive communications

FAQ

What is Brian Chesky's morning routine?

Brian Chesky's morning routine centers on quiet focus, user journey storyboarding, and reviewing products from first principles before diving into communications.

How long does this design thinking morning take?

The full sequence takes 50 minutes across four focused blocks.

How does Brian Chesky apply design thinking to leadership?

He maps out every stage of the customer experience like a story, constantly stripping away complexity until only the essential elements remain.

Sources

Brian Chesky on Masters of Scale Podcast, WaitWhat Media
How Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Uses Design Thinking, Fortune