The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between life design and student leadership development at Bowling Green State University. Life design is a creative problem-solving framework that empowers students to apply design thinking mindsets and methods in their own lives to creatively solve problems (Burnett & Evans, 2016). Life Design at Bowling Green State University is an institutional strategy to increase student success and empower students with the tools and skills to design meaningful college experiences and next steps after graduation (Life Design, 2023). Based on the literature, I suggested five main areas of overlap between life design and leadership: consciousness of self and others, collaboration, creative problem-solving, change, and innovation management. This study compared the six core scales of the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership across multiple student subgroups who were involved in various life design and leadership experiences. This study was meaningful as it contributed empirical research for life design and suggested preliminary signs of a relationship between life design and leadership. Findings suggested that students connected to life design and leadership experiences had higher levels of leadership outcomes than students who did not participate in life design or leadership experiences across all six scales in the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership. Findings also provided evidence of increased life design outcomes for students in life design The findings of this study have implications for research and practice. Though initial findings suggested a relationship between life design and leadership, further research is necessary to confirm and measure the relationship. A longitudinal study with mixed methods controlling for confounding variables will be essential in further research. Additionally, a longitudinal focus would help to better understand life design and leadership development during the college experience and beyond. Implications for practice include implementing life design programs within leadership programs, integrating design thinking into leadership education, and highlighting leadership outcomes embedded within life design curriculum. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]