Who We Are
At Burns Design Strategy, we believe in life-centered design and the power of bringing people together to solve complex challenges through design thinking. Our mission is to help organizations foster collaboration, drive innovation, and create meaningful solutions that put people first.
Founded by Holly Anne Burns, Burns Design Strategy offers:
✔ Tailored design strategy services to help organizations navigate change and innovation
✔ Leadership and mentoring workshops that empower teams to think creatively and strategically
✔ Executive coaching to develop design-driven leadership skills
✔ Cross-disciplinary collaboration that bridges design, business, and technology
Meet Holly Anne Burns
Holly is a design thinking expert with a passion for helping teams unlock their creative potential. She specializes in:
✔ Leading engaging, results-driven workshops and training programs
✔ Applying empathetic, life-centered design to real-world business challenges
✔ Guiding organizations to foster collaboration, innovation, and resilience
Holly launched Burns Design Strategy in 2022 while working as a Teaching, Learning, and Technology Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Master’s in Design + Innovation program. After four years in product development and over a decade leading interdisciplinary teams across design disciplines, she took the leap into full-time entrepreneurship in 2023.
Today, Burns Design Strategy is dedicated to helping teams harness design thinking to drive meaningful innovation and create lasting impact.
Let us help you discover your innovation.
Who We Work With
2025 Public-Facing Events
October 21 - 28
WiSys VentureHome Level Up! Launch Pad
Western WI
October 22 - 30
WiSys VentureHome Level Up! Launch Pad
Eastern WI
November 13
University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies: Design Thinking for Innovative Problem Solving
Virtual
More to come in 2026
Stay tuned
September 9
University of Wisconsin-Madison BME 602 Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
Madison, WI
April 26
Dane Arts - The Business of Arts Conference IV The Art of Innovation: Applying Design Thinking to Your Creative Practice
Madison, WI
August 19
DevFest at the Forward Fest: Design Thinking for Devs: A Crash Course to Up Your Game Madison, WI
Contact me.
burnsdesignstrategy@gmail.com
Madison, WI









