Planning The Day

There’s so much to see at Design Chicago it can be difficult to know how to plan the day there! But we decided to plan our 9-5 day to include three panel sessions, and spend the rest of the time exploring the open houses and showrooms as well.

Visiting Showrooms

The open showrooms are a part of the show that really makes the experience. It’s a chance to get one-on-one time with reps who have worked and invested their career into high-end residential companies. They dedicate their time to providing designers like us all the information we need on the products to make sure we’re utilizing them fully. 

We left feeling confident about the products we learned more about, and knowing how to make sure the end user gets the most out of them too. This is invaluable to making sure our clients receive all the knowledge and key information for their projects too.

Panel Talks

During our visit, we attended three panel talks which were all insightful.

The first panel we attended was Anees Furniture. They gave an introduction to their company and how they are locally sourced while making their products in house. They gave insights on how their process works, why their products have longevity, and how they treat their customers/designers with respect and care. 

The second panel was Ted Bradley from Ted Bradley Studio, explaining his upbringing in creating light fixtures. He gave a backstory on his adventure and what challenges he had to overcome. Also, in the panel, he demonstrated how some of his fixtures were created and how that came to be. Everything had a specific purpose and meaning behind the decision. 

Lastly, the third panel was C.A.I., which was an interesting, unique approach to a panel – it was set up in an interview style. Three designers who are all at different stages within their careers took the talk and gave perspectives of a boss, an employee, and a client.

There were a lot of good insights into the working relationships within the design community. They touched on working with vendors, building relationships, and emphasizing respect for one another. As designers, we could not do our job without reps, vendors, contractors, plumbers, etc. Mutual respect is the key to ensuring that what we deliver is the best outcome for all our number one end users —the clients.

What we loved the most about the third panel was how it gave great insights to the design community. They explained their struggles and challenges in the workplace. One of the listeners asked a great question. They asked ,”How do you support your new entry-level designers?” For Emily in particular, being an entry-level designer, this caught her attention because she often feared not being good enough. What she learned from the panel was that you just have to find the right company and the right work environment for you, and you’ll flourish.

Key Take Aways!

Exploring the various showrooms and speaking to reps was an invaluable experience. But having the chance to listen to three completely different panels talk about crucial parts of the daily experience of what goes on in the design industry was our favorite part of the day.

Through each design panel, we were able to take away some really great information that helped advance our perspectives and deepen our understanding of the love and quality that residential design is all about.

Expert Design Services

If you’re looking for thoughtful interior design within your home, we’re ready to help. You can expect thoughtful design that is custom tailored to your needs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you are contemplating a project.