What is Next for Design? The Future is Already Being Written
Taking part in the venerated What’s New What’s Next event in New York City has always been an exciting and enriching experience for me. This year, I was honored to be selected again as an Ambassador for the event—the only designer in Philadelphia to hold this accolade. The opportunity to participate as an Ambassador allows me to build even deeper industry connections and to engage with some of the most inspiring designers and top industry professionals across the country.
What’s New What’s Next is a landmark event in the design world, bringing together thought leaders, designers, and innovators to discuss trends, new research, and the future of design. It’s a space where I can learn about how firms are managing both macro-level industry shifts and the fine-tuned studio procedures that allow their businesses to thrive. As someone who loves to gather data and understand the design world from a wide-angle perspective, I’m always eager to hear about new business trends, what current research is showing, and how other industry professionals are preparing for the future of design. This “on the ground” information gathering informs our business practices and how we approach each project, in an effort to continuously improve how we serve our clients.
This year, in particular, allowed me to take a step back and explore the broader implications of what’s happening in design today—especially around topics like wellness. I had the chance to meet one of my design icons, Barbara Barry, and hearing her speak reaffirmed so many of the ideas I’ve held about how design can transform perspectives. Design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about how the spaces we live in affect our overall wellness and well-being. What we do is so much about creating a feeling, an emotion. More and more we focus on how clients want to feel in their homes, and creating environments that allow them to love how they feel when they wake up in the morning and come home at night. When you feel good and when your home is functioning for you, it supports your mental well-being. We look at every aspect of great design as an opportunity to be life-improving. As Barbara Barry put it in her remarks at What’s New What’s Next, “design is about paying attention.” We give our full attention to the physical, emotional, sensory, and aesthetic considerations of spaces in service to our clients’ well-being. We’re seeing this concept become a significant part of the “what’s next” in the design world. As technology continues to shape how we control our environments, wellness is now infusing into our homes, backed by years of solid research and practical application.
In the work we engage in daily, we strive to take all of these insights—new business trends, cutting-edge perspectives, and the evolving design landscape—and apply them to create spaces that connect with our clients on an emotional, and visceral, level. For Glenna Stone Interiors, homes are about more than just function and beauty. They are narratives that reflect our desires, needs, and the sense of well-being we crave in our everyday lives.
As someone who has always sought mentorship and the wisdom of those at the top of their fields, I’m thrilled to be in a position where I can also mentor others in the design business. Events like What’s New What’s Next allow me to continue learning, growing, and sharing knowledge with up-and-coming designers, which is something I truly cherish. Further, I see my GSI colleagues passing along insightful knowledge to our architectural and construction partners and sharing wisdom with our clients.
I’m incredibly honored to have been an Ambassador for What’s New What’s Next once again this year. These opportunities not only help me grow personally but also enable me and my team to bring deeper understanding and insight to the work we do for our clients. Stay tuned for our next Perspectives, where I will be sharing more thoughts on the future of wellness in design.
Glenna
Check out last year’s blog here.
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