Interior Design Hosts 30/30 Event in 3 Cities for Early Career Designers

What does it mean to be a young design professional today? Designers under the age of 30 gathered in Chicago, Dallas, and New York City this fall to delve into this question during Interior Design‘s 30/30 events, a new initiative meant to honor the work of early career creatives and facilitate new connections. Roughly 30 designers, nominated by their respective firms for their dedication and stellar work, attended each 30/30 event in addition to manufacturers and established professionals.

From theMart in Chicago to the SOM office in New York City to the office of HKS Architects in Dallas, engaging discussions ensued at each event centered around prescient issues impacting designers now. Presenting for the groups, AJ Paron, SANDOW Design Group EVP and design futurist, offered insights into digital body language, communication skills, and the future of design, followed by breakout sessions for more in-depth conversations.

“Love the concept of this event,” says Chuck Chong, junior designer at SOM. “I heard this is a new thing and I’m so happy that young designers are getting the recognition they deserve because we are all in the same boat, making these connections with one another is so helpful.”

Each 30/30 event closed out with celebratory cocktails and small bites, as well as a showcase of products from event partners, offering attendees a chance to connect with manufacturers and learn more about material innovation and product development. A few lucky attendees even brought home design goodies from the end-of-day raffle.

“I really loved the event, and I could not recommend it enough,” shares Vanessa Thanh Vu, associate interior designer at DLR Group. “It was great to connect with young designers like myself. I really loved the activities AJ had us do!”

A very special thank you to our event partners:

30/30 Chicago (10/19): Formica, Shaw Contract, Lutron, Kimball International, Williams Sonoma, Daltile, Garden on the Wall, and Keilhauer.

30/30 New York (10/26): Formica, Lutron, Kimball International, Keilhauer, Garden on the Wall, and Williams Sonoma.

30/30 Dallas (11/9): Formica, Lutron, Kimball International, Keilhauer, Daltile, TURF, Scott Group, Garden on the Wall, and Williams Sonoma.