Why We Gather
A Note on The Design Assembly
Design can be a strangely isolating profession. So much of the work happens quietly, behind screens or on job sites, where you are making hundreds of decisions on your own. The finished spaces are collaborative, but the thinking often is not.
Design Assembly started very simply. A group of friends who happened to be interior designers getting dinner together. We were all running our own firms, navigating growth, managing teams, and making big decisions that rarely get talked about openly. The conversations were honest, specific, and deeply useful.
Over time, those dinners became more intentional.
What began as a group of friends gathering for dinner has grown into something we deeply value. Design Assembly is now a monthly, invitation-only dinner circle of firm founders who are actively building businesses, navigating growth, and doing the work in real time. The table grew, but the spirit stayed the same. No formal programming. No posturing. Just peers talking candidly about the work and the business of building a practice.
Those conversations have shaped the way I think about design and leadership more than almost anything else. Hearing how other firm owners approach similar challenges sharpens my own instincts. It reinforces the idea that good design is not just about taste, but about judgment, process, and perspective.
Design Assembly has also influenced our studio in a very real ways. It has deepened our commitment to longevity over trend, clarity over noise, and thoughtful decision making at every stage of a project. It has reminded me that strong work is rarely created in isolation.
Lately, I have been thinking more about how this kind of community could exist beyond the dinner table. There are so many designers and firm founders earlier in their journeys who are hungry for real conversation, not polished advice or performative coaching, but honest discussion on what it actually looks like to build a sustainable practice.
I believe there is real value in being in the room with people who understand the stakes. Design Assembly is one way of creating space for that kind of conversation.
For now, I am grateful for the table, the community around it, and the work that grows from being in the room together.
