We at i+s are excited to introduce you to our revamped Advisory Board for 2021 and are honored to have so many talented and respected design practitioners as part of our team. To find out what’s happening in the world of design education, we asked Denise Rush, dean and faculty of the School of Interior Architecture at Boston Architectural College, where she sees the industry headed and where she draws inspiration for educating the next generation of designers.
i+s: What motivates you to do the work that you do every day? Where do you find inspiration and purpose?
Denise Rush: I am motivated by students who are the future of the design profession. I find inspiration from a variety of design disciplines: industrial design, product design, graphic design, architecture and the visual arts community.
i+s: How would you describe your design philosophy and who are the mentors and/or colleagues that helped shape it?
DR: My design philosophy is focused on keeping people in the forefront of my interior design solutions.
i+s: What are you excited about as we head into 2021? What are your major concerns for our industry?
DR: I am excited to see where the world of interior design is headed, because with so many people working from home the balance of work and home is much more important. The knowledge of spatial design will be more valuable. I am concerned that the industry maintains its resilience.
[Related: Working from Home Is Changing Our Perception of the Workplace]
i+s: What design trends do you think we can expect to see in the next few years?
DR: Home and work have changed due to the pandemic. Trends will include spaces that are designed with justice and equity in mind.
i+s: What’s next for you and your organization?
DR: As an educational institution that is at the intersection of academics and practice we are focused on strengthening our distance educational mode and remote practice experiences of our students
i+s: Which city do you hope to visit once it’s safer to travel?
DR: I hope to return to two of my favorite cities: New York and Chicago. Cities on my list for international travel include Reggio Calabria (Italy) and Marrakesh (Morocco).
Listen to interviews with more of our new board members on the I Hear Design podcast and read more Q&A’s like this one.
Meet our other Advisory Board members:
