Design Leadership

Here we are again!  The design world is looking into the future with uncertainty.  It can seem scary, but the truth is the world of architecture is constantly evolving—new technologies, shifting client expectations, economic uncertainty, and industry disruptions are part of the DNA of today’s architecture firm reality.  All demand [...]

How to Attract Top Talent to Your Firm?  Every architecture and interior design firm wants to attract star talent, but how do you attract them? What are they looking for? These stars need to see that your firm has what they want. Here are some tips for better understanding high-quality [...]

How to Attract top talent?  As firms start to rebuild or grow, the battle for talent is resuming. It is often a knee-jerk reaction to think that money is the key to finding the right talent. This is part of it.  But many factors will attract top talent to your firm.  [...]

Improve workplace cohesion.  It can seem like a daunting request.  From political opinions to differences in how to respond publicly to the pandemic, division seems to be growing in our nation. Yet, this isn’t the first time that our country has experienced significant differences. With such a wide range of [...]

Use these 4 trends to hire top design talent and your firm will add outstanding architects and interior designers to your team. With the industry evolving rapidly, architecture leaders must stay up-to-date on the latest trends in hiring and interviewing. In this article, we’ll explore four key trends shaping the [...]

Hiring the right people can be challenging during rapid company growth. The firm feels pressured to meet all sorts of other demands during this time. Breaking the hiring habits that have worked for decades can be difficult, but the truth is that hiring processes are doomed to fail when they [...]

I have been looking back over some of the content I created during the height of the pandemic.  I have been curious to better understand this time because, one, it feels like and long time ago, and two, I find it hard to have any exact memories of being locked [...]

Social media can be a powerful tool for architecture firms, yet many firms don’t take advantage of TikTok, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Social media can help you establish your identity, attract talent, gain new clients, and increase firm awareness. The Benefits of Social Media Social media is a fast and cost-effective [...]

The architecture and design industry, all industries for that matter, are in a new paradigm.   From full-time in the office to hybrid and full work-from-home, unlimited PTO, and hot desks, organizations are rethinking culture from the ground up. Part of the cultural redefinition is how to retain employees.  Firms are [...]

Sharing feedback with a candidate after the interview is critically important. This process does two things.  First, gathering feedback on the candidate from your interview team helps you decide if the candidate is the right fit for the position. Second, it allows the candidate to better understand how their skills [...]

Job Offers that get accepted are easy to create and are not all about base salary!  As we enter 2024 DBI is already seeing new jobs opening and firms of all sizes in need of staff.  Competition is slowly creeping back into hiring for the Architecture and Interior Design industries. [...]

My last Design and Dialogue post from last year, Happy New Year, I Quit (you can also see my video here) I talk about the best practices your firm should lean on when an employee quits. One of the best practices is for a firm to call upon their bush [...]

Happy New Year!  I Quit! I hear this story all the time. It is the first Friday morning of the year and things are going well. The weekend is close, and your project is on track. You have the right budget, the right timeline, and the right team in place. [...]

Leaders, those that stand out, use very specific qualities in each of their interactions. Take Sir Richard Branson for example, the self-proclaimed rule-breaker owns one of the world’s most recognized brands and has authored several books on important leadership principles. Instead of relying on traditional business strategies, he suggests that [...]

Building high-performing teams is critical to the success and profitability of a design firm.  As our industry moves into 2024 many firms are adjusting to headwinds of all kinds.  Many projects have been paused or shelved due to the higher interest rates.  Other firms are adjusting to technological changes in [...]

The Architecture and Interior Design industry, as all industries do, has its ups and downs.  The market today is in a “down”.  Layoffs have become an unfortunate reality for many professionals currently. When leaders of firms, large and small, find themselves in a situation where they must let go of [...]

The way we handle stress can make a considerable difference in our overall well-being. Let's dive into the stress-relief tactics of five highly successful individuals to help you combat stress.

Do you want to avoid sifting through countless resumes and conducting endless interviews to find your firm’s perfect interior design talent? Look no further! An interior design staffing agency can completely revolutionize your hiring process. With their expertise and vast network, they can connect you with top-notch designers who will take your [...]

As brands are vying for attention more than ever, the role of a designer is critical. As a hiring manager, recruiting top-notch design talent is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. But with a plethora of designers available, how do you discern the extraordinary from the ordinary? Here are five [...]

Claiming your seat in one of the leading design firms requires developing a forward-thinking perspective about architecture's purpose and your role in supporting it.