ICYMI: Design as Power: Cheryl Durst on What the Profession Can Do

What if the greatest value of design isn't what we see, but how it changes the way people experience the world?

For Cheryl S. Durst, executive vice president and CEO of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), design has the power to create opportunity, foster belonging, and improve lives. In this ICYMI audio edition of an interiors+sources feature by Carrie Meadows, Durst reflects on the profession's responsibility to make design more accessible, develop a deeper understanding of human behavior, and demonstrate its influence well beyond aesthetics.

Recognized as one of the Changemakers featured at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Durst draws on her personal experiences and decades of industry leadership to explore why designers should see themselves as advocates for positive change. She also considers what empathy requires in practice, why human understanding remains essential in an AI-driven world, and how the profession can better articulate both the financial and emotional value of design.

From education and healthcare to workplaces and public spaces, this episode offers a thoughtful reminder of the influence designers have—and the opportunities that come with it.

Read the original article: Design as Power: Cheryl Durst on What the Profession Can Do

Article by Carrie Meadows, interiors+sources. Presented as part of the I Hear Design ICYMI series.