IIDA 'sat down’ with Rashanda Udekwu, Ind. IIDA to discuss the past year, work-life balance, inspiration, and her newly created role, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for IIDA’s Northern California chapter.
Tell us a little about your current design role?
Rashanda Udekwu: I am a Director of Business Development at KBM-Hogue, one of the country's top Knoll dealers.
Who or what inspires you?
RU: Currently, people who choose to find the silver linings in 2020 inspire me.
What has been the most significant change to your work and life routine in 2020, aside from working remotely?
RU: I started at KBM-Hogue in 2020 and so I have never actually met any of my colleagues in person. Navigating that gave me important insights into the experience of the workplace, and what shifts when you can meet your collaborators in a real space, in real-time. We’re doing a lot of thinking around returning to the office and being able to attract and retain talent. There are wonderful aspects to our virtual worlds, but there are some things that cannot be replaced, that can only happen when you engage in person in the workplace—shared space builds trust, sparks creativity, and a sense of community. Technology has led the way in terms of thinking of remote work as a lifestyle and as a way for us all to stay connected, but it’s also clear that physical connectivity is so vital to innovation.
How have you engaged with the design community and found yourself reaching out to your professional community during this time?
RU: Knoll hosts wonderful virtual events and programs that I often share with my network, and I’ve just done a lot of reaching out and connecting. There have been lots of internal shifts in the industry so I’m always touching base and connecting with people as well as asking the questions of those around me, “Who else should I be in touch with?” Always building and contributing to the community is key. I like to ask, “How can I bring value to the projects and how can I help create a better road towards achieving your goals?”
How can designers help to better build community?
RU: I think being more aware and choosing to discover our own blindspots to create a better world starts with us.
When you're not working and designing, what fills your day?
RU: Connecting with friends and family, reading, and learning new ideas. Oh, and thoughtful podcasts. I recently started playing tennis!
Who are your favorite designers or architects?
RU: There are too many amazing designers to only choose one! As far as architects, Zaha Hadid, the first woman to design a museum in the U.S.— her work is truly phenomenal.
What person, living or dead, do you most admire?
RU: I hold true admiration for the real people in my life. My grandfather, my mother, people that I know in a deeper way and understand all aspects of them. There are many folks whose work and accomplishments I deeply respect, but genuine admiration is always something closer to home for me. And getting a true honest look into someone's life through personal interaction is what strengthens that admiration.
What are you looking forward to in 2021?
RU: New year, new opportunities, and possibilities!
What are your goals and priorities in the newly created role of VP of DEI for IIDA Northern California?
RU: I think it’s important that DEI moves beyond those three letters—that it does not just represent a race or a small segment but becomes really expansive. I want those three words to become a lifestyle, and to approach this role in a broad sense. We’re not doing this work to check a box, we’re doing this work to create a way of life in our community so that we can all begin to see and experience the world in a more equitable manner. For designers, architects, and the firms and organizations we all work for—we can and should move beyond just hitting a number. I’m not an expert, but I have my lived experience and a passion for people that inspires me to continue to be curious as to what we can all learn together, and explore what we can tackle if we take on a challenge collectively. We all have the power to create ripple effects if we approach it this way.
I also think it’s important to note that it is a community effort. There isn’t one of us that can do this work alone—we can all seek to partner with others to move these efforts forward.
What is your advice to young and emerging designers seeking to promote and support equity in design?
RU: Design is incredibly inspiring, but I know that once you enter the workforce it’s not uncommon for that creativity to dwindle as we become absorbed into our firms and workplaces. The things that made us curious and attracted to the field in the first place don't always get the nourishment they need. So my advice is to continually do things that challenge yourself to get outside the box, and to learn about others around you and learn their stories. This opens up our world and feeds our creativity, as well as creates a sensitivity to others and our environment. Continuing to be curious about the world around you will help to create more equity in our lives.
Rashanda Udekwu: February Member Spotlight
We speak with IIDA member and Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for IIDA’s Northern California chapter.
By IIDA HQ
Feb 11, 2021
Published in
Members
Featured Articles
View All Articles

Rashanda Udekwu: February Member Spotlight
We speak with IIDA member and Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for IIDA’s Northern California chapter.
Feb 11, 2021
Members

For Now, For Next: 12 Essential Ideas For 2021
IIDA Industry Roundtable members convened to discuss what the past year revealed about life, work, and what the future might hold for the design industry, for our clients, and for ourselves.
Feb 02, 2021
Industry roundtable

Talk, Talk: Delineating Diversity
How can the design industry truly become more diverse and inclusive?
Feb 01, 2021
Perspective

IIDA Student Members Reflect on Their 2020 Mentorship Experience
The Student Mentoring program goes virtual in 2021—hear from students on the importance of establishing professional relationships while building their careers.
Feb 04, 2021
Students

Scratch Pad: February
What to read, watch and browse this month.
Feb 01, 2021
Perspective

Generation Next
The design community has the power—and responsibility—to usher in a workforce as ethnically and racially diverse as the world it’s designing for.
Feb 01, 2021
Perspective

Anna Hernandez Awards Celebrates Women in Design
Establish your name, and fund the further development of your emerging design firm—if you are a woman-identifying designer you may qualify to apply for the Anna Hernandez/Luna Textiles Visionary Award and Education Fund.
Jan 25, 2021
Foundation

Cheryl Durst on Designing a Better 2021
Cheryl S. Durst shares insights on how we weathered a radical 2020 and the ways we can transform our world with, and through design in 2021.
Jan 25, 2021
Cheryl durst

Access Code
Instead of just ticking a box, designers are focused on building accessibility into the DNA of a space.
Jan 19, 2021
Perspectives

High 5: January
Check out 5 items building buzz in the design world: pod offices, the state of women in the workplace, the whitest white, carbon-negative furniture, and bioplastic PPE.
Jan 19, 2021
Perspective

Talk, Talk: Mental Health Check
How can design leaders support team members’ mental health in difficult times?
Jan 07, 2021
Perspective

The Automation Effect
Designers are using tech to add convenience—and safety—to their spaces.
Jan 05, 2021
Perspective

Interface + IIDA: Virtual Converge Sustainability Summit 2020
A cohort of emerging designers and students convened virtually for a two-day climate summit.
Nov 22, 2020
Interface converge

Fast-Forward to 2025
COVID has changed everything–what will last and what will morph into something else? Designers look ahead to the future of office, hospitality, healthcare, and retail interiors.
Nov 19, 2020
Perspective

Advocacy Spotlight: Oregon and Cincinnati/Dayton
IIDA Chapters are staying connected with members safely and being creative with virtual events from happy hours and networking to annual fundraisers.
Nov 16, 2020
Advocacy

IIDA Advocacy: Sunset Reviews
Many laws contain a clause that calls for regular review or termination after a certain period of time–learn what this means as you advocate for your profession.
Nov 16, 2020
Advocacy

2020 State Legislative Round-Up
IIDA Advocacy shares what has changed, and what has stayed the same in key elections throughout the U.S. where politicians that support our industry were up for reelection.
Nov 16, 2020
Advocacy

What Design Education Means Now
What does it mean to teach in a global health crisis? IIDA and KI gathered six designers and education professionals to explore a changing education landscape, optimism, and the resiliency of students.
Nov 11, 2020
Education

The Value of IIDA Membership
IIDA is designed for you. Familiarize yourself with the benefits of membership—from networking opportunities to continuing education tools—and be included in an expansive design community.
Nov 04, 2020
Membership

IIDA Wilsonart Essay Winner Reflects on Mentorship Experience
The Wilsonart Essay awards IIDA Student members for participating in a reflection on their experience as a mentee in the Student Mentoring Program.
Oct 19, 2020
Students

From Outdoor Space to Outer Space
Climate change drives design towards sustainability and towards a future where we design for life in space, and the current trend towards incorporating the outdoors in workplace design.
Oct 13, 2020
Industry roundtable

The Design Process in the Real World
The 2020 IIDA Student Roundtable report highlights our program the offered IIDA Student members an inside look at different professions within the interior design industry—from designers, to sales and manufacturing roles.
Oct 05, 2020
Student roundtable report

Watch Advocacy 101: Just the Basics
The 2020 Advocacy Symposium opening session Advocacy 101: Just the Basics highlighted ways that the IIDA advocacy department can assist members and students in their advocacy efforts and debunked common advocacy misconceptions.
Oct 01, 2020
Advocacy

IIDA Virtual Advocacy Symposium: State of Affairs
IIDA's 2020 Advocacy Symposium went digital—catch up on the State of Affairs
Oct 01, 2020
Advocacy

Everybody is Included
How will efforts and progress in diversifying the interior design industry shape the future of the industry, and the world at large?
Oct 01, 2020
Diversity

Women Lead Design: Ronnie Belizaire, Rachel Rouse, Kia Weatherspoon
Women making strides in design to discuss the urgency of this current moment, what’s next for design, and how a diversity of design thought is more crucial than ever.
Sep 16, 2020
Women lead design

2020 Advocacy Symposium Keynote Speaker Bill Grant
Bill Grant, mayor of Canton, Georgia, and president and chief creative officer of the award-winning Grant Design Collaborative, shares insight into how the skills that designers possess can drive advocacy.
Aug 13, 2020
Advocacy

When Women Lead, Design Thrives
As part of IIDA’s 2020 NeoConnect programming, IIDA presented Collective D(esign): Women Lead Design, with an eye on leadership and how women specifically lead, the panel addressed the importance of being able to see yourself reflected in your leaders and managers.
Aug 14, 2020
Women lead design

Sascha Wagner on Design Influence, Leadership During Crisis, and the IIDA Community
2020-2021 International Board President Sascha Wagner discusses the roles of community and design in the process of evolving through crisis, and the need for adaptability in our environments.
May 29, 2020
Iida, Iida international board, Future of design, Covid-19, Workplace design

Lauren Rottet: Connectivity, Success, and Enduring Design
IIDA and AIA Chicago kicked off the second season of their Designers & Architects Talk series on February 11, with a conversation between IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, and Lauren Rottet.
Mar 10, 2020
Cheryl s. durst, Lauren rottet, Aia, Interior designers, Designers & architects talk series

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and Safety Information
The health and safety of IIDA members is our priority, and we have gathered together some essential tips and important information for keeping you, your family, and your community safe.
Mar 10, 2020
Iida members, Personal health & safety

Interior Adaptations Across Chicago
On March 10, IIDA Headquarters will host Repositioned and Reimagined, a discussion on three of the most newsworthy and timely interior transformations in Chicago: Willis Tower, Tribune Tower, and Old Post Office.
Feb 21, 2020
Designers & architects talk series, Old post office, Willis tower, Tribune tower, Chicago, Interior design, Architecture, Adaptive reuse

Spotlight on Oklahoma: New Design Awards Elevate Local Community Work
Kristen Brumley, IIDA, discusses why championing Oklahoma’s local design community with the newly-established Oklahoma Interior Design Awards is beneficial to both practitioners and design advocates.
Feb 21, 2020
Advocacy, Chapter spotlight, Interior design advocacy, Oklahoma city center, Interior design awards, Kristen brumley

2020 Advocacy Preview: Continued Success
2019 was an eventful year for interior design legislation and activism. To build on this momentum, Emily Kelly, Director of Advocacy, Public Policy, and Legislative Affairs for IIDA, wants to help you advocate for your profession in 2020. Our advocacy initiatives, events, training guides, and resources, are designed to support your voice and creative energy.
Feb 21, 2020
Advocacy, Cheryl s. durst, Advocacy symposium, Legislation, Upcoming events, Interior design

Looking Forward to the 2020 Designers & Architects Talk Series
Here at IIDA Headquarters, we are thrilled to partner with AIA Chicago for the second consecutive year to co-present the Designers & Architects Talk series. This year, we offer four provocative Tuesday evening discussions that will address commercial interior architecture and design. Both architects and commercial interior designers will want to attend to learn from the speakers as well as to mix and mingle with the Chicago design community.
Feb 24, 2020
Interior design, Iida, Aia chicago, Designers & architects talk series

Leaders Breakfast 2019 in Review
This past December, IIDA’s Leaders Breakfast series wrapped another successful year, and an incredible decade of celebrating the history of IIDA, its design leadership, and our dynamic community of designers and industry members.
Feb 24, 2020
Herman miller, Leaders breakfast, Awards, Interior designers

How Evolving Behavioral Health Needs and Awareness Impact Interior Design
The 2019 IIDA HCD Power Lunch Addresses the Complexities in Designing for Behavioral Health Spaces and how the evolution of behavioral health needs and awareness impact interior design.
Jan 06, 2020
Healthcare, Iida hcd power lunch, Healthcare design expo, Hospitals, Safety

The Confluence of Workplace and Hospitality Design: An IIDA Panel Discussion at Room & Board
The IIDA-hosted panel at Room & Board's New York showroom focused on the influence of hospitality design in the workplace - one of the decade's most significant commercial interior design trends.
Jan 06, 2020
Industry, Interior design