IIDA is where it’s at, and Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, was literally everywhere during Chicago Design Week. From keynotes and meetings at The Mart to activations and design conversations in Fulton Market, IIDA’s Executive Vice President and CEO barely had a moment to spare between leading talks, offering insights, and connecting with the design community.

Durst has attended NeoCon for decades, and recently, she added Fulton Market Design Days, which launched in 2023, to her calendar. Over the years, she’s accumulated fond memories and unforgettable stories. This year included many firsts, including the creation of a brand-new IIDA design award and an official proclamation from the city of Chicago designating the second week of June as Chicago Design Week. “Chicago is the world’s greatest design city,” Durst told Dezeen, “and IIDA is proud to make its home in a place that has supported great design throughout its history.”

For this edition of our “Day in the Life” series, we wind the clock back to June and follow Durst through Chicago Design Week, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how she preps for days full of design excellence and nonstop activity.

The Lead-Up: Cheryl’s Pre-Design Week Rituals

Durst is all too familiar with prepping for NeoCon and Design Days. She has a routine: In the days beforehand, she gets a good night’s sleep, takes her vitamins, stays hydrated, and picks high-protein meals to keep her energy up.

You’d never guess it, but Durst is an introvert, so this time of year can be overwhelming — still, she loves it. “For three days, Chicago Design Week is the epicenter of our industry, and I want to have fun, too. So I make sure I take good care of myself and others around me. I try to maximize the joy of the community when and where I can,” Durst said.

Preparing herself physically is the first step. The next step? Picking her outfits. Durst loves to mix and match with colorful or patterned accessories and her iconic statement glasses. She’s mindful of the long days ahead, so she always chooses something comfortable. Then there’s the mental preparation: Durst knows she represents both a person and a brand, and she doesn’t lose sight of either. “I’m conscious of my own personal brand but I’m also tied to the brand of IIDA. The best brands are the brands that are human, and I always want to make sure I’m projecting myself while still representing IIDA,” she said.

Design Week is delightful; it’s also rigorous. There’s so much to see, learn, and do. Along with her own preparation regimen, Durst has some general survival tips to share — whether you’re new to Design Days and NeoCon or a seasoned visitor:

The Weekend Before

The Saturday before NeoCon and Design Days begin, IIDA hosts its summer Chapter Leadership Council (CLC) at IIDA Headquarters. Durst attends to talk shop and share strategies with design leaders from across the country. On Sunday, we kick things off with two major events: Annual Meeting in the morning and Revel in Design at night. This year marked our 31st Annual Meeting, held at The Mart, and Durst zeroed in on the power of human-centered design, and human connection, in her remarks. “Connect like crazy — with clients, communities, and the incredible human beings who make up this industry. IIDA will be here every step of the way,” she said.

IIDA members including chapter leaders, IIDA award-winners and manufacturers convened for the annual meeting, and the positive energy was palpable. It was one of Durst’s favorite moments from Design Week 2025: “It felt personal, it felt like family, and had such a good vibe,” she said.

Next up, the evening festivities: Revel in Design, held at the Four Seasons Chicago, a soiree to celebrate winners of IIDA’s prestigious International Design Competition, Will Ching Design Competition, and this year, the winner of IIDA’s first-ever Best of Chicago Design Week award (chosen from top winners in the Showroom and Booth Competition, which spanned the Mart and Fulton Market this year).

Durst has a getting-ready routine — a glass of sparkling wine while she dances to her favorite jams. Her Revel playlist has it all, from Motown to ’90s rap. And speaking of dancing, while Revel starts off with dinner and a formal program, the night ends with lighting up the dance floor. “Revel is different from walking the halls at NeoCon. It’s a different energy. People are there to celebrate so the mood is especially high. Whoever comes up to me, I like to match their mood — unless they’re in a bad mood,” Durst said.

“The celebration of design is not less formal, but with the addition of Raise the Roof,” the Revel afterparty, “we have created a way for more people to enjoy Revel and have fun. What amazes me is the nonstop dancing song after song. That’s a sign of a good DJ,” continued Durst, who enjoys busting a move with her colleagues and friends. She loves a line dance; she can get into the wobble. She might even teach you how to dougie.

Design Week: Day 1

Let the programming begin. The first day of Chicago Design Week is full of fascinating, IIDA-driven content. First, there’s the NeoCon keynote presented by IIDA — this year, Google executive and author Annie Jean-Baptiste talked about why good design starts at the margins — followed by a live edition of our popular Collective Design talk series. Mark Bryan, IIDA, our Futurist-in-Residence and the instructor behind IIDA’s new Certified Design Futurist (CDF) program, led the panel discussion, which explored what inclusive design really looks like, and how to achieve it in practice.

“Good conversation never goes out of style,” Durst said, and there was no shortage of great conversation during Monday’s programming, from smart design insights to memorable human moments. Jean-Baptiste raised a wise point about equity and diversity in design during her keynote, one that IIDA regularly reiterates. “We have to keep asking: Who else? Who else needs to be included? Who isn’t in the room yet? Whose voice still isn’t being heard?,” Jean-Baptiste said. “That’s how we invite a multitude of perspectives — and that’s where real innovation begins.”

Durst’s afternoon involved a lot more conversations (though not on a NeoCon stage), showroom visits, and media interviews. The day ended with an evening celebration for the beta cohort of IIDA’s Certified Design Futurist (CDF) program, held at Kimball International’s showroom in Fulton Market.

Design Week: Day 2

It was an early start — on Tuesday, Durst and Royce Epstein, Ind. IIDA, Senior Director of Design Insights at Mohawk Group, gathered design thought leaders in the Mohawk showroom for an intimate discussion about culture, context, and craft. It was a callback to a series of design conversations that Durst and Royce convened with small groups of design professionals over dinner in decades past. Next, Durst dropped by IIDA’s tent in Fulton Market, meeting and greeting members, design lovers, and our favorite furry friends — Design Dogs.

IIDA’s presence at both The Mart and Fulton Market has Durst thinking about the association’s role across Chicago Design Week. “I like exploring what it means to be in two different places and how that can positively impact IIDA. We are able to bridge the gap between NeoCon and Design Days,” Durst explained. IIDA’s new Best of Chicago Design Week award is helping bridge that gap. This year, IIDA’s Showroom and Booth Competition expanded to include both The Mart and Fulton Market. A special, select jury compared the Best of Competition winners from both and selected one Best of Chicago Design Week awardee.

Tuesday afternoon, Durst headed back to The Mart for a networking event for women of color in design, hosted in Momentum’s showroom, and IIDA’s Student Design Charette.

Cheryl’s Favorite Design Week Memories

It all comes back to community. Sometimes NeoCon, and now Design Days, feels like a big family reunion, Durst noted, bringing together members, design professionals from every corner of the industry, and even long-lost friends. One year, Durst even ran into the old friend who planned her baby shower when she was pregnant with her daughter. Moments like that make Design Week uniquely special for Durst.

Community-building and connection are the best parts of Design Week, and at the heart of IIDA. “I see IIDA as this intersection between people, design, purpose, fun, aspiration, and inspiration,” Durst said. “For our members, IIDA is a safe place — to be, to learn, to grow, and to experiment. No matter where you are in your career, IIDA offers community, safety, and optimism.”

Read more articles from the ‘Perspective: Design Is Everywhere’ issue here