(Above Image: Kenneth Baker attends Detroit Red Party with staff and clients. Photo credit: Gillian Fry)

Cultivating a more diverse and inclusive design industry starts with every one of us. This Pride Month, IIDA is celebrating the LGBTQIA+ design community and acknowledging the progress made when it comes to equity and visibility—and the distance we still have to go. Design is a form of storytelling; designers amplify the narratives of their clients and communities. At its best, design also intersects with advocacy by promoting a more equitable world. We spoke with two interior designers, Gensler’s Kenneth Baker, FIIDA, and Rayman Boozer of Apartment 48, who are using their talents and voices to tell more inclusive stories and shape a better industry and world.

“My grandmother walks in with a Ken doll, and my father, I’m sure, was like, ‘why are you bringing him this doll?’ G.I. Joes were okay, but a Ken doll was not okay. But my name was Ken. So I latched on to that Ken doll. I still have that Ken doll to this day. And I’ve got probably five others. But I’ve got almost every outfit that was made in the ’60s for Ken. … I wanted to wear clothes like Ken wore.”

That doll influenced Baker’s striking and unapologetic style, and his outlook: “Don’t tell me what to wear, don’t tell me what to do—it’s part of me,” he said.

We talked with Boozer and Baker about their “aha” moments, their unique design perspectives, progress on LGBTQIA+ equity and visibility and the challenges that remain, and how design can foster social change.

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Did you have an “aha” moment when you realized design was exactly what you were meant to do, and if so, when was that moment?

Rayman Boozer: I’ve always loved decorating. When I was young, I subscribed to all the design and fashion magazines, but it was in college at Indiana University that I learned it was a career possibility. My first introductory design course served as an awakening: I realized that I already knew so much about interiors and now I could hone that knowledge and transform my life and others’ lives with it.

Kenneth Baker: I grew up in the Methodist Church. Our family went to church every Sunday and I went to Sunday school every morning before church. During one lesson, they had these books that had pictures of professions in them. We began to talk about what kind of people do certain types of jobs, and as I was looking through these books, there was this picture of an architect dressed in a really cool suit. He also had a roll of drawings in his hands and was standing by a drawing table. And in that moment, I locked into that profession, I went home and started researching what an architect was and what they do. I decided I wanted to be an architect, or a designer and it just stuck with me.

Kenneth, you are a global expert on workplace design. How, if at all, does your identity as an openly gay man influence how you approach designing spaces—and ensuring that all end users feel welcome?

KB: It’s designing for equity and inclusion. Because I am who I am, I felt that I had design abilities in my fingertips. With my clients there were no secrets about who I was. I was a gay man doing design work and I always approached design thinking of the way I would like to live and move in a space but also including the way the client would like to live and move in the space. I think all the work that I’ve done has always been part of me and design is a part of who I am.

Rayman, how, if at all, does your identity and lived experience as a Black, gay man intersect with your design aesthetic, approach, or philosophy?

RB: Being a person of color, we don’t have the privilege of being mediocre. If we want to succeed we need to be exceptional. This can be stressful and frustrating, but it forces us to be unique and better. Some designers embrace their lineage from centuries prior. Not knowing that information, I matured as an artist by embracing the world and influences around me: growing up on a farm, the 1960s/’70s anti-war protests and social justice movement, finding a more diverse community at Indiana University and then in New York, Diana Ross, Elton John, disco, drag queens, 1990s supermodels, and so much more.

At IIDA, we believe that design is immensely powerful. What does the power of design mean to you?

KB: Well, the power of design to me means that I’m fascinated by design. I’m intrigued by design. I dream of design. I live for design. But it also has to be about what design means to our clients. It means something different to every single person. We’re not designing our spaces; we’re designing their spaces. So, I think the important thing when you’re talking about design is relating design. How is design going to help them in their business? How is design going to support their goals and objectives? How does that workplace or building or airport or whatever you are designing, serve the people that are paying for it and using it? If we’re designing facilities with gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace in mind then I’m not asking my client’s permission to design that way. I’m designing that way. And the change will come.

Rayman, you founded Apartment 48 in 1994—30 years ago. You’ve been making your mark in the design industry for decades. In that time, have you seen significant signs of progress in the industry, in terms of making the field more diverse and inclusive? What obstacles remain?

RB: Progress is generational! I was born into segregation, came of age during the AIDS epidemic, and now I have my own firm. Justice is a work in progress, but things are getting better. Millennials and Gen Z don’t view race the same way as their parents; I think, generally, they see people first and know that any differences between us add value. Generational wealth is another elephant in the room; it’s simply much easier to get a new business off of the ground, regardless of your talent or ideas, with the fiscal and emotional support of a family nest egg. This is a reality inside and outside of our industry, but our leaders, editors, and designers should talk about it far more often and provide support—especially to the younger generations trying to break through. Unfortunately, there are established industry leaders who are slow to see the need for change across the board.

Kenneth, in an Interior Design magazine article a few years back, you said that in your more than 40 years in the industry, you’ve seen growing acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community, but there is always more to do to achieve ultimate, and deserved, acceptance. What are some of the most significant milestones you’ve witnessed over the years, and what are the biggest obstacles that remain?

KB: Well, I look at it as a glass half full. I don’t have a real negative attitude about where we are right at this moment. I know there’s work to be done, but I think what I’ve seen is a lot of progress. I remember telling a story on a panel discussion with Cindy Allen a few years ago about how a broker went to my boss and said, “Well, I don’t want to work with him. He’s gay.” And I thought to myself, well I’m an interior architect designing workplaces and there are a lot of people like me in this profession. What did you think you were going to get? But over the years, I’ve seen growth and I’ve seen clients and firms working to weave equity, inclusion, and diversity into their DNA.

Rayman, In an interview with Homes & Gardens, you said it’s not always easy for you to explain your design process, but truly understanding design requires understanding where inspiration comes from. What have been some of your major sources of inspiration throughout your design career?

RB: Television and movies were my biggest inspirations before I could afford to travel. Jeannie’s bottle in “I Dream of Jeannie” was my first interior obsession. Now, travel and fashion serve as primary influences. I love Paris and Morocco and I return to them again and again. The fashion of 1960s America and London’s Carnaby Street are frequent muses as well. While magazines still hold a great place in my heart, Pinterest has recently become a favorite medium to shuffle through existing and new ideas. I recently dove back into some of the classic Ralph Lauren photo shoots and print ads and found myself inundated with nostalgic design inspiration.

How can design foster social change?

RB: As with any industry that is historically lacking people of a certain group, showing up and being allowed to shine and to be seen by the world—younger generations in particular—is essential to rewiring perceptions. The creation of industry networks that provide visibility and support, like the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG) and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Design Alliance (AAPIDA), are good examples of artists coming together to ensure their voices are heard. We are a community and we must support and promote each other.

KB: By being a home for fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. At Gensler, we are really intense about looking at the diversity of our team and having achievable goals. It’s not just having the right makeup of people, it’s about bringing them together to focus on solving design problems for our clients. Having different cultures and ideas at the table makes us much more valuable to our clients and the industry.

What’s one piece of advice you would offer an emerging designer, especially a designer from a group that’s underrepresented in the industry?

KB: Listen to people. And when you’re listening to them, don’t listen with the mindset that you know what you want to say next. Really listen to them. When we are looking to hire new people, we’re not just hiring them to sit at a drawing board in front of a computer, build models and turn out drawings and designs. We’re giving them an opportunity, responsibility, a chance to succeed and to build their leadership capabilities.

RB: Get a good education and have a point of view; you don’t have to share or replicate the aesthetic of anyone. Make sure your work adds something new to the world; interpret, don't copy.