Member Spotlight: Kendra Shea

One thing about designers? They're passionate about all things design — and they love to talk about it. Whether it’s exploring commercial interior design in our culture, design education, or even having important conversations about the role of designers when it comes to things like fire safety, healthy air circulation, and more, Kendra Shea, IIDA, covers it all on her podcast, “Design Over Drinks.”

The Seattle-based member of the IIDA Pacific Northwest Chapter has spoken with designers from all over the country, but it’s her deep-dive episodes on interior design advocacy and legislation that have especially been eye-opening and educational. They are so good in fact, that we have both episodes from a two-part series available for IDCEC CEU credits (Part One is available here, and Part Two here). We caught up with Shea recently for a quick “Design Over Drinks” 101 — what inspired her to start these conversations back in 2021, and why they are timelessly important.

Why did you decide to start your podcast?

The initial idea came during the COVID-19 lockdown. I began noticing a missing voice in many interior design conversations that were happening — the voice of folks who were still in their first 10 years of practice. From their experience in school to the transition into the workforce, I wanted to explore the reality of being a junior/intern/emerging interior designer. I've expanded this year with “Design & Pop Culture,” which looks at how design and pop culture intersect, and the “Deep Dive Series,” which explores one topic in depth, including multi-episode series on Legislative 101 and Sustainability 101.

Why are these conversations important to have as designers?

There is so much misinformation — both in the general public and within the industry — about what an interior designer, especially a commercially focused one, is trained to do. The more we talk frankly about the job, good and bad, the more we are dropping the barriers of entry and making a real, tangible career that you can grow in — not just what is portrayed in mass media.

What’s been the most surprising thing that you’ve learned?

Maybe not surprising, but interesting to note: In the first “Design & Pop Culture” episode, we look at examples of how interior design is portrayed in pop culture throughout film and TV. In the examples I could find, the designer is always a (high-end) residential practitioner. Commercial designers are not represented at all.

Why is it important for designers to be involved in advocacy efforts?

We have all experienced how being unregulated has led to interior designers — especially those who practice in the commercial sphere — often being overworked, underpaid, and looked over as secondary. While we know that interior designers’ duties within the scope of a project affect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, surprisingly, not everyone does. The more we speak up, the more we can work toward an equitable design landscape and a future with a regulated profession.

Learn more about getting involved in advocacy and legislative work in your state here.