Perspective Future Female: A Day in the Life

May 08, 2023 By Jessica Jones

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A peek into the Day in the Life of emerging interior designer Brianna Hunter who is taking the workforce by storm

By Jessica Jones May 08, 2023

Published in Articles

Emerging interior designer Brianna Hunter, IIDA has taken the workforce by storm with her brilliant ideas and user-focused perspective. She has been working in hospitality, multi-family high rise, workplace, and retail design for almost four years now, and every day she learns something different about her approach to design. In her current position as project designer at MKDA Miami, she uses her analytical skills combined with innovative design thinking to create projects that focus on detailing and user-experience.

Hunter also serves on the IIDA South Florida Chapter's board where her passion for design and enrichment meet as she dedicates her time to mentoring and helping students create their own design community. Recently Hunter attended the Florida International University (FIU) Interior Architecture Thesis Super Jury where she spoke about her experience of mentoring a student through her final semester.

Hunter details the ins and outs of her role in the continuation of our “A Day in the Life” series. Join us as we step into her role as project designer.

Jessica Jones: What motivated you to become a designer?

Brianna Hunter: Surprisingly, my first profession was law. I worked as a paralegal managing my own pre-litigation and probate cases. About four years into my legal career, I had an epiphany. This once creative, artistic, and visionary spirit I had as a child was being erased from my life. So, I sat down with my mom and she pulled up the Master of Interior Architecture program at FIU. I fell in love with the idea of becoming a designer and the rest is history.

Hunter starts her day with a vitamin packed smoothie for energy. Her favorite combination is pineapple, orange, carrot, kale, ginger, and golden beets. Yum!

To start her day right, Hunter creates a task list. This list is essential to her workday as it helps her stay cool, calm, and collected while maintaining her project deadlines.

Hunter incorporates this daily affirmation to her morning routine:
For the love of all and the harm to none may today be great. May I choose to shine and present my best self. I am grateful for this life, I am grateful for this body and my health, I am grateful for everyone I have in my circle.

JJ: Where do you look for inspiration?

BH: Inspiration can come from anywhere and everything. Studying the natural grooves of a palm tree can inspire a playful textural experience with a sophisticated neutral color palette. The sensuous curves of a sports car can be abstracted to create a panelized façade that glorifies the experience of destination. The design process isn’t always about the latest trends or what looks good but rather redefining the boundaries of how the built environment can make someone feel.

JJ: What motivated you to get your NCIDQ certification?

BH: In grad school my professors always stressed the importance of becoming licensed. However, it wasn’t until I attended a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) virtual web seminar hosted by AIA Miami in 2021 that I decided to pursue this milestone. In the webinar, the AIA Diversity & Inclusion Committee compiled various statistics on minority women and their professions. I was shocked to discover that only 2% of women of color sought out and obtained their professional license in their respective fields. At that moment, I told myself I wanted to be part of that two percent.

Working at MKDA, Hunter values the collaborative aspect of the design process. Along with her colleagues she pushes the boundaries of architectural and interior design daily.

Hunter prides herself on the technical aspect of design and one thing that excites her about her daily routine is learning the ins and outs of detailing.

Hunter learns more every day in her role, and she continues to build confidence in herself, her designs, her relationship with clients and knowing what she brings to the table.

JJ: What do you love the most about your job?

BH: What I love most about my job is the ability to utilize my natural talents. I’ve always had a specific skill set of being both creative and analytical. One day I will be ideating a design concept for an amenity space and the next I will be reviewing MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) drawings to ensure coordination. Not many professions unify those characteristics and I absolutely love the diversified experience of creating physical space.

JJ: What is a current project you are working on that you are excited about?

BH: When I started at MKDA in March of 2022, my first project was a 64,000 sq. ft. corporate office, FirstService Residential. I was trusted to work independently on this project through design development, construction documents and now construction administration. It is truly an unreal experience seeing an interior space through demolition and construction. This project is anticipated to be complete by December 2023 and I am so excited to finally walk through a space I had a part in designing.

The most important thing Hunter does everyday is reminding herself to be authentic and unapologetically herself. This allows her to think outside of the box and assess her environment through a new lens.

Hunter’s favorite way to end her work day is working out. Like going on a run to relieve the daily stresses, weight training or taking a yoga class. This has become an essential practice in her daily routine to stay healthy and happy.

After coming home from a long day, Hunter likes to relax cuddling up with her two cats Gilbert and Grape and picking up a good book focused on self-growth. This also helps relieve any of her daily stresses. A great way to end the day.

JJ: What's the best piece of advice you could give an emerging interior designer?

BH: After I graduated and entered the workforce, I told myself to be a sponge. To surround myself with talented designers and innovative thinkers and learn as much as possible from their wisdom and experience. So, the best piece of advice I could offer an emerging interior designer would be to be a sponge.