d+a | Issue 123 • 2022

/ FEATURE / 22 ALL IS NOT LOST On the bright side, the last two years have brought about changes that positively impacted the industry and there is now the chance for it to move into thrive mode. “I think we have a unique opportunity to pave the way for the ‘new normal’,” feels Picanco. “The world is at a juncture where we need to learn to live with what is happening and find new ways of doing things. “Interior designers have always been great problem solvers and now we are in a position to help come up with creative solutions to redesign the way we live, work and socialise.” right clients,” offers Tan, who was the Interior Designer of the Year at IDCS’s Design Excellence Awards 2021. In her opinion, the most important message designers should convey via social media is value – how they create, deliver and exchange something only they have to make a project successful. “Designers need to be vigilant to hold their social media investment, both in terms of time and money, to these standards.” Yet another pitfall is the over-reliance on it. Tan feels some designers spend too much time on social media, resulting in the stunting of their creativity. “For too many, Pinterest is a black hole that sucks time and resources away from creativity and strategic research, like looking in-depth into a client’s brand DNA to produce better ideas. “You get too caught up in trying to execute a ‘Pinterest look’. When there is so much focus on aesthetics, there is lack of a deeper connection with the spaces we create.” When this happens, she suggests time be spent within the firm to recalibrate the design thinking and processes, even when faced with looming deadlines. 07