In an ongoing series, HD talks to designers with varying years of experience to get their take on the industry. In this installment, four young professionals discuss the concerns and challenges of starting a career in hospitality design, reality checks, and the common misconceptions facing their generation.
Kinley McGowan
Interior Architect, Studio 11 Design
Why do you love design?
I love that we can design for so many people within one project—whereas in residential or commercial [design] you are more limited to a certain profession or personality.
What trends are you paying attention to?
Sustainability and health/fitness-related requirements being implemented.
Where do you find design inspiration?
Publications (Hospitality Design, ArchDaily, and ArchDigest) and Instagram
What has surprised you most about working in the industry?
There are so many very specific standards.
How important has mentorship been to you?
Within my office, my mentors are the reason I am the designer I currently am. I do wish I had more. Mentorship outside of Studio 11 would be great, too.
The study area at the Thompson Buckhead in Atlanta
What are some misconceptions about younger designers from your perspective?
We aren’t hard workers and do the bare minimum.
What’s your vision for your future?
Grow into a leader within the workplace.
Dream project?
A luxury resort project in the Caribbean.
Sarah Violette
Junior Interior Designer, Parker-Torres Design
Why do you love design?
I get to design art you can live in and experience. We are designing places that will create core memories in the highlight reel—a hotel where a family vacation happened, a resort where a couple went on their honeymoon, and a restaurant where you celebrated your birthday. All these experiences can be heightened through the design.
What emerging technologies are you excited about?
I’m intrigued about AI and how it will be used by designers.
Three apps you can’t live without?
Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
Where do you find design inspiration?
I find inspiration from traveling and looking at nature. From the historic details of a building to the flora and fauna of a region, inspiration is all around us.
First work reality check?
Commuting and traffic. I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts.
What has surprised you most about working in the industry?
How everything is custom from the furniture to the lighting to carpet poms. Design is being pushed to the limits on every project.
The tea room at the Phoenician resort in Scottsdale
How important has mentorship been to you?
Being immersed with an amazing team of designers and seeing how they create and collaborate has trained me to keep pushing to be the best designer I can be.
What’s your vision for your future?
I want to keep on delving into the world of hospitality design and pushing myself as a designer. I would love to have my own projects, but I also love learning and helping on the projects I am on.
Dream project?
I would love to design a boutique hotel in a quaint New England town like Nantucket or a resort in Italy.
Andrew Vinegar
Project Manager, Hersha Hospitality Management (HHM)
Why do you love about hospitality and design?
To me, it’s exploring a city or country for the first time, staying at hotels or Airbnbs, and/or having a new culinary experience with a group of friends. Through these experiences, I can appreciate design and understand what went into creating the moments, such as the coin-sized tile in the shower being a playful nod to a building’s previous use as bank.
First work reality check?
No matter how much you plan, always expect the unexpected.
Misconceptions about younger workers from your perspective?
Our generation is fast-paced, ambitious, and driven but have experienced missed opportunities and growth delays due to events like the pandemic. We are eager to catch up as soon as we can.
What’s your vision for your future?
To have a successful career in design and development. I want to not only manage notable projects but also own and develop notable projects.
The lobby library at Plaza Pioneer Park in El Paso, Texas
Dream project?
A resort somewhere exotic, remote, and near the ocean with a fine-dining restaurant. It will be a collaboration of people throughout my life. A fellow alum of the Culinary Institute of America now an executive chef and restauranteur; a Cornell classmate that’s now a real estate developer; and a young architect from one of my first projects now a principal. That would be an amazing full-circle moment to have.
Betina Dimaculangan
Designer, BraytonHughes Design Studios
Why do you love design?
I love design because I get to create and innovate spaces that can make an impact to the community. Design changes the way people live and feel, and I am happy to be a part of that equation.
What emerging technologies are you excited about?
AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality). Clients love 3D renders, but I am hoping there will be a new medium that is even better than 3D renders.
Where do you find design inspiration?
If something strikes me when I am traveling or out and about, I make a mental bookmark and Google it to save it for a future project.
First work reality check?
The budget of a project is the most important aspect, and it has required me to be as creative as possible in many ways while not comprising the design.
What has surprised you most about working in the industry?
Everyone has an opinion. Some people embrace that while others don’t. In the end, it’s all about finding that balance that will make the project a success.
The reception area at Montage Big Sky
What do you wish you understood better or had more insight into?
The design process. Getting to know how your team members work and how you can all collaborate is important to the success of the project.
Misconceptions about younger workers from your perspective?
That younger workers want to start being a designer immediately and not go through the process of working in the library first. Young designers want to be able to join in the design process of a project as they have new ideas, which may be beneficial to the project.
Dream project?
A wellness and spa center in one of the beautiful islands of my hometown, the Philippines.