HXD Week: Beyond the Buzz
Beyond the Buzz: What Design Week Reveals About the Future of Interior Architecture
Every year, Chicago Design Days and NeoCon introduce hundreds of new furniture products, materials, finishes, and workplace design concepts. But which innovations represent meaningful shifts in interior architecture—and which are simply this year’s aesthetic trends? This session examines key observations from Chicago Design Week through three lenses: ephemeral trends, enduring shifts, and emerging innovations. Participants will explore how circular design principles are reshaping furniture planning and specification, how neuroinclusive design is influencing occupant well-being, and how manufacturers are responding to evolving expectations around sustainability, flexibility, material transparency, and human-centered design. Rather than showcasing the latest products, this course provides architects and designers with a practical framework for evaluating furniture and interior design innovations, helping them distinguish what’s new from what’s next—and determine which ideas will have lasting impact on the health, safety, welfare, and performance of the built environment.
AIA Credit: 1.0 LU|HSW
About the presenters:
Caryn Ogier, AIA, RID, LEED AP, PMP
Kimiko Designs
Director of Furniture Planning
is the Director of Furniture Planning at Kimiko Designs, where she helps clients align furniture strategy with business goals, user needs, and long-term sustainability. With more than 25 years of experience in architecture, interiors, and project management, Caryn specializes in furniture planning, circular design,and lifecycle stewardship for workplace and healthcare environments.
A lifelong learner and self-proclaimed furniture woobie, Caryn is passionate about translating emerging ideas into practical project outcomes. She has helped shape Kimiko’s circularity movement and brings a unique perspective that connects design, project management, and implementation, helping owners, architects, and designers turn good ideas into spaces that perform better over time.
Necia E. Bonner, RID, NCIDQ, IIDA, CHID, CDF, LEED AP
Perkins&Will
Principal and Director of Health & Science Interiors
Necia Bonner is a Principal and the Director of Health & Science Interiors for Perkins&Will’s Houston studio, where she leads interior design strategy for some of the most complex healthcare, research, and science environments in the country. With more than 25 years of experience dedicated exclusively to high-performance interiors, she has worked across a broad spectrum of specialized facilities, including academic medical centers, community hospitals, behavioral health facilities, public health agencies, private clinics, research laboratories, vivaria, and corporate science campuses.
A Certified Healthcare Interior Designer and Certified Design Futurist, Necia is recognized for her expertise in translating complex clinical, operational, and regulatory requirements into innovative environments that support the future of healthcare delivery and scientific discovery. She is a respected leader within the design profession and a frequent advocate for advancing healthcare and science environments through design leadership, education, and professional service. Necia has served in numerous leadership roles with IIDA, the AIA Committee on Architecture for Health, the Texas Association for Interior Designers, and currently serves on the board of Texas Women in Healthcare.
