The bigger idea: Cheryl Durst connects advocacy, empathy, and human knowledge with a challenge for the profession: Make design’s value visible far beyond aesthetics.

From the classroom: Virginia Tech design students moved beyond minimum accessibility to explore how mobility, sensory needs, regulation, and participation can inform inclusive learning spaces.

Why it matters: IIDA’s Mark Bryan explains why outcomes-based literacy, post-occupancy evaluation, and measurable performance could become essential design capabilities.

For firm leaders: A strong portfolio shows what you’ve accomplished. Tiffany Rafii explains why clear, outcome-led messaging is needed to show clients what your firm can solve next.

What Lauren loves: Arper’s Pausit pairs adaptable waiting-area configurations with FSC-certified materials, repairable components, and design for disassembly.

Communication upgrade: Ghent’s low-profile glassboards combine customizable graphics and writable surfaces for wayfinding, branding, and communication in healthcare spaces.

Specification note: Gemelli combines a compact contoured shell with finish flexibility and LEVEL 3 and Indoor Advantage Gold certifications for workplace, education, hospitality, and healthcare.

Design flexibility: Elsinore pairs brass construction with smooth, hammered, knurled, and pinstriped textures across cabinet and appliance pull sizes.