We Asked Firm Owners, “How Has Your Creative Process Evolved Over the Years?”
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0Summary
As these women describe it, process changes with confidence, experience, collaboration, business growth, and proximity to construction, manufacturing, and client realities. Some designers have grown more intuitive. Others have grown more structured, more strategic, or more process-driven. Across the board, the work has deepened as their roles have expanded.
Reflection Questions
How has your own creative process changed over the past few years, and what seems to have changed it most?
Have you grown more intuitive, more structured, or more collaborative in your work, and how has that affected the spaces you design?
Which part of your current process still feels inherited from an earlier stage of your career, even though your work and responsibilities have changed?
Journal Prompt
Think about how you approached design when you first started and how you approach it now.
Write about what has changed. That could mean how you gather inspiration, how quickly you make decisions, how much you trust your instincts, how you work with clients, or how much your process is shaped by business realities, technical knowledge, or collaboration with a team.
Then take that a little further. Ask yourself whether your current process still reflects the way you want to work, or whether parts of it belong to an earlier version of your career.
As women in design, we’ve watched our creative processes change alongside our careers, but those changes don’t happen in the same way or at the same pace for all of us. Some of us began with a highly structured process built on mood boards, references, and step-by-step decision-making. Others started out relying more on instinct, only to find that experience, collaboration, or technical knowledge gradually reshaped how we work. Still others found that running a business, leading a team, or getting closer to construction and manufacturing changed not only what they create but how they create it.
That’s part of what makes the responses to this question from our Women, In Their Own Words series so interesting. When we asked designers how their creative processes have evolved over the years, the answers were quite wide-ranging. Some women described becoming more intuitive, more confident, and more willing to let a bold idea push them in the right direction. Others described becoming more refined, more collaborative, or more aware of process, profitability, and execution.
If you’ve ever wondered how other women in design think about the evolution of their creative process, read on.
DesignDash: How has your creative process evolved over the years?
Karin Bohn
I’ve become very much a creative director, meaning I’m most comfortable leading a team in doing creative work rather than doing the work myself. I’m surrounded by a team who have such great technical skills, whether that’s sketching, sourcing, rendering, modeling, or drafting, and I love working with them collaboratively to create a beautiful project.
Read Karin’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Karin on Her Website: houseofbohn.com
Or Follow on Socials: @houseofbohn
Brittany Farinas
Embracing spontaneity and collaboration has led to more organic design outcomes.
Read Brittany’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Brittany on Her Website: houseof1.com
Or Follow on Socials: @houseofone_
Paulina Hospod
Each project teaches us something new. I stay curious—embracing innovation, AI, and any tools that help us refine our design and construction process.
Read Paulina’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Paulina on Her Website: aha-interiors.com
Or Follow on Socials: @paulinahospod
Mimi Meacham
I trust myself more than ever, and that confidence has come from seeing design risks play out beautifully time and time again. Experience has given me a clearer sense of when to push, when to edit, and when to let a bold idea lead the way.
I’m more comfortable now taking thoughtful risks—whether that’s with color, scale, or layout—because I understand how all the layers come together in the end. The process feels less about second-guessing and more about clarity, conviction, and creating spaces that feel intentional, lived-in, and lasting.
Read Mimi’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Paulina on Her Website: marianlouisedesign.com
Or Follow on Socials: @marianlouisedesign
Bre Hance
Coffee in bed and flow, but my process on how to bill for creativity has evolved a lot. It’s hard to quantify, but that’s my IP, and I’ve evolved a lot with knowing my value there.
Read Bre’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Bre on Her Website: inhancedesignbuild.com
Or Follow on Socials: @inhance_interiors
Jamie Young
My process has also evolved to take our growing customer base into great consideration and learn what their needs are, and of course technology which has just allowed us to learn so much and grow the business.
Read Jamie’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Jamie on Her Website: jamieyoung.com
Or Follow on Socials: @jamieyoungco
Antonia Caicedo
It allowed me to be creative while being conscious and aware of the things that truly affect my final product. Avoiding unnecessary costs, enhancing the added value in my designs and keeping lead times competitive.
Read Antonia’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Antonia on Her Website: jimeco.com/antonia-collection
Or Follow on Socials: @antonia.collection
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Alex Thies
I am incredibly process driven, and I have learned that the processes we have in place put our clients at ease. New construction is something I have become very experienced with and knowledgeable in, and I have found that if you have a clear process in place, it helps make it an enjoyable experience for the client rather than a stressful one.
We really hold our clients’ hands through each step of the way, staying ahead of deadlines and urgent decisions, which has come from years of experience and knowing what is anticipated by clients and builder alike.
Read Alex’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Antonia on Her Website: adelyncharles.com
Or Follow on Socials: @adelyncharles
Rhonnika Clifton
My creative process has transformed significantly. I started in healthcare and administrative support before diving into design, where I self-taught myself interior decorating. Eventually, I enrolled at The Art Institute of Houston to pursue formal education, which expanded my approach. It added technical skills and refined my creative process.
Blending creativity with strategic planning ensures that my designs are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and profitable.
Read Rhonnika’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Rhonnika on Her Website: rjcliftondesigns.com
Or Follow on Socials: @rjcliftondesignsllc
April Littmann
It used to always start with the rug as the inspiration for a color palette. It’s fun watching the project evolve and shift with our clients’ wants and needs.
Read April’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About April on Her Website: neighborinteriors.com
Or Follow on Socials: @neighborinteriors
Sarah Choudhary
Over the years, my creative process has become more intuitive and layered. In the beginning, it was very structured—mood boards, references, step-by-step. Now, I give myself more space to feel a project before defining it. I listen more—to the site, the client, the story. There’s still a process, of course, but it’s less about following a formula and more about trusting instinct, embracing the unexpected, and letting the design unfold naturally.
Read Sarah’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Sarah on Her Website: habitatarc.com
Or Follow on Socials: @afar.habitat
Camilla van den Tempel
Today, it’s important to me that what I create remains relevant and functional for many years to come. Sustainability and durability have become integral to my design thinking, especially when working in industries like hospitality, where longevity and ease of maintenance are key.
I have a strong focus now on ensuring that materials and designs are practical in the long run. The process has become about prioritizing what matters most, while understanding that some elements, like the final touches, can be added at the end to elevate the overall vision.
Read Camilla’s full Women, In Their Own Words interview here.
Learn More About Camilla on Her Website: andtempel.com
Or Follow on Socials: @andtempel
Final Thoughts
Many thanks to our Women, In Their Own Words interviewees for participating in this roundup. A creative process changes as a career changes. More experience changes it. More responsibility changes it. So does working more closely with clients, builders, manufacturers, teams, and the business itself. What starts as instinct may grow sharper. What starts as structure may loosen. What starts as a solo process may become much more collaborative when that studio expands.
That’s one reason we created DesignDash Growth Studio. Inside the program, women firm owners have room to talk through the parts of their work that keep changing as their careers grow, including people, profit, promotion, process, and purpose. Those conversations hit differently in a room made up entirely of women in design, especially when some are just starting out and others have been leading firms for decades.
If this article resonated with you, or reflected changes you’ve been noticing in your own creative process, you can join the waitlist for the next cohort here.
*The featured image of this post is firm owner Alex Thies.
Written by the DesignDash Editorial Team
Our contributors include experienced designers, firm owners, design writers, and other industry professionals. If you’re interested in submitting your work or collaborating, please reach out to our Editor-in-Chief at editor@designdash.com.
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