Everything You Need to Know About Design Chicago 2025

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Design Chicago returns this fall with two days of programming focused on the future of residential design. Hosted inside theMART, which is an icon of design, art, and history in the city, this year’s Design Chicago brings together hundreds of home furnishings showrooms, CEU-accredited presentations, and conversations intended to help creative leaders think more critically about how they work.

With more than 250 permanent showrooms and decades of architectural legacy, the MART gives designers the distinctly tactile experience they crave in an increasingly digital industry. However, what sets Design Chicago apart isn’t just scale but also structure. From product features to exhibitions to fashion-forward soirees, you’ll find plenty of design inspiration here, but you’ll also benefit from education.

This year, DesignDash joins the Design Chicago schedule with an on-site workshop designed specifically for firm owners ready to grow.

When: Wednesday and Thursday, October 8th through 9th, 2025

Sign-ups will go live after June, but we recommend reserving your spot before September.

Where: theMART, Chicago

Spanning two full city blocks and rising 25 stories above the Chicago River, theMART is a destination in and of itself. When it opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, encompassing 4 million square feet of space, a “city within a city” built to centralize Chicago’s wholesale goods and design industries under one roof. Home to over 250 showrooms and 3.7 million square feet of design-focused commerce, residential and commercial design intersect here.

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Originally conceived by Marshall Field & Co. as a hub for buyers and makers, theMART continues to shape interior design, architecture, and technology. Designed in the Art Deco style by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White with Alfred Shaw as the lead architect, it boasts a monumental Art Deco lobby, curated showrooms, and incredible events like Design Chicago.

What to Do With Your Two Days in Chicago

Explore the Showrooms

With over 250 home furnishings showrooms spanning luxury furnishings, kitchen and bath, textiles, lighting, and more, you could spend hours just walking the 1st, 6th, and 14th floors. Make time for reliably stunning spaces like Holly Hunt, Knoll, and Monogram if design inspiration is a priority.

Visit the Design Museum of Chicago

Just a short walk from theMART, this museum is a must-visit for inspiration and reflection. The exhibitions here rotate regularly and explore the impact of design on everything from typography to social systems. It’s compact, free to the public, and a perfect midday detour.

See Art on theMART

If you’re staying late, head outside after sunset to catch Art on the MART, which is the world’s largest permanent digital art projection. The facade of the building hosts contemporary digital artwork that rotates seasonally and lights up the riverwalk.

DesignDash Workshop: Building Your Dream Team as a Creative Leader

“The moment I stopped trying to do it all myself and started building a team I could trust, everything changed,” says Laura Umansky. “It wasn’t just about getting more done; it was about creating space for the work that truly mattered.”

It’s time to grow your team without losing your mind (or your margins). This Design Chicago workshop is for the interior designer who’s hit a wall. She’s stuck; not because she lacks talent or ambition, but because she’s trying to do it all alone.

If you’ve found yourself buried in emails, stuck in logistics, or constantly context-switching between client meetings and tile sourcing, you’re not alone. Many firm owners hit this point. The next step isn’t hustling until you burn out; it’s building a team that helps you grow.

In this hands-on session, DesignDash’s founders will walk you through how to make your first (or next) hire with intention, how to structure your team to support both profitability and your creative energy, and how to finally get out of the weeds so you can lead with clarity. It’s time to take back your (work) life!

You’ll learn…

• How to tell if you’re actually ready to hire (and who you need most)
• What a lean, profitable team structure looks like across revenue stages
• Why onboarding and role clarity make or break your momentum
• How to delegate with trust—without losing quality
• What $290K in annual billing per senior team member really looks like in practice

You’ll leave with a plug-and-play team capacity calculator, sample org charts, and actionable tools to restructure your studio, whether you’re solo and scaling to three or managing a team of ten. Laura Umansky will also share real stories and fresh ideas from the DesignDash Community.

Will We See You There?

We hope to see you all this October! Keep an eye on DesignDash for more Design Chicago news. Join the DesignDash Community for discounts and exclusive first-look access to our Design Chicago 2025 events.

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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