The Curious Designers Collective Event
The Curious Design Collective closed out its first season with an event centered around one of the most critical aspects of the design business: contracts. Held at the Emser Tile showroom, the event welcomed 18 interior designers from Minneapolis and beyond for a day of learning, networking, and open dialogue.
Contracts and Collaboration
Contracts can make or break a project. During our time together, designers shared their experiences with different contract structures—fixed fees, hourly rates, and hybrids—highlighting the importance of clarity and setting expectations in every agreement. No one-size-fits-all approach exists, but this session underscored the need for each designer to tailor contracts to their unique business model. This helps us all reach our design business goals, whatever they may be!
While there were plenty of valuable teaching moments, some of the best insight came from hearing from others within the design community and workshopping common problems together. It reinforced Our Curious Collective’s ethos: collaboration over competition.
Why Emser Tile?
Emser Tile was chosen as the host venue not just for their incredible showroom featuring tile from all over the world, but also as a way to highlight one of the Collective’s sponsors. Designers had the opportunity to connect with the team at Emser Tile, tour the space, and explore new materials and trends. This helps to foster ongoing relationships between designers and suppliers—always valuable in the design world!
Fostering Connections
Along with all of the professional development, one of the most impactful elements of the Curious Design Collective is to facilitate natural networking! Designers are encouraged to reach out to one another, whether to seek advice, collaborate on projects, or simply share insights. This closeness of our design community sets the collective apart from traditional networking groups.
Want to learn more about the Collective? Check out this blog on our last event!
Looking Ahead
As we transition into the 2025 season, there’s so much to look forward to! Next year’s events will dive into crucial topics in the design process like hiring and firing, implementing AI in design projects, and more. These topics are thoughtfully chosen from member feedback to help each of our members achieve long-term success in their design careers.
Another exciting development is the plan to integrate the Builder, Designer, and Architect Collectives in a series of crossover events. These gatherings will bring together professionals from complementary fields, adding value to every business!
In 2025, we’ll also be introducing quarterly one-on-one pairings within and across collectives, fostering deeper connections and unique opportunities for collaboration. Whether it’s co-writing a blog, creating a social media reel, or simply sharing a meal to talk shop, these pairings are designed to make us all stronger!
Why Join the Curious Design Collective?
If you’re an interior designer in Minneapolis looking to grow your business, learn from your peers, and form meaningful connections, the Curious Design Collective is for you! Check out our website for more details.
Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
