A few weeks ago, during a pre-show walkthrough in Fulton Market, I rode past a mural that made me turn my head and stare. Scrawled in bold letters across a black and white painted building were the words: “Be Bold. Take Risks.” I snapped a picture, not because it made a great Instagram moment (though it did), but because it captured exactly how I’ve been feeling about our industry’s current direction.
“Be Bold. Take Risks.” stuck with me because it is both a creative directive and a personal challenge. These days, design is about bold, immersive experiences that reflect emotion, identity and the human story. Products still matter, but they serve as part of a larger, more layered narrative that is grounded in sensory experience, as well as function. NeoCon and Design Days illustrate this shift, inviting us to not only show up, but to show up differently.
Design is shifting and taking risks, moving from static form and function toward fully immersive solutions and experiences that shape how people feel. According to Gensler’s Global Workplace Survey 2025, people are seeking less corporate, formal experiences, and instead, crave environments that feel more like nature retreats, creative laboratories and residential havens. The most effective design engages the senses and stirs our emotions.
Just as we’re designing spaces that are more human, more sensory and more dynamic, the way we gather and showcase design and connect with brands is evolving too. If NeoCon at THE MART is a symbol of legacy, structure and familiarity under one iconic roof, then Fulton Market Design Days reflects exploration, neighborhood character and industrial authenticity.
High-rise steel towers give way to low-slung brick buildings, and grand river views give way to funky walkable streets lined with trendy shops and cafés (and hopefully, sunshine). Together, these two distinctly unique events form a new complementary rhythm that blurs boundaries between structured legacy and organic exploration. It encourages us to stay a little longer, explore a little deeper, and open ourselves to moments that aren’t always scheduled. This model invites curiosity and immersion throughout the city, and reflects the shift from static product to dynamic solutions.
Chicago, as always, is a fitting stage for more than 50,000 design professionals who visit. With more than 400 public art installations, 200 theaters and the second-largest collection of Impressionist paintings outside Paris, it blurs the lines between art, architecture and energy. It offers inspiration everywhere, from the steps of a museum to the corner of a neighborhood café. I hope you take time to experience design in its broadest form, whether inside a library, a cultural center, or while eating a Chicago-style hot dog or slice of deep dish pizza.
From the meticulously crafted products to the thoughtfully planned showrooms, I’m confident this year’s events will deliver an experience that invites connection, sparks inspiration and immerses you in stories across the city. This is the experiential layer we’ve been craving, where design and product go beyond what we see to how we feel. The best brands tell stories you can feel, whether through color, layout, mood and tone. I want to step into a showroom and immediately sense the culture, vision and direction.
Inspiration is also found in the small moments like a mural that makes you pause, the conversation sparked between buildings, and the fresh air and sunlight that fuels your steps on the way toward something memorable. Whether purposefully crafted or subtly experienced, the way you feel is made possible by bold thinking and storytelling that puts emotion front and center.
So back to that, “Be Bold. Take Risks.” mural. I drove by so fast that I didn’t catch the cross street or the artist. If you’re heading into Fulton Market and see the piece, reach out to me because I’d love to discover the origin of the design and the artist who created it. To me, it wasn’t just art. It was a nudge. It was a reminder to be bold in how we design, connect, show up, and take risks to drive greater experiences and emotions.
I’ll be in Chicago all week, soaking it all in (probably taking notes with one hand and eating a Chicago hot dog in the other). Hope to see you out there, and at 1115 W Fulton. The inspiration is everywhere for those willing to walk the city, take the risk, listen to the stories and say “yes” to what’s next.
Maria VanDeman, NCIDQ, Ind. IIDA, is an interior designer, published children’s book author, advocate for equity in the workplace, Director of Design Strategy at OFS, and host of the Imagine a Place Podcast. Passionate about people and purposeful design, Maria is dedicated to creating meaningful impact through environments, storytelling, and mentorship. Say hello and follow along on LinkedIn.