Perspectives from Maria VanDeman

There's always a moment before bringing a group of people together when I wonder how it's all going to go. Will the conversations flow? Will they find value in one another? How long will we spend making polite small talk about the weather and airport delays?

At OFS' second annual Designer Summit, we brought together an incredible group of women leading design across the country. Their work spans everything from financial institutions and government to nonprofits, music, and design strategy. They came from different markets, worked with different clients, and brought their own experiences and challenges. Yet it didn't take long to discover just how much they had in common.

We talked about the weight of leading teams, navigating change, mentoring others, and making decisions when there isn't always a clear roadmap. Somewhere between conversations about organizational culture and the future of design, we also found ourselves swapping vitamin regimens and favorite calming Spotify stations. Apparently, leadership comes with a few universal side effects. What made these conversations so special was the willingness to be open, share experiences, and learn from one another.

Our theme was Designing for People, Place, and Purpose, and those ideas surfaced throughout our conversations. As designers, we spend our careers thinking about how spaces bring people together and shape their experiences. Much of our time, however, was spent talking about the people behind those spaces, the teams we lead, the cultures we create, and the relationships that make our work worthwhile.
 

In the quiet beauty of OFS' Cool Spring nature preserve, we walked through gardens, listened to the crackle of a fire, and enjoyed the calm of falling leaves. Away from the usual pace of meetings and deadlines, conversations flowed naturally among people who understood the joys and pressures of our profession. We spend our careers designing places where others can connect, recharge, and thrive, yet rarely make time for those experiences ourselves. Surrounded by good people in a beautiful place, we had the chance to enjoy exactly what we work so hard to create for others.

By the time we said goodbye, the women who had arrived as strangers were connected by an incredible bond of shared values and camaraderie. Over the coming months, I'm looking forward to sharing their individual stories through The Imagine a Place Podcast, giving others a chance to hear the wisdom, humor, and honesty that filled these two days.

Looking back, I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome. For an experience centered on people, place, and purpose, it was a beautiful reminder that sometimes the most meaningful thing we can design is simply the opportunity to bring good people together.

Curious what came out of these conversations? Watch our Imagine a Place trailer to hear directly from the seven designers who joined us:

To keep the conversation going, follow Maria on LinkedIn and stay connected through the Imagine a Place podcast.