Nicole Lashae Hall is the founder of Thrive In Design, helping design-led brands grow through strategy and storytelling. She also hosts the Thrive In Design podcast.
When brands talk about slow specification growth, the explanation often sounds the same: “Designers just aren’t engaging anymore.” “They’re overwhelmed.” “The market is saturated.” While all of that may be partially true, it’s rarely the real issue. Designers aren’t ignoring you because they don’t care.
For years, interior product brands have been told the same thing: you need more visibility. More trade shows. More social posts. More press. More samples in circulation. And yet, many brands doing all of that still feel stuck—busy, visible, and oddly invisible at the same time. If that sounds