It's not you, it's the system.
And it’s slowly draining the best people out of the industry.
BY SUZANNE CONNOR
Publishined 08.22.25
The most disappointing part of design is the part we don’t get paid for.
You know that feeling when you’re booked solid but somehow… still not ahead? You’re saying no to projects you’d love because you don’t have the time. You’re chasing vendors for answers instead of designing. You’re dodging calls from clients who drain you, knowing that “one quick question” will cost you an hour you don’t have.
And the kicker? You give every project a piece of your soul, only to watch it become a photo in your portfolio and a final invoice, never to pay you back for the time, stress, and sleepless nights it cost. You just start over. Again. And again. And again.
No wonder we’re exhausted!
If you’re an interior designer and you’re exhausted, second-guessing which projects to take, or quietly wondering why “more experience” hasn’t translated into “more ease,” you’re not alone.
I’ve lived the deadlines, the 11th-hour lead-time changes, the inbox chaos of damages and delays, and the mental load of clients who text you at 9 p.m., “just one more thing…”
Most days it feels like I’m working for my projects instead of my projects working for me.
Most days it feels like I’m working for my projects instead of my projects working for me.
You know what I mean:
- We’re strapped for time.
- We turn away projects we’d love, because we don’t even have time to breath.
- Saying no feels like we’re leaving money on the table.
- We’re constantly chasing clients, vendors and deliveries who all speak different “urgency.”
- We want to work less, as we ponder the next chapter.
- And yes, the emotional and mental labor is real. Design therapy is unpaid.
It’s not just the work, it’s the mental load. The way a project lives rent-free in our heads for months, even years, and when it’s done, the only thing you keep is the photo and the fatigue (and the gray hairs).
I used to think maybe I was doing it wrong. That maybe if I just streamlined more, or took fewer clients, or hired more help, I’d finally get ahead.
But here’s the thing: it’s not us. It’s the system.
We were taught to trade years of accumulated design intelligence for a single project fee.
We were taught that our portfolio is like a museum, something to admire, not an asset.
We were taught that the only path to growth is “more clients, more hours, more burnout.”
Doesn’t matter that you built a network over decades.
Doesn’t matter that the project still inspires people years later.
The model says: you got paid once, now move on. Start over. Hustle harder. Do it all again.
That model is BROKEN.
That’s why we built a new system. One that lets your best work do more than live on a website; it becomes a revenue engine that honors the value you’ve already created.
We call it Discovered Design, and it’s going to change how designers get paid for their intelligence.
I’ll tell you more soon. But for today, I just want you to hear this:
You are not behind.
You are not invisible.
You are not wrong for wanting more ease, more margins, and more meaning.
You’re just ready for a system that finally works for you.
If you’ve been nodding along while reading this…I’d love to hear your story. Let’s grab a call, my calendar’s open.
Suzi
