This collective was launched after an ending remark of a business lunch. “Next time we do this, come as you are. We don’t need to do all this to talk business.” An idea that had been swirling around in my head for months, maybe even years, put into motion with a simple statement from a colleague who, over chicken and waffles, had quickly become a friend.

The design industry as a whole, but especially in San Antonio, is insular; you have to know a guy who knows a guy to get your first project. This field takes years of dedication to the craft for designers to become confident in what they can provide. However, it often takes a stroke of luck (or two, or three) to become successful. Interior Design and Architecture as professions are often misunderstood or undervalued by those who solicit design professionals, often through no fault of their own. It is difficult to understand the depth of knowledge and care put into each and every deliverable of a project. In fact, a single custom home or commercial space is the result of thousands of hours of collaboration with talented professionals across industries, from the developers of the BIM software used to create the space, to those who imagine and produce the framework, to the hands that build (or rebuild) the final products. Designers, product vendors, contractors, business developers, software technicians, consultants, realtors, financial advisors, all coming together to modify our built environment - its a pretty impressive feat of collaboration, if I do say so myself!

So, if that’s the case...why is it so hard to get answers to questions about practicing design? How much do I charge? Where do I get a tile that looks like...THAT?! What is in your contract language so you don’t get sued? How do I tell a client that the photo they fell in love with on Pinterest of a stunning kitchen was probably made by ChatGPT and would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build in real life?

This information is so often gatekept or hidden behind a paywall, which is understandable to a degree - after all, I mentioned above the effort it takes to get off the ground as a designer. But in this Collective, we believe that we have strength in numbers. There is a niche, an opportunity, a job for everyone in this ever-growing urban sprawl we call home. We just need to work together to develop those opportunities for each other, with the goal of finding a foothold for us all through empowerment, NOT through exclusion, gatekeeping, or othering.

There - that is the mission laid out for you, and it is a lofty one. It isn’t easy to take on industry norms, especially ones as deeply rooted as those we face in the design industry. We aren’t pretending to be something we’re not. We are definitely not the IIDA or AIA; we don’t have a lofty membership fee, huge annual symposiums (yet) or a page of accolades. What we DO have is a shared ideal of coming together, probably in our sweats covered in spit up (too specific?) to talk strategy, samples, and self-development - and we would love to have you with us. We promise to do what we can to provide you opportunities to access resources usually kept behind closed doors, whether it is pricing guidelines, client management strategy, or someone willing to answer the hard questions. As we continue to grow, we will invest the time and resources that we can into YOU, our membership base, and we will make sure everyone has fun doing it. I know we won’t always get it right, but we will be here to listen and respond accordingly. At the end of the day, this organization is for US, and should benefit you as such.

That’s all I’ve got. Let’s do this.

Yours,

Keeley York Wilcox

Founder, Executive Director, Board Chair, and whatever else needs doing