Designing Success

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21 Years in Design, Still Evolving: AI, Business and Human-Centred Design with Robyn Hawke
According to Robyn Hawke, it involves staying curious, being honest with your clients and being willing to roll up your sleeves when the industry changes.
Robyn is the designer behind Sydney’s Inspired Spaces, and she joins me for a wonderfully candid conversation about building a design business that evolves with you.
We talk about everything from hand drafting and ArchiCAD to AI-assisted proposals, pricing conversations and why a beautiful room means very little if it doesn’t work for the people using it.
Robyn and I have been working together on bringing AI into her business, and she shares the tools she actually uses: turning post-consultation voice notes into proposal drafts, creating a pricing calculator around her own methodology and getting help with those awkward business emails. Yes, even the “we need to talk about my commission” conversation.
We also get into the human side of running a studio. The isolation. The resistance to promoting yourself. The courage it takes to walk into a networking event alone. And why Instagram views aren’t particularly exciting if they never lead to meaningful work.
There’s plenty of laughter, some very honest business chat and a reminder that experience and adaptability are a powerful combination.
In this episode, we discuss:
How client expectations have changed over Robyn’s 21 years in interior design.
Explaining your professional value when clients can generate an AI image in seconds.
Structuring service packages to bridge the gap between an initial consultation and a larger project.
Having honest budget conversations before clients fall in love with something they can’t build.
What human-centred design looks like across homes, workplaces and therapy environments.
Designing for independence, accessibility, sensory comfort and everyday life.
The AI workflows Robyn would genuinely miss if she had to give them back.
Why owning and understanding your studio’s tools matters.
Building relationships with other designers without treating everyone as competition.
Nurturing potential clients between their first introduction and the decision to work with you.
Measuring success through the difference your work makes to people’s lives.
A thought to take with you
Robyn’s belief that “interior design is a necessity, not a luxury” runs through this entire conversation.
Whether she’s considering how someone can use their bathroom independently or helping a client feel at home again, her work starts with understanding the person who will live in the space.
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Starting Monday 19 October 2026, I’m sharing seven of my biggest AI tips for interior designers, delivered straight to your inbox.
Expect practical ideas, prompts and guidance you can try in your own design business, plus a free AI tool previously sold for US$99.
“Challenge” sounds like I’m about to assign you burpees. Thankfully, you can simply read the emails, try what’s useful and take it at your own pace.
Register for the free seven-day AI challenge
Know a designer friend who would love this? Send them the registration link so they can join too.
Connect with Robyn Hawke — Inspired Spaces
Explore Robyn’s residential and commercial projects, or contact her about working together:
Website: inspiredspaces.com.au
Email: robyn@inspiredspaces.com.au
LinkedIn: Robyn Hawke
Find out about Designer Chicks Australia
Looking for the kind of design community we talk about in this episode? Designer Chicks Australia brings creative business owners together to share knowledge, learn and support each other.
Explore Designer Chicks Australia
Enquire about membership and upcoming meetings
You can also contact Robyn directly to ask about the group.
Connect with Rhiannon
Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee
Website: rhiannon-lee.com
Heard me mention the rainbow ghost story? DM me “ghost story” on Instagram and I’ll share it with you.
Help more designers find Designing Success
If this conversation gave you something to think about, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share the episode with a designer friend. It helps me keep bringing you these conversations.
Progress over perfection. Always.
Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business.

 Grab  more insights and updates:
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee
For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub  on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/
Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.
admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.
Six live build sessions.
You leave with a working system, not more mess.
Studio BUILD  ( now open) 
Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. 

Thank you for your support!

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep.
Join the 7 day email challenge HERE 
AI policy kit availible HERE
2027 business planning group kicks off 30 October - check it out HERE 
I'm walking you through exactly what happens when a studio pays me for an AI consultation. Spoiler: I don't start by asking whether you use ChatGPT or Claude. I start by asking how you think AI works. What you believe happens after you hit enter shapes every task you give it, every answer you accept, and every possibility you never notice.
From there it's habits. Coming with the messy problem instead of 90% of the answer. Pushing back when the model gets confident and wrong (one of my students did, and Claude admitted it half-read her brief). Using AI to read your own numbers, not just your Instagram analytics. Building a "green room" so you stop knocking $2,500 off a proposal right before you hit send. And having a few tabs quietly doing actual work while you do yours.
What we get into
Why your understanding of large language models matters more than which one you pay for
Confidence isn't accuracy, and how to catch the robot half-assing it
Bringing questions to AI, not finished outcomes
Reverse-engineering your pricing from 12 months of past proposals
Running AI alongside your day, and deciding what it's allowed to touch
Why working without a business context document is wasting your time (and water)
Benchmarking vs copying, or what designers can learn from a Bunnings sausage sizzle
Your experiment this week
Pick one recurring task that eats your time or makes you ask "why do we even do it this way?" Talk it through with AI. Notice what context it needed, what it asked you, where it helped and where it went in circles. Then decide if it was actually better.
Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business.

 Grab  more insights and updates:
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee
For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub  on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/
Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.
admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.
Six live build sessions.
You leave with a working system, not more mess.
Studio BUILD  ( now open) 
Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. 

Thank you for your support!

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep.
Six Years In: Business, Family Seasons, and Using AI as a Support Tool (with Aiden)

Host Rhiannon Lee introduces a 2024 catch-up conversation with her husband, Aidan, reflecting on how their family and her business have evolved into its sixth year, including the pressures of supporting other designers through her framework. She shares a new small-group live business-planning series for six women starting late October, focused on quarterly strategy, revenue goals, and building AI-supported tools like calculators and admin workflows. In the interview, Rhiannon and Aiden discuss boundaries, empathy, imposter syndrome in creative work, shifting away from daily social media toward podcasts, Pinterest, and referrals, and navigating family demands, including their eldest’s autism diagnosis and increased admin. They explore AI as a practical supplement to reduce menial tasks, including Rhiannon’s custom support assistants for students.

00:00 Welcome to the Show
00:59 Annual Check In Setup
01:44 Live Planning Sessions
04:33 Introducing Aiden Again
07:32 Six Years In Business
10:32 Imposter Syndrome Talk
12:39 Social Media Burnout
14:17 Family Diagnosis Shift
16:55 Tag Teaming Parenthood
21:36 Market Changes and Pivots
24:24 AI as a Business Tool
29:37 Building AI Assistants
33:39 Future of Oleander Finch
36:17 Seasons and Sustainability
38:43 Final Outro and Thanks
Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business.

 Grab  more insights and updates:
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee
For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub  on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/
Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.
admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.
Six live build sessions.
You leave with a working system, not more mess.
Studio BUILD  ( now open) 
Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. 

Thank you for your support!

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep.
revisiting one of my most popular chats over the school holidays - part one of mt chat with my husband, tune in for part two next week and an all new part three the week after. 

Behind the Scenes of Oleander & Finch: Real Talk on Business, Marriage, and Boundaries (with Aidan)

Host Rhiannon Lee replays a candid 2023 conversation with her husband, Aidan, about the behind-the-scenes realities of growing Oleander & Finch from a COVID-era side hustle into a larger design and education business. They discuss her early imposter syndrome and underpricing (including obsessing over a cushion-styling job), building confidence and a clearer pricing structure, and the patience and trust required from a partner when income is inconsistent in the first year. They unpack the relentless logistics of running a business with three young kids, boundary-setting with clients across time zones, burnout that prompted a business reassessment, and how creating “the framework” course reduced stress by shifting away from high-volume one-on-one client work. They also touch on social media frustrations, transparency as a strategy, and the benefits of building a dedicated home studio.

00:00 Show Intro
00:38 Holiday Chaos Update
00:50 Replaying Aidan Chats
02:55 Why Share This
04:19 Side Hustle Origins
04:48 COVID Going All In
07:51 Early Imposter Syndrome
09:31 Growth and Confidence
11:14 Money Pressure and Trust
16:13 Juggling Kids and Work
19:15 Partner Support Reality
21:38 Boundaries and Time Zones
24:27 After Hours Boundaries
25:36 Nocturnal Work Burnout
26:50 Building The Framework
27:50 Ambition And Work Ethic
28:41 Industry Osmosis Lessons
29:47 Social Media Copycats
33:08 Radical Transparency Shift
36:07 Course Creator Tradeoffs
39:23 Creative Sponge Ran Dry
41:21 Home Studio Build Reality
43:37 Closing Reflections And Outro
Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business.

 Grab  more insights and updates:
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee
For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub  on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/
Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.
admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.
Six live build sessions.
You leave with a working system, not more mess.
Studio BUILD  ( now open) 
Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. 

Thank you for your support!

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep.
You can smell it the second you walk into some budget stores. Then we bring the occasional chair home, pop it in the corner and call it styled.
Susie from Casa Flair Interiors has run her design studio in Sydney's Hills District for six years. Before that, she taught creative arts. Now she's niched into low-tox consultations, which means looking at a space through what's actually in it. Off-gassing floors. Fire retardants in fabric. The glue holding your sofa together. The flickering downlight nobody notices until the headaches start.
We've worked together for about six months, so we get honest about how scary niching felt and what changed when "I'm not techy" became "not techy yet". Spoiler: she set up her own automation in 20 minutes while I sat on Zoom and mostly watched.
Then I got on my soapbox about AI ethics. Barbie boxes, sticker packs, wallpaper with octopuses riding tricycles. I'm judging you a little.
What we get into
What low tox actually means in a home, and why fast furniture is basically landfill you paid for
How designers can bring in a low-tox consultant to review an FF&E schedule without touching the design
Creating spaces where neurodivergent kids can decompress and self-regulate after school
Why niching feels uncomfortable before it feels right (nobody was born in a blazer and heels)
Preliminary procurement: describing the chubby walnut console in your head and letting AI go find it
Keeping your processes mapped outside the tools, so you can switch platforms, or walk away, if your ethics say so
Find Susie
Website: casaflair.com.au
Instagram: @casaflairinteriors
She's speaking at the Sydney Home Show, 9–11 October at ICC Sydney
If you've been calling yourself not techy, add the word yet. Then come and find me. Studio CEO details are at rhiannon-lee.com.
Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business.

 Grab  more insights and updates:
Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee
For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub  on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/
Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.
admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.
Six live build sessions.
You leave with a working system, not more mess.
Studio BUILD  ( now open) 
Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. 

Thank you for your support!