Next Design Summit 2026 in Warsaw. The interior design industry will talk about money, AI and the future of the profession

The interior design industry is talking more and more loudly about problems that have been silent for years. Work valuation, customer relations, commissions from suppliers, scaling the studio or the use of AI in design – these are the topics that this year’s Next Design Summit focuses on. The second edition of the conference for architects and interior designers will take place on May 29 at the Polish History Museum in Warsaw and will gather leading industry representatives, business experts and premium market partners.

A conference for designers who run a business

From the very beginning, Next Design Summit has been positioned as an event for people responsible not only for the aesthetics of projects, but also for the development of the studio, team management and business profitability. The focus is on issues that have remained on the margins of industry debates for years: work valuation, customer relations, organization of design processes and cooperation with suppliers.

The organizers emphasize that the interior design market is maturing and needs a conversation about professional standards, money and rebuilding the prestige of the interior design profession.

The first edition of the event was attended by representatives of leading Polish studios, including: NOKE Architects, Tremend, MIXED, Bajer Sokół, Sikora Interiors, Kres Architekci, Dash Interiors, Hanna Pietras Architects, Naboo Studio, Studio Anna Koszela and Artewizjon.

The structure of participants in last year’s edition also showed generational change and the professionalization of the market. The largest group were designers with experience from 6 to 10 years (37%) and from 10 to 20 years (30%). Interior designers dominated, constituting approximately 80%. participants.

A program focused on real problems of the industry

The conference agenda was developed by the Program Board composed of practitioners running their own design studios. The program is intended to respond to the challenges that architects face on a daily basis – both in their creative and business work.

The topics will include:

• valuation of the designer’s work,

• commissions and cooperation with suppliers,

• team building,

• sales and negotiation techniques,

• using AI in visualizations,

• neuromarketing,

• interior acoustics,

• leadership and development of the designer’s personal brand.

Who will perform at Next Design Summit 2026?

The speakers included experts representing various areas of the design and business industry.

Joanna “Jo” Jurga

A researcher and designer specializing in neuroarchitecture will talk about how the brain reacts to space and how to use knowledge about perception when working with clients.

Wojciech Plona

It will discuss the issue of pricing design services and show how to correctly calculate the hourly rate and why many designers work below real costs.

Dagmara Brzezińska

It will focus on building teams and creating organizational structures that allow you to develop the studio without having to personally control every stage.

Katarzyna Kraszewska

He will discuss the issue of commissions from suppliers – one of the most controversial and least discussed issues in the industry.

Henryk Kwapisz

An acoustics expert will show how sound affects the comfort of using a space and why acoustics are becoming one of the key elements of design quality.

Marcin P. Stopa

He will present issues related to neuroscience in sales and customer decision-making mechanisms.

Paweł Pilarczyk

He will discuss the use of artificial intelligence in architectural visualizations and assess which solutions are actually changing the industry.

Paweł Tkaczyk

He will close the conference with a speech on rebuilding the importance of the interior design profession and the importance of a strong personal brand.

Market practitioners are responsible for the program

The Program Council, which includes owners of design studios and industry experts, is responsible for the content of the event.

It includes, among others:

• Katarzyna Kraszewska,

• Agnieszka Przewoźna,

• Zosia Wyganowska,

• Anna Kuk-Dutka,

• Piotr Łucyan,

• Ola Ziarek,

• Nastazja Kropidłowska-Słaboszewska,

• Agnieszka Wójtowicz,

• Łukasz Michalski,

• Bartosz Deka.

GQ Poland is the strategic partner of the event

GQ Poland became the strategic partner of the conference. The event is also supported by the most important industry media, including “Architektura i Biznes”, “Elle Decoration”, “Design Alive”, WhiteMAD, “Weranda”, “Bryła”, “Cztery Kąty”, “Czas na Wnętrze” and “Dom Wprost”.

The conference was also held under the patronage of the Association of Polish Architects and the Association of Polish Architects and Interior Designers.

Business partners include, among others: Laufen, Modular/Pan i Pani od Światła, Maxfliz, Miele, Egger, Jeger, Blum, Rehau, Jung Polska, Oakcent and Skjur brands.

The conference will be led by Olivier Janiak, editor-in-chief of GQ Poland.

Networking and technological premiere

The organizers emphasize that Next Design Summit is intended to be not only a conference, but also a place to build business relationships. In addition to the stage part, three networking zones are planned: a lunch break, a coffee break and an evening industry meeting at 19–22.

Additionally, the event will feature the premiere of the Deccore application – an interior design management tool that is intended to integrate designers, investors, manufacturers and suppliers in one work environment.

According to the organizers, the application is intended to support the entire investment implementation process – from concept to project finalization – and to improve the management of cooperation between all participants of the design process.

Design is getting closer to business

The second edition of Next Design Summit clearly shows that the interior design industry is increasingly moving towards professionalization and a business approach to design. Talk about trends fades into the background, and issues related to work organization, scaling the studio and building stable models of cooperation come to the fore.

For many participants, the conference is intended to be not only a source of knowledge, but also an impulse to change the way they run their own design studio.Tickets for the event are available for purchase HERE.