Most design studios dream of being recognised. Spaceworks Interior Architecture dreams of disappearing.

Back at Auckland Design Week, I kōrero with Lizzi Whaley and what she shared flipped the script on what success in design should look like.

“If someone walks into a space and they don’t know we did it, we’ve succeeded.”

Because great design isn’t about the studio. It’s about the client. The brand. The people moving through the space.

And for Lizzi, the best projects are the ones where Spaceworks disappears—and the client’s vision becomes the hero.

Every design journey should start with the people, not the aesthetic.

The most impactful studios make their client feel seen.

And sustainability isn’t just about what you build. It’s about how it can be unbuilt.

We talked about the shift designers need to make:

Moving from “how do we visualise this space”...

To “how do we visualise it once it’s gone?”

Not enough in our industry design for removal, for deconstruction, for second life.

It was a powerful reminder that if we want circularity to work, the loop has to be designed in—from the start.

What would change if we all designed with the end in mind?

Watch this Part 3 of my interview series below.

For now—tag a designer who puts people first.

Kia ora Jen Jones for facilitating this incredible event that is ADW.