Design Discord

In this episode of Design Discord, hosts Fernando Mastrangelo and Alyssa Gerasimoff celebrate the end of the year with the first annual Design Discord Awards. They discuss their selections for various categories, including best fair, booth, interior designers, and galleries, while reflecting on the challenges of making these choices. They also highlight designers to watch in 2026 and discuss their plans for the upcoming season two of the podcast, reflecting on their journey and the insights gained throughout the year.

05:26 Best Fair
10:30 Best Booth
14:02 Best Interior Designer/Architect
18:31 Best Gallery
25:55 Best Showroom
32:19 Best Breakout Star
34:51 Best New Collection
38:56 Most Innovative Use of Materials
46:34 Best Chair
49:45 Best Lighting
56:45 Best Side Table
59:30 Best Fine Furniture
01:03:10 Best Ceramic Furniture
01:12:46 Best Collectible Design
01:18:35 Best Photography
01:24:40 Favorite Design Discord Episode
01:28:10 Designers to Watch in 2026

Should you hire a PR firm… or are you just paying someone to spam editors?
Rebecca Goldberg — co-founder of Dada Goldberg, the most dialed-in design PR agency in New York — finally pulls back the curtain.

We ask every question designers are dying to ask about PR:
- What does real PR actually cost these days?
- When is the right moment to pull the trigger?
- Does PR actually move the needle on sales and collabs or is it just ego?
- Can you get overexposed and ruin your brand?
- Big agency vs boutique: which one is best?
- Do legacy magazines (AD, Elle Decor, Vogue) still matter or is it all Instagram now?
- Why dinners, press releases?

Plus: what is the one thing every emerging designer needs before they even think about hiring PR? (hint: it’s not a finished website).

If you’ve ever googled “design PR firms” at 2 a.m., this episode will save you six figures and a lot of heartbreak.

Hosted by Alyssa Gerasimoff & Fernando Mastrangelo
Guest: Rebecca Goldberg (Dada Goldberg)
https://dadagoldberg.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dadagoldberg/

Timestamps & full takeaway list in the show notes.
01:20 How much does design PR really cost in 2025?
06:45 When should you actually hire PR (the exact moment)
12:10 Does press = sales? The honest ROI breakdown
18:30 Can you get overexposed and kill your brand?
23:15 Legacy media vs Instagram: what actually moves the needle
29:40 Big agency vs boutique: pros, cons, and horror stories
35:20 Why dinners are the new press release
41:50 The personal toll no one talks about
48:30 How PR unlocks collaborations and bigger opportunities
54:10 The future of design PR in a cooked economy
1:01:00 Rebecca’s one piece of advice for every emerging designer

This episode is pure fire for anyone trying to figure out how to go from “talented” to “known.”

By popular demand, our favorite overseas correspondent Julia Haney-Montanez is BACK and fresh off the fair floors!
She was on the ground at PAD London and Design Miami Paris spilling the tea straight from the dealers’ mouths: collectors are officially over uncomfortable concept pieces and torture chairs. They want livable luxury, pieces you can actually sit on, live with, and love.
Comfort is the new currency
Dealers are quietly prioritizing the “hits” to survive this soft market
The real reason galleries are struggling (and what it means for designers)
The insider conversation everyone in design is having behind closed doors… but we’re saying it out loud. Hit play and find out what collectors are buying right now and what designers can do to weather this soft sales cycle.
Drop a if you’re ready for cozy to make a comeback.#DesignDiscord #PADLondon #DesignMiamiParis #LivableLuxury #InteriorDesign #CollectibleDesign

In this episode of Design Discord, Fernando sits down with Chen Chen and Kai Williams of the Brooklyn-based namesake studio. If you’re not already familiar with their work, get ready. We talk about how their partnership formed, what it’s been like building a practice in New York, and how their experimental approach has evolved into a studio that balances artistic risk with business.

The conversation touches on everything from navigating international production and building meaningful relationships in the gallery world to the trade-offs between accessibility and collectibility. Chen and Kai share insights into working with The Future Perfect, what it really takes to get a product to market, and the value of staying rooted in curiosity and materials exploration — even as the industry changes around them.

This one’s a must-listen for anyone thinking about how to make your weird ideas actually work.

https://cckw.us/
https://www.thefutureperfect.com/exhibitions/

In this episode of Design Discord, we dive deep with Julia Haney-Montañez, founder of The Design Release, to unpack the tough choices designers face today: where to show their work in a post-COVID world. From her time curating the Architectural Digest Design Show to building her own platform, Julia shares sharp insights on how trade fairs have lost their pre-COVID spark and why designers are turning to social media, digital ads, and personal networks to get seen.

We explore how these shifts have scattered the design community, leaving it out of sync and searching for connection. Julia reveals how her work is fostering a more collaborative, community-driven design culture to bridge the gap. Whether you’re navigating fairs, betting on digital marketing, or wondering how to stand out—this episode is for you.

Follow Julia and the Design Release:
https://thedesignrelease.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thedesignrelease/