Practice Disrupted by Practice of Architecture 217: Designing the Future: How Etch Built a Practice That Embraces AI + Autonomy
How can designers build intentional businesses while embracing an AI-powered practice?
This week, we're joined by Jessica Nelson and Stephanie Lindsay, the co-founders of Etch Design Group and the new venture AI for Interiors. They share their 10-year journey of building Etch into a celebrated Austin-based studio, driven by a "yin and yang" partnership and a desire to create a firm culture centered on autonomy, trust, and a sustainable work-life rhythm. Now a team of 10, they've successfully structured the firm to empower their designers, allowing Stephanie to work remotely and giving both founders space to explore new passions.
That new passion became AI for Interiors, a platform born from Jessica's background in tech and a shared curiosity about new tools. Through speaking, courses, and hands-on team onboarding, they are demystifying artificial intelligence and helping other designers solve their biggest pain points . They tackle the biggest misconception they hear: that AI diminishes creativity.
"If you're using AI the right way, it actually gives you so much more freedom and so much more creativity than you ever thought possible because it allows you to really dream bigger and think so much broader." - Jessica Nelson
This episode concludes with a candid discussion on the lessons learned from a decade of entrepreneurship, from the importance of always trusting your gut instinct to why they wish they'd invested in marketing and a business coach sooner. Jessica and Stephanie also explain their "community over competition" philosophy, sharing why they believe being an "open book" and helping other designers ultimately elevates the entire industry's reputation.
Guests
Jessica Nelson and Stephanie Lindsay are the co-founders of Etch Design Group, an Austin-based interior design studio specializing in residential and boutique commercial projects. After meeting at a previous firm, they founded Etch in 2015. They are also the founders of AI for Interiors, a platform that provides speaking, workshops, and coaching to help design professionals integrate artificial intelligence into their creative and business workflows .
Is This Episode for You?
This episode is for you if:
✅ You are an entrepreneur looking for candid lessons on building and scaling a design firm.
✅ You are curious about how to integrate AI into your creative and business workflows.
✅ You want to debunk common misconceptions about AI and its role in creativity.
✅ You are interested in building a firm culture based on autonomy, trust, and work-life balance.
✅ You believe in "community over competition" and sharing knowledge to elevate the design industry.
📍 Show Links:
- Learn more about Etch Design Group
- Connect with Etch Design Group on LinkedIn
- Follow Etch Design Group on Instagram
- Learn more about AI for Interiors
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