Ms. Jacqueline Aki, president, Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN), has advised interior designers in Nigeria who are willing to advance in the profession to embrace emotive design, lived experience and artificial intelligence (AI).
She stated this during the IDAN celebration of the 2025 World Interiors Day, themed; “Designing with Emotion; Building with Intelligence,” in Ikoyi Lagos recently.
In her opening remark, she urged interior designers to lean into three powerful intersections, which are “Emotive design—the ability to create spaces that connect deeply with human emotion. Not just beautiful spaces, but healing. Liberating and Uplifting spaces.”
According to her,
“Designers must have lived experience, which is understanding how design is received, inhabited, and remembered. How does a space feel at 8 a.m. versus8 p.m.? How it supports joy, inclusion, dignity.
She said
“AI is not a replacement for creativity, but as a collaborator and aggregator. A tool to extend our thinking, not override it. The challenge before us is to integrate intelligence—human and machine—with emotional and ethical clarity. To ensure that technology serves human-centred design, not the other way around.”
Ms. Aki said;
“Today is more than a date on the calendar. It is a global affirmation of the value of our work— the unseen hands, the thinking minds, the empathetic hearts behind the spaces where people live, heal, gather, and grow.
“Our theme this year, “Designing with Emotion; Building with Intelligence,” could not be more timely. It asks us to consider not only what we design, but how and why. It challenges us to create with empathy, to build with insight, and to lead with the awareness that our work has consequences—social, cultural, psychological, and environmental.”
At IDAN, “We believe deeply in this responsibility. We believe that design at its core is a necessity. It is not decoration—it is strategy, it is wellbeing, it is nation-building,” she added.
She stated that these intersections are not abstract. They are here. And they require every one of us to listen better, share more, and co-create boldly.
“This is the spirit that will drive IDAN forward. This is the kind of leadership I am committed to advancing—with the support of our National Executive Committee, our community of members, and our many partners in the public and private sectors,” Ms. Aki stated.
Speaking on the theme, Assistant Secretary General of IDAN, Dr. Omeba Ejiogu said, “We actually adapted this theme to make it feel more relatable to our audience here in Nigeria. The idea is simple: design isn’t just about how things look—it’s about how they make people feel and how well they function. Right now, it’s so important that our spaces do both—comfort people emotionally and work smartly in today’s world. That’s really what inspired us.”
On how IDAN is helping designers grow in Nigeria, she said that “At IDAN, we’re all about building well-rounded designers. We want our members to have strong technical skills—but we also want them to design with empathy.
“That is why we organize training, mentorships, and real-life projects—like our redesign of the LUTH Sickle Cell Ward. That project really shows how design can make a space not just functional, but healing and human. It’s how we’re helping our designers make a real impact,” she added.
Speaking on the future of the industry in Africa, Mrs. Ejiogu said, “I am so excited about the future. Africa is full of stories, materials, and ideas the world needs to see more of. My hope is that we keep building a design identity that’s proudly Afrocentric—authentic, bold, and innovative. I’d also love to see more African designers involved in bigger conversations—urban planning, education, healthcare—because we belong at every table where spaces are being shaped.”
She called on all designers across the world to keep innovating and advancing their crafts, “To every designer out there: keep doing what you do with passion and purpose. Whether you’re designing a luxury home, a small office, or a hospital room: know that your work matters. You have the power to shape how people live, feel, and connect. Be bold, be thoughtful, and above all, design with heart,” she added.
The keynote speaker at the event, Founder, HTL Africa Limited, Mr. James George who spoke on designing with emotion said that from the perspective of his firm, “We see the world, especially as African with a mix pot of emotions that has to be harnessed through design and creativity. We also see the environment in that way.”
“Our Nexus is the mixture of traditional and technology and therefore, to give technology the human face, we have to add a lot of emotions into designs so part of our duties as architect is to find that spark from culture and from day to day lives, that transforms ordinary bricks and mortar into something that elevate people.”
Other speakers are the event include CEO, Slick City Media, Malik Afegbua, CEO, Studio Akpan, Emem Akpan, AI Enthusiast, Studio Stone Designs, Abiodun Shonibare and Client Experience Manager, CAP Plc- Dulux Nigeria, Melody Otutuloro.
