AI for Interior Designers™ *Podcast

EP 76: AI Pulse: Jenna's Predictions for Where AI Is Heading

Episode 76 | AI Pulse: Jenna's Predictions for Where AI Is HeadingAI for Interior Designers™ Podcast · Jenna Gaidusek
Nearly 3 years into teaching AI for Interior Designers, Jenna shares her predictions and a current pulse of where AI is and where she predicts it will be in the future, with one honest disclaimer: she is not here to guess where AI lands in five years. Nobody knows that. What she can tell you is what she has actually been building for the past three years, and where that points next. The short version is custom tools. The kind you build yourself, designed for how you actually work, instead of renting fifty subscriptions that were never made for the design business.
She gets into the irony of developers handing us the tools to finally cut out the middleman, why the backend has always been the real hurdle and how it is finally getting easier, and the simplest place for you to start today. No big pitch this time, just a candid look at where this is all going and what she is doing about it.
Learn more at aiforinteriordesigners.com
Key Takeaways
Jenna is done making wild five and ten year predictions, and she thinks you should be too. The tech is moving too fast and too unpredictably for anyone to call it. What matters is watching what is tangible right now and building from there.
The real shift she sees coming is custom tools. Not chatbots, not always AI-powered, just apps that do exactly what you need. Designers are not web developers or data scientists, and for the first time they do not have to be. They live the work, which means they know what they need better than any third party ever could.
The irony is not lost on her. The same developers who built the "is your living room ugly" apps and cut professional designers out for years have now built tools so good that designers can build it themselves, and finally cut them out of the things they were always told they needed.
The backend is the part that actually stops people. Building an app is easy. Deploying it so others can use it, with login, security, and working APIs, is the wall. That used to be Jenna's whole disconnect, and it is getting easier every month across Gemini Studio, Base44, and Claude Code.
Artifacts are the easiest entry point. They are little one-purpose apps built right inside Claude, like a pricing calculator or a proposal builder. You build it once, save it, and use it constantly with no backend headache.
Everything Jenna builds now lives in one connected hub. Two years of little builds became the AI Social Club™: proposals, lead generators, her CRM, and the App Studio, all in one place. The rule she builds by is simple. If you do something twice, make an app for it. Then automate it.

EP 75: Get Messy, Make Mistakes: Miss Frizzle Was Right

Episode 75: Get Messy, Make Mistakes
This week I am taking you behind the scenes of something I usually keep private: the real, unglamorous work of building. After two years in the making, I finally launched Field Day and the AI Social Club™ app, and I want to talk about what that process actually looks like when you do it out loud.
I get into why I build everything myself first, learn it inside and out, and then turn around and teach it to you. That is the whole reason I do what I do. When you hit a wall in your own design business, I have usually been right there, so I can walk you through it.
I also share where I see our industry heading. The ChatGPT design client is real, new business models are popping up, and a clear divide is forming in who our ideal clients are now. None of this means designers are going anywhere. It means we get to build our own table instead of waiting for an invite to someone else's.
What you will take away:
Why I build, test, and learn every tool before I teach it
How the interior design client is shifting in the age of AI
The new business models showing up as designers adapt
Why I build for community first, never just for me
The Miss Frizzle rule I live by: get messy, make mistakes, and actually remember what you learned
If this one resonated, follow the show so you never miss an episode, and share it with a designer friend who needs the reminder that the tech is the problem, not them.

Ep 74: Your Software Was Not Built for You

In episode 74 of the AI for Interior Designers Podcast, host Jenna Gaidusek gets into the idea that tools most interior designers have been using to run their businesses were created by tech companies and accountants, not by designers. And that mismatch has been quietly shaping (and limiting) the way you work for years.
In this solo episode, Jenna breaks down why this happened, why the subscription sprawl is a symptom and not the actual problem, and why AI finally makes it possible to build tools that work the way you actually work — instead of the other way around.
If you have ever felt like your software is fighting you instead of helping you, this episode is for you.
What's covered in this episode:
Why off-the-shelf design software was never really built for designers
The subscription sprawl problem — and how the big LLMs are replacing most of it
What custom dashboards and mini apps actually look like in practice
The proposal builder example: discovery call in, formatted proposal out
Why technology is about to become invisible — and what that means for your business
Why small businesses have a real advantage over corporations in AI adoption right now
The question you need to answer before you rebuild anything: what would your ideal business look like if the technology didn't limit it?
Links mentioned:
Register for Field Day: https://aiforinteriordesigners.com/field-day
AI for Interior Designers™: https://aiforinteriordesigners.com
Follow on Instagram: @aiforinteriordesigners
Field Day — Summer 2025 Tuesdays, June 2 through July 28 | 10am–12:20pm ET $249 for 9 weeks | $397 bundle with study halls | $99 single study hall
 
TOOLS MENTIONED
Claude — claude.ai
Gemini — gemini.google.com
Perplexity — perplexity.ai
Canva — canva.com
Base44 — base44.com 
 
REGISTER FOR FIELD DAY
9 weeks. Every Tuesday. Starting June 2nd at 10am ET. Learn the tools, get quick wins, and start building what your business actually needs.
🔗 aiforinteriordesigners.com/field-day
 

Ep 73: What I'm Doing This Summer (And Why I Want You to Join Me)

Episode 73 — What I'm Doing This Summer (And Why I Want You to Join Me) AI for Interior Designers™ Podcast · Jenna Gaidusek
Jenna gets honest about what's been happening behind the scenes — a scattered site, an evolving program, and a summer that's finally clearing the runway. She shares why she permanently left ChatGPT for Claude + Gemini, how she actually uses AI (spoiler: it's not chat threads - it's custom apps and branded dashboards built for real design workflows), and what's coming this summer with Field Day, a 9-week live AI learning program starting June 2nd.
Open enrollment pricing drops from $149 → $79. A new website is on the way. The AI App Studio is growing. And none of it is built by a tech company guessing what designers need.
 Field Day — Enroll Now (Starting June 2nd): aiforinteriordesigners.com/field-day
Key Takeaways
After more than three months away from it, Jenna has officially and permanently moved on from ChatGPT — not because of the product, but because of the company and the people running it. Her current stack is Claude and Gemini, and she is not looking back.
The way Jenna actually uses AI has almost nothing to do with typing into a chat thread. She builds branded apps, dashboards, and custom AI-powered tools that pull from spreadsheets and calendars and produce beautiful, functional interfaces designed specifically for design business workflows.
The AI App Studio inside her programs is growing — and every tool in it was built by a working designer, for working designers. Not by a tech company that thinks it knows what you need.
Field Day is a 9-week summer AI learning program starting Tuesday, June 2nd. It begins at absolute square one and builds every single week, with live sessions, structured study halls, and hands-on implementation time built into every class.
Open enrollment class pricing is dropping from $149 to $79. The economy is hard, and Jenna wants more designers to be able to access the training. Plain and simple.
A fully rebuilt, highly interactive website is in progress and coming soon. The current site is being untangled — Jenna knows it, she owns it, and it is getting fixed.
 

EP 72: AI Search Conversation: The new Rules of Being Found Online

The rules of being found online haven't disappeared. They've evolved.
In Episode 72, Jenna sits down with Robyn White of RDW Design Studio — website designer, brand strategist, and SEO specialist for interior designers — to break down exactly what has changed with AI search, what still matters, and what your design firm needs to do right now to show up when potential clients are searching in ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
If you have been putting off your SEO because it feels overwhelming, or wondering whether all of that work you already did on your website even matters anymore, this episode is your answer. (It does. You are not starting over. You are adding layers.)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
The difference between traditional SEO and AI search — and why the shift from keywords to questions changes everything
Why brand mentions are the new backlinks and how podcast features and press mentions are working for your AI visibility right now, even without a link
The exact blog post structure that makes your content extractable by AI: key takeaways first, answer before support, FAQs at the end
Jenna's voice note workflow — how she turns real client meeting moments into search-optimized blog content that sounds like her because it is her
What EEAT means and why your case studies, client stories, and testimonials are more valuable than ever
Whether AI-written content actually hurts your Google rankings — Robyn gives a refreshingly honest, nuanced take
THE ONE THING TO TAKE FROM THIS EPISODE
If AI can't clearly define you, it can't recommend you. Get crystal clear on who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and how you do it. Then make sure that message is consistent everywhere you show up online. Websites, social profiles, newsletter bios, podcast features. It all needs to match. These are bots. Inconsistency breeds distrust.
ABOUT ROBYN WHITE
Robyn White is the founder of RDW Design Studio, where she works almost exclusively with interior designers as a website designer, brand strategist, and SEO specialist. She offers traditional SEO, AI search optimization, website design, and ongoing monthly SEO services.
Find Robyn at rdwdesignstudio.com. She is also joining Jenna as a guest instructor for Q2 of the AI for Interior Designers™ Certificate Program — her class on AI search visibility is May 19th. Enrollment closes May 4th.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Claude by Anthropic — anthropic.com
ChatGPT by OpenAI — openai.com
Google NotebookLM — notebooklm.google.com
Perplexity AI — perplexity.ai
Google Analytics — analytics.google.com
LuAnn University — luannnigara.com/lu/
AI for Interior Designers™ Certificate Program Q2 — aiforinteriordesigners.com
 
CONNECT WITH JENNA
www.aiforinteriordesigners.com | @aiforinteriordesigners

EP 71: Stop Keeping It All in Your Head: Building AI-Powered SOPs for Your Design Firm

 
Are Your Business Processes Living Rent-Free in Your Head?
If your team can't access the knowledge you carry around in your mind, your design firm is more vulnerable than you think. In this episode, Jenna Gaidusek sits down with Dixie Willard — Founder of Poised & Plumb and operations expert for interior design firms — to talk about how AI is completely changing the way designers build, document, and manage Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why keeping everything in your head is one of the biggest risks to your business
How to use voice-to-text to capture your processes on the fly — even during a furniture delivery
Why Google NotebookLM is a game-changer for creating a private, searchable knowledge base your whole team can use
How to bring your brand voice into Claude the right way (without dragging in years of messy chat history)
The mindset shift from depending on SaaS tools to building your own AI-powered systems
Why documented SOPs are your business's best protection when the unexpected happens
This conversation is packed with practical strategies you can implement immediately , whether you're a solo designer or managing a growing team.
Don't miss these upcoming opportunities with Dixie:Dixie will be speaking at the 2nd Annual AI Design Tech Summit on April 2nd and teaching an in-depth course on AI-powered SOPs as part of the AI Certificate Program in May (Q2). Register before the summit for Q2 and your summit ticket is included!
🎟️ Summit tickets: https://www.aiforinteriordesigners.com/virtual-design-tech-summit-26📚 Certificate Program: https://www.aiforinteriordesigners.ai/
Resources & Links:
🔗 Dixie Willard's Website — Poised & Plumb: https://poisedandplumb.com/📲 Follow Dixie on Instagram: @poisedandplumb | @designingdixie🌐 Learn More About AI for Interior Designers: https://www.aiforinteriordesigners.com/
Join the AI for Interior Designers Community!
Subscribe to the Podcast so you never miss an episodeFollow Jenna on Instagram: @aiforinteriordesigners | @jenna.gaidusek
If this episode hit home, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and tap the notification bell — staying ahead of AI in the design world starts here.
🎓 Explore AI for Interior Designers™: https://www.aiforinteriordesigners.com/

EP 70: Keeping Interior Design Human in a World of AI with Sharon Sherman

In this special episode recorded live from the KBIS 2026 Podcast Studio, Sponsored by AJ Madison Pro, AI for Interior Designers *Podcast host Jenna Gaidusek sits down with the KBB Person of the Year, Sharon Sherman, founder of Thyme & Place Design.As AI moves at a breakneck pace, who is guiding the ship? Jenna and Sharon dive deep into the "feminine energy" required to nurture this technology, the importance of setting rigid ethical boundaries, and why AI can mimic a mood board but can never understand the "energetic quality" of a home. From Sharon’s AI assistant "Ursula" to the rising trend of "Analog Rooms," this conversation is a must-listen for designers looking to stay human in a digital world.In This Episode, We Discuss:
AI as a "Child": Why boundaries and "parenting" your AI models are essential for ethical design.
The Ethics of Stealing: How to use AI to enhance your own portfolio without infringing on others.
The Power of Analog: Why "sit tests," real stone, and physical connection are becoming the ultimate luxury in a digital age.
Human EQ vs. AI IQ: Why the industry still needs the "voice of reason" only a human designer can provide.
The "Wait and See" Crowd: Why the industry needs hesitant designers to help build better solutions.
Resources & LinksLearn with Jenna & Sharon:
AI for Interior Designers™ Certificate Program: Register for Q2 Enrollment Here
Q2 Class (May 8): The Ethical Designer: AI Humanization & Team Leadership
Connect with Sharon Sherman:
Website: Thyme & Place Design
Instagram: @thymeandplacedesign
Our Sponsors:
AJ Madison Pro: Smarter appliance sourcing and exclusive trade programs. ajmadison.com/pro
KBIS (Kitchen & Bath Industry Show): Special thanks to the KBIS Podcast Studio. kbis.com

EP 69: Is Interior Design rendering Dead? How AI Tools Are Changing Client Visuals

Is Interior Design Rendering Dead? How AI Tools Are Changing Client Visuals
In this episode of the AI for Interior Designers™ Podcast, Jenna breaks down whether traditional 3D rendering still makes sense for interior designers now that AI tools can create convincing visuals in a fraction of the time.
For years, high-end 3D renderings were the gold standard. Designers would spend 10–14 hours perfecting materials, lighting, and tiny details. It was beautiful work—but also time‑consuming, expensive, and often overkill for what most clients actually needed: confidence in the concept and clarity around how everything fits.
Now, AI is changing that balance. Jenna shares why she personally stopped offering full 3D renderings nearly two years ago, how she now combines accurate floor plans with AI-generated imagery and video, and what this shift means for render artists, students, and working designers.
In This Episode, We Cover:
The shift from hand drafting to high-speed visuals: Why BIM tools and generative AI are the next inflection point in our industry’s evolution.
When to skip the 14-hour render: How to identify when a client needs a high-end investment versus when they just need a "vibe" check.
The New Workflow: How to build accurate 2D plans, then layer on fast AI visuals to sell the concept without the pixel-perfect obsession.
The Future of Render Artists: Why technical designers are more valuable than ever as “accuracy editors” and quality control specialists.
Designer vs. DIY AI: How to talk to clients who think they can replace a professional designer with a few prompts.
Key Takeaways & Workflow Tips
Why Traditional Rendering is Evolving Clients are increasingly hesitant to pay for "perfect" scale in every pixel when they can get a clear vision of the mood and layout in under two hours. Jenna explains how she uses tools like Mydoma’s Visualizer to create accurate floor plans and 2D drawings, then pivots to AI for the "wow" factor.
Jenna’s Current AI Visualization Stack
Foundation: Create a solid, scaled floor plan with accurate dimensions.
Concept: Build a clean concept board with actual products in Canva.
Visualization: Use AI (Google Gemini or ChatGPT) to "drop" real products into an AI-generated room image.
Immersion: Turn those stills into short video walkthroughs using video-generation features to show the dog on the bed or the way light hits the sofa.
Mentioned in this Episode
Jenna’s Platforms & Education:
AI for Interior Designers™ (Site + Newsletter)
AI for Interior Designers™ Podcast Home
Live AI & Visualization Classes
Certificate Program Press Feature (KBB)
Business of Home: Will AI put renders out of business? 
Visualization & AI Tools:
SketchUp: sketchup.com
Mydoma Studio: mydomastudio.com
Canva: canva.com
Google Gemini: gemini.google.com
ChatGPT: chatgpt.com
 
Industry Events & Organizations:
IDS - Interior Design Society interiordesignsociety.org 
KBIS – Kitchen & Bath Industry Show: kbis.com
ASID: asid.org
High Point Market: highpointmarket.org
A + D Summit for Photographers in Austin March 4-6- https://www.ad-photosummit.com/ Use code JENNA for $500 off. 
LuAnn Nigara / LuAnn University: luannnigara.com
Final Thought
AI images are a power tool for marketing and quick visualization, but they are not a substitute for professional space planning and real-world experience. If you’re ready to streamline your visuals and stop losing days to 3D modeling for every project, this episode is for you.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with the latest tips and tools for designers!
 

Episode 68: The Internet Is Dead, Stop Trusting the Feed

In Episode 68 of the AI for Interior Designers™ Podcast, Jenna Gaidusek dives into a topic that has been quietly reshaping the internet, social media, and how we market our businesses. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from the feed, skeptical of what you’re seeing online, or exhausted by algorithm driven content, this episode will resonate.
Jenna unpacks why the internet feels dead. Between bots, AI generated content, misinformation, and platforms designed to influence behavior rather than foster connection, trust online is eroding fast. She breaks down dead internet theory through real‑world experience, not hype, and explains why social media no longer feels truly social.
This episode is not about abandoning the internet entirely. It’s about awareness, boundaries, and knowing where real connection actually happens now. Jenna shares why in person relationships, private communities, and intentional visibility matter more than ever, especially for designers navigating AI, marketing fatigue, and constant noise.
You’ll also hear how AI fits into this conversation in a practical way. When used intentionally, AI can give you time back instead of pulling you deeper into the scroll. The goal is not replacement, but support. Less busywork, more real life.
If you’re looking to learn how to use AI without losing your voice, your values, or your humanity, explore the AI classes and certificate programs available at:
This episode is a reset. Stop trusting the feed. Start trusting real humans, real experiences, and your own discernment.
 
Take an AI class with me this fall. Open enrollment classes are now available for Q1 through March! 
aiforinteriordesigners.ai/classes 
Waitlist for Q2 Certificate Program is also filling up quickly (see the class page to join it). 

EP 67: Touch Grass, Save Your Sanity

Episode 67: Touch Grass, Save Your Sanity
Social media feels heavier than ever, AI content is everywhere, and many designers are starting 2026 already burnt out.
In this episode, Jenna reflects on burnout, growing up between analog and digital worlds, and why the solution to AI fatigue is not more tools, but more real life connection. This is an honest conversation about stepping back from the scroll, using AI intentionally, and prioritizing human experience in a tech-saturated world.
Instead of chasing algorithms or sharing everything publicly, Jenna explains why she is choosing a more intentional approach to visibility, community, and business this year.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why posting daily on social media is unsustainable long term
How AI saturation is changing how content feels online
Why “2026 is the new 2016” resonates right now
The difference between using AI as a tool versus letting it consume your life
Why in‑person industry events matter more than ever
How collaboration is helping firms stay resilient
Where AI actually saves time inside a design business
Updates on the AI Certificate Program and upcoming open enrollment classes
This episode is a reminder that AI should give you time back, not take away your humanity. Use the tools, then log off and go be a person again.
Links mentioned:AI Certificate Program: https://www.aiforinteriordesigners.ai/ Swink Social: https://www.swinksocialco.com/ IDS Charleston: https://idscharleston.org