Pioneering Global Design - Christine McGinnis - Defining Hospitality
"People come to your joint once for the design, but they come back for the service and how you made them feel."
Audio Links:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
Most designers pick a market. Christine McGinnis picked a direction on the map and just kept going. A Canadian who plotted six countries in six years and never stopped, she's spent two decades designing storied hospitality spaces, from a termite eaten Bangkok mansion blessed by monks, to a beachside Aloft in Bali, to a restaurant on a volcanic island off the coast of Africa where she drafted every line in Spanish. This week, Dan Ryan sits down with a globe circling designer who got the hospitality bug at the Waldorf on the worst day in recent history, to talk about why "why" is the only question that matters, and what the return of film cameras tells us about the future of human centered design. 🏠
Takeaways:
Ask "why" before anything else. Most teams rush past it, but that one question will save you more headaches than any brief or budget ever will.
The most innovative work comes from assembling people who don't belong together on paper, resist the obvious hire every time.
You only need one word to define great hospitality: openness. It's not about doors or decor, it's about whether people feel genuinely welcomed the moment they walk in.
People come once for the design. They come back for how you made them feel. Build for the return visit, not the first impression.
Just go. Whether it's a new country or a new market, inertia is the only real obstacle the paperwork is always figured out.
Be present wherever you land. If you're always yearning for somewhere else, you'll miss everything the place in front of you is trying to teach you.
Pay attention to the analog craving. When younger generations reach for film cameras and darkrooms, they're telling you exactly what's missing from the spaces you're designing, serendipity, texture, and the chance for a wonderful mistake.
"People come to your joint once for the design, but they come back for the service and how you made them feel." - Christine McGinnis
Reach out to Dan on LinkedIn or hit reply on the Substack to share what you’re working on.
Impact estimates vary by project. For the most up-to-date figures, please refer to the transcript
Connect with Christine:
Christine’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemcginnis/
Wave Design’s Website: https://www.wave.global/
🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by BERMANFALK
Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/