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Some people can point to a single moment that set their career in motion. Diana Borges cannot, and she is refreshingly honest about that. For her, it was not one moment but a slow realisation, built quietly over years spent in places where people naturally gathered. Outdoors, relaxed, hospitable spaces that drew people in without anyone quite knowing why.
At the time, she did not think much of it. Looking back, those environments shaped how she thinks about space in ways she is only now able to articulate. She found herself paying attention to why certain places made people linger and others did not. Why some rooms put people instantly at ease while others, even when they looked perfectly fine on paper, simply did not work.
What drew Diana to interior design specifically was the realisation that it was never just about how things looked. It was about understanding how people behave, what a business genuinely needs and how culture shapes expectations. The more she understood about the profession, the more she recognised it suited the way she thinks: equal parts creative and analytical. More than ten years in, that curiosity has not faded. Every project still raises questions she has not had to answer before. That, she says, is what keeps it interesting.
Listening before designing
Diana’s approach to her work begins somewhere most people would not expect: before any design happens at all. She tries to listen first.
It is easy, she admits, to get pulled toward finishes and furniture early in a project. But that is not where the real work is. What matters first is understanding what a space actually needs to do, how people will use it, what they will feel walking in, where they will naturally stop, gather or want to focus. Those questions, she has found, usually lead to the most useful decisions.
Over the years, something in her own process has shifted. Early on, she was focused on adding things, on ideas and possibilities. Now she spends just as much energy figuring out what does not need to be there. The best solutions, she has learned, are often quieter than you would expect.
For Diana, design carries real responsibility. A space can look impressive and still fail the people using it. What she cares about most is when everything works together: the design, the operations, the budget and the user’s day to day experience. That balance rarely gets much attention, but it is where the profession genuinely earns its value.
Success, in her eyes, is a project that still works years later. One where people feel comfortable without stopping to think about why. When a space adapts to changing needs and continues doing its job well, that is when she knows they got it right.
Protecting the slower parts of the process
The shift Diana thinks about most right now is the pace of change. Everything moves faster: projects, client expectations, information itself. Technology has been genuinely useful, and she uses those tools daily. But there is a risk, she observes, that speed becomes the priority when it should not be. Rushing toward solutions before properly understanding the problem usually creates more work later, not less.
The challenge, as she sees it, is protecting the slower parts of the process. The conversations. The observation. The moments where a team sits with a question instead of immediately jumping to answers. That is usually where the better thinking happens.
Diana is not resistant to new tools. She simply wants to use them in a way that makes the work better, not just faster. It is a distinction that matters more than it might first appear, and one that more of the industry could benefit from holding onto.
Nobody has it all figured out
If Diana could go back and tell her younger self one thing, it would be this: nobody has everything figured out.
When you are starting out, she reflects, it is easy to assume that the more experienced people around you are completely certain about every decision they make. What she has learned is that experience does not remove uncertainty. It simply helps you become more comfortable navigating it.
She also wishes she had understood earlier just how important relationships are in this profession. Design is not something you do alone. Some of the most useful lessons in her career came from contractors, clients, consultants and colleagues who saw a challenge completely differently than she did. The ability to listen and collaborate has probably contributed as much to her career as any technical skill she has developed.
A definition of success that has grown with her
Early in her career, Diana measured success the way many professionals do: through visible achievements. Advancing to the next role, taking on larger projects, gaining international experience, continually progressing toward new milestones.
Working across different countries, cultures and sectors changed that. She has met incredibly accomplished people who prioritise career growth above everything else, and others who value flexibility, family, creativity or community. None of those approaches are inherently right or wrong. They simply reflect different priorities. That experience reinforced something Diana now holds firmly: success is deeply personal and can evolve over time. What matters most is understanding what drives you at a particular stage in life and ensuring your professional choices align with those values.
Professionally, one of her clearest measures of success today is seeing a project successfully delivered and knowing it has met its objectives. Design can be a long and complex process involving many stakeholders, constraints and decisions along the way. There is a particular satisfaction in seeing an idea evolve from an initial concept into a completed environment that functions well, reflects the client’s vision and serves the people who use it every day.
Client trust and satisfaction have also become increasingly important to her. When a client feels listened to throughout the process, when challenges are navigated collaboratively and when they remain proud of the outcome long after completion, Diana considers that a meaningful achievement.
Beyond project delivery, success means continuing to grow without losing curiosity. It means working with people she respects, contributing positively to the teams around her and building a career that remains both challenging and sustainable. If she measured success through achievement when she was younger, today she measures it through impact, trust and the ability to consistently deliver work that creates lasting value.
A career built alongside others
When asked who she would like to credit, Diana’s answer reflects exactly the kind of designer she is. Many people, she says, honestly, but she would not want to single one out.
Across every project and every country she has worked in, she has been shaped by the people around her. Mentors, colleagues, contractors and clients. The people who had the most influence were not always the most senior. They were often the ones who were generous with what they knew and honest about what they did not.
Whatever Diana has managed to build is very much connected to the people she has worked alongside. Every project leaves something behind, whether it is a technical lesson, a new perspective or a different way of approaching a challenge. She has been fortunate to learn from talented people throughout her career, and she remains genuinely grateful for the trust, knowledge and collaboration they have shared along the way.
Diana Borges is an interior designer with more than a decade of international experience across the built environment. This piece is part of The Minds Behind the Build, PAGES’ ongoing series celebrating the founders and leaders shaping the built environment.
