A Day in Detroit With Gensler's Imani Day

By Imani Day

Imani Day is a designer with Gensler in Detroit. Her day involves a Peloton spin, lunchtime panel discussions, fresh air bike rides, and candle making.

7:30am: I start every morning by making a cup of Constant Comment tea with a bit of honey and almond milk. The scent is really nostalgic for me, because it reminds me of my mother and some really important conversations we’ve had over the years. As the tea steeps, my two cats, Miles and Queens, weave themselves around my legs as they (not so) patiently wait for me to feed them.

8:00am: On a good day, I wake up early to do a Peloton spin or yoga class. I decide based on the vibe of the day ahead. Spin is for days when I have an important client presentation or project meeting to sweat some nerves out and set the motivational mood for the day. Yoga is for busy days with back-to-back meetings or big deadlines to find a little peace before work begins.

9:00am: No two days look alike at work, and that’s something I love about my job. Working at a large firm like Gensler, I have the luxury of pairing our global resources and reach with an intimate office feel that we have in Detroit, where I get to wear many hats. It’s a great combination. I can start the morning working on boutique retail interiors, switch to an urban recreational park out in the neighborhoods of Detroit, and then dive into environmental graphics for a local vocational school. That’s what is special about my role and what keeps me feeling energized and creative as a designer. I typically feel more productive in the morning; it’s when my gears are turning, and I feel like I can think more clearly. It’s the best time of day for focused work.

11:00am: Gensler’s Co-CEOs called an inspiring kick off meeting with the Gensler Race and Diversity Committee. The conversation was an introduction of 22 global leaders from around the firm, sharing ideas for how to embed equity into our practice and how to take measurable steps forward for our firm, our industry, and our cities. Though this is just the beginning, I left the conversation feeling strong about our ability to really move the needle for diversity, justice, and inclusion.

12:00pm: I love talking to students, specifically about structuring their networks of support. Coronavirus has warped our sense of how to build professional relationships, but it’s important to understand the power of your alma mater’s network and the connections that are just one well-crafted email or Linkedin click away. In a lunchtime panel discussion with Cornell, I shared my approach to job searching after school, and how I’ve stayed closely connected to my Cornell network through each step of my career—and in my life! My last hurrah before quarantine was a quick trip to San Francisco to see my friends from school, Anjelica and Margaret, for some hugs and fun a few days before the country began to shelter in place. Those moments mean everything, especially now that I can’t just casually catch a flight in the middle of a pandemic.

I appreciate the ritual of breaking for lunch. When I was coming into the office every day, I almost never brought my lunch because I enjoyed getting out, walking around, and grabbing something. That mental break really helps. At home, I sometimes eat out on the patio with my neighbor or take a quick bike ride to get some fresh air.

2:00pm: On one particularly memorable day, I biked to Capitol Park to meet up with a dear friend and client, Kuhu, and we felt an entrancing energy from a crowd chanting “no justice, no peace,” marching down Detroit’s main artery, Woodward Avenue. I hopped on my bike to get ahead, before the protest reached the “Power to the People” mural, to see the front of the movement. A feeling of catharsis came over me, even just moving alongside the masses, and the power in our outcries for change moved me to tears.

4:00pm: A lot of my favorite work involves bringing new purpose and life to beautiful, historic buildings in Detroit. Around this time of day lately, I might take some time to review submittals for an interior workplace project currently under construction. Or, I’ll spend some time studying different design ideas for the upcoming renovation of an Albert Kahn building, finding unique opportunities to highlight the intersection of the old and the new.

7:00pm: In my role as Membership Co-Chair for NOMA National, I’m focused on creating opportunities for our members to connect to jobs, to seamlessly connect clients with designers of color – really to make the right connections for our members to succeed. We expect as the economy recovers from COVID and organizations have reacted to the equity conversations that have been playing out, we’ll see those improved, more inclusive hiring practices being put to the test. I’m working to ensure we’re as prepared and organized as we can be to support firms as they search for talent. In my role with AIA Detroit, I help serve as a bridge to NOMA so that AIA can be a strong ally to the organization. AIA’s reach is incredible, and my goal is to ensure that everyone has access to equitable resources.

9:00pm: My dad has an impressive arsenal of artistic tools he has used for more than 60 years. Lately, I’ve spent some time sorting through old paint brushes, calligraphy pens, bottles of ink, and 35 mm film cameras. It’s a mesmerizing collection of his own artistic history that offers very clear evidence of a real labor of love. His skills are really where my visual creativity comes from, so here and there, I make my own artwork with his instruments, so it doesn’t feel like we’re as far away from each other!

12:00am: During quarantine, my dear friends from home, Tolu, Milan, and I started making our own candles together virtually, and I think I have found a really nice, relaxing bedtime scent. So most nights, I light one and catch up on some good reads before falling asleep. I’m currently revisiting Toni Morrison’s The Source of Self Regard, which I am finding to be incredibly relevant through this time of evolution and growth. I’ll leave you with this quote: “Let us be reminded that before there is a final solution, there must be a first solution, a second one, even a third. The move toward a final solution is not a jump. It takes one step, then another, then another….”