band members on stage in front of an audience with colorful lights designed by Susan Houmes

Alumni

Grad is an Experiential and Interior Designer

Hailing from Corona, California, Susan Houmes attended Santiago High School before studying Interior Design at FIDM. “I jumped on [the program] as I knew I would get a ton of one-on-one learning experiences,” said Susan, who was a designer and studio manager for AGENC Experiential & Digital Marketing and a designer at We Are BMF prior to striking out on her own as a Los Angeles-based experiential and interior designer. With six-plus years of industry experience, Susan has designed events for award shows, product launches, entertainment, and pop-up activations.

Tell us about your creative career: I design events from start to finish, steps include: Ideating on design concepts and strategies; Coming up with an event identity; Designing large structural components that will serve as backdrops and Instagram worthy photo moments; Space planning and putting together floor plans to support the flow of the event; Sourcing furniture to help achieve the event identity; Sourcing decor to help tie in the small details; Collaborating with team members on vendor communication to help execute the large-scale event graphics and event fabrication builds.

DJ setup indoors with colorful lights designed by Susan Houmes

How did FIDM prepare you for your career? My biggest takeaway from FIDM was learning all the programs needed to execute my designs on paper. Without this preparation, I truly would not be able to complete my job. FIDM also provided me with a great space to utilize all of FIDM's network with the Career Center. Rosemarie Konar, FIDM Career Advisor, started my career, and to this day I will forever be grateful.

A DJ booth flanked by large plants and colorful lights designed by Susan Houmes

What do you love about designing and why? I love seeing people thrive in a well-designed space they are inspired by. However, my job is more than just designing; I design experiences that people will remember possibly forever and that is something truly special.

A floral arrangement at an event designed by Susan Houmes