Outcome-Based Design: The Shift of Design Technology and Tools

The evolution of design and drafting has increasingly given us tools that inform and expedite our processes. But what can we learn from the implementation of CAD, building information modeling (BIM), and now AI to prepare teams for the future of design tools? Working at a multidisciplinary design firm encompassing planning, landscape, architecture, and interiors has shown me that technology adoption and digital maturity happen at different rates. But regardless of the tools used and efficiency in practice, projects are completed. Focusing on the finished work, lessons learned can become the quantitative outcomes we bring to the beginning of projects in this era of outcome-focused process. By distilling 50+ years of digital asset creation and the analysis of completed projects, we can uncover the potential embedded within our digital archives.