Autodesk 2013 Outlook Commentary : Driving Trends and Seeking Breakthroughs in Design Technology

By Tan Choon Sang (CS Tan), Country Manager, Autodesk Malaysia

We are living in an exciting time as technology becomes more hyper-connected, highly personal and mobile. Everything is changing – from consumer products such as phones and tablets to the way your home computer accesses the Internet – and this is mostly for the better.

In the next year and beyond, we look to another year of breakthroughs with a plethora of trends and technological advancement that is set to transform the way we live life and do business.

Here are some of the design technology trends we are anticipating in the coming year.

1. Infinite Computing
Designers now have the power to design and create almost anything they can imagine. The “toolset” change of cloud computing—tremendous increases in computer processing, bandwidth, storage, affordability, and ubiquity. This, when combined with a “mindset” change that looks for new ways to use this power, adds up to infinite computing, which is profoundly changing the world of design. The old paradigm of “design-then-analyse” is transforming into one where we can use the cloud to analyse thousands of options in parallel, helping us create the best possible designs.

2. Real CAD
Human-centered interfaces are making it easier for us to use computers, rather than having to adapt our work and workflows to the way computers are designed. Direct manipulation, ubiquitous sensors (accelerometers, touch screens, etc.), gesture- and voice-recognition paradigms, and even technology that can detect thought patterns are all making computers easier to use, and more valuable than ever before.

3. Reality, Digitised 
The term “reality, digitised” refers to the blurring of the boundaries between the real world and the digital world. Reality capture techniques like laser point clouds and photogrammetry enable incredible visualisations, simulations, automatic modeling, augmented reality capabilities, and 3D printing/personal-manufacturing. For example, in the future you’ll be able to scan your feet, buy a design from a shoe company, and 3D-print personalised shoes rather than having to buy whatever happens to be there at the store, or online.

4. The Network Effect
“Everyone’s a Designer” is the idea that a developing set of widely distributed, inexpensive tools for design and fabrication is inspiring design self-reliance as well as design crowdsourcing. This trend is changing the worlds of design and manufacturing, and starting to affect the building industry as well. We at Autodesk take the adage of making design available to everyone seriously as exemplified by our wide range of consumer apps which are available through multiple computing and mobile platforms. Autodesk Homestyler for instance, is a free online home design software that can bring its users’ design plans and remodeling dreams to life.  

As a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, Autodeskaims to continuously deliver the best solutions and design tools to our customers from both the professional and consumer markets. With the increasing convergence, mobility and innovation of technology, I believe that we have an exciting future ahead of us in the field of design technology.