How the emphasis on experience is redefining the way we design

Beautiful design is table stakes. In today’s world of continuous visual communication, the architectural audience has the best examples of design with one tap, swipe or scroll.

Clients are more discerning. They are more informed and the effort it takes for architects to delight them has dramatically increased.

At the same time, advances in technology and digital automation have gifted architects with the ability to bring the wildest and most complex designs to fruition.

So, what does this mean for the role of the architect in 2023?

I believe that in the future, the architect’s focus will not just be on designing buildings but on measuring their impact on human experience.

We will still put pen to paper and draw buildings that are constructed of steel, glass and concrete. What will be different in 2023 is the depth and diversity of our teams. They will be made of architects, researchers, technology specialists, experience designers, interior designers, graphic designers and business strategists all intent on impacting the end user. They will design experiences as well as buildings and these will have a significant impact on clients and their businesses.

The ability to accurately measure that impact is key. Architects and clients will be accountable to a wider set of metrics that will not be revealed until after a building begins its use. Architects will engage with clients on how the experiences they have designed affected the user, the business, the community and the planet. They will ask critical questions to establish and understand how intent translated into positive impact.

Being this kind of future-forward architect means digging deeper into experiential design rather than just considering aesthetics alone. An architect’s expertise will evolve beyond drawing and coordination. This year will be all about expanding the role of the architect to be less about the building and more about building a dialogue.