The Design and Make space is something we’ve long recognized at Autodesk. We’ve been honored to help establish and advance the work being done across architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, media, and entertainment to design and make a better world for all. With advancement of the cloud, automation, and AI, Design and Make Platforms are increasingly how the world’s products, buildings and media are designed and made. At Autodesk, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure things designed and made with our platform are better. We want to make buildings greener, cars cleaner, products smarter, and movies and video games more inspiring.

As the premiere Design and Make Platform with expertise and experience—honed over 40 years—we are proud to release the first State of Design & Make report to show how digitization is helping leaders and innovators around the world overcome challenges and create a future that is more sustainable, resilient, and prosperous. 

The State of Design & Make report will be released annually. Get the report.

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Reshaping Design and Make in the era of uncertainty

Our research shows what’s common across industries and geographies—and what’s different. 

The world feels far more uncertain than it did three years ago, and 72% of leaders Autodesk surveyed say the workforce has changed more in the last three years than in the previous 25. Almost 50% of leaders we spoke with say their biggest challenge is attracting and retaining talent. The future of work is already here, and companies need to embrace it to stay competitive. 

Organizations across industries and geographies are struggling to manage rising costs amidst economic uncertainty. The top benefits of digital transformation, according to our research, include reduced costs, increased innovation and better ideas, and the ability to launch products and services faster. 

Readiness for geopolitical challenges varies by industry segment. Those in the video game industry feel most prepared; while those from the automotive and transportation industries feel least prepared. The 20% gap is notable.

Uncertainty versus readiness: an industry segment view. Respondents from automotive and transportation companies felt that their industry is less prepared than others to handle global changes. Respondents from game development companies felt that their industry is more prepared (see page 20 of The State of Design & Make report).

Business resilience relies on digitization

One finding shines brightly: Digitization makes all the difference in meeting today’s challenges and preparing for tomorrow’s. Digitally mature companies outperform those that aren’t, say our respondents, and the performance gap is getting wider.

Leaders of digitally mature companies are more likely to feel prepared for future challenges and are better positioned to close the talent gap: 68% percent of digitally mature companies are hiring remote talent, enabling them to draw from a larger and more robust pool of talent and find perfect candidates. This contrasts with just 48% of less digitally mature companies looking to hire remote workers.

Leaders are also increasingly turning to data and insights to drive better decision-making and collaboration, thus getting better products to market faster. And, nearly 3 in 4 leaders say the future of their companies depends on digital tools available within Design and Make Platforms.

Sustainability is now regarded as critical to success

Focusing on sustainability is also helping companies attract employees—and customers. A full 80% of leaders say improving their organization’s sustainability practices strengthens their organization’s reputation and is a good long-term business decision. Most survey respondents said their organizations face employee pressure to take action on sustainability, and in interviews, leaders mentioned the importance of the issue to recruits.  

“Sustainability attracts talent,” said Fiona Short, principal and architect at Warren and Mahoney, a multidisciplinary architectural practice. “You want the right people to come and want to work for you, and you want to be a company that people are proud to work for. A focus on sustainability helps you to get the best out of people because they’re passionate and their work aligns with their values. It attracts those like-minded people, and it is just the right thing to do.” 

Indeed, 90% of businesses globally are making changes to improve sustainability despite macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges and uncertainties. But the United States lags. US respondents were more than twice as likely as their global counterparts to say that their organizations were doing nothing to become more sustainable. As the world’s largest economy, the United States has a responsibility to help lead and prioritize sustainability, and Autodesk is proud to support those efforts.

Prosperity is increasingly powered by trusted Design and Make Platforms

If there is one overarching takeaway from the survey data and interviews, it’s this: success today and tomorrow depends on our ability to transform how we work, and digital tools will help us respond. Modern, trusted Design and Make Platforms allow people to create better, faster, more affordably and sustainably, by making data more accessible and extensible, and collaboration more seamless across functions, geographies, and industries. While business leaders and experts expect to encounter increased uncertainty in the coming years, Design and Make Platforms will help them prepare for any future.  

Insights across Design and Make industries—architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO); product design and manufacturing (D&M); and media and entertainment (M&E)—demonstrate how our global community is navigating the massive shifts in our geopolitical and macroeconomic landscapes. Download the full report to learn more and be better prepared for whatever comes next.  

Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform consists of three industry clouds—Autodesk Fusion for D&M, Autodesk Forma for AECO, and Autodesk Flow for M&E.