Why Virtual Design Software is Leaving a Lasting Impact on the Design Workforce

 

MarketScale regular, Paul Doherty, and Shawn Phillips, Director of Virtual Design and Construction met up at the Chicago Build Expo to discuss how as BIM evolves the industry will need to be retrained to meet those new demands.

 

Highlights of the conversation:

  1. There is a lot of talk in the industry about delivering BIM, what am I actually giving over to an owner at the end of the project?
  2. “What is interesting is the conversations within AIA that are saying that medium sized firms could go away”
  3. “It doesn’t come down to the actual production, but the deliverable and a part of that is trying to get buy in from stakeholders”
  4. “What we are seeing here not just in the states but globally are that subcontractors are really taking a hold of how work gets done”
  5. “Your role is not just being responsible for production but VDC managers are becoming educators”
  6. “I was a part of the team that designed what would become revit, we didn’t design it for designers. It was designed for a professional that we didn’t even know yet”
  7. “Do you always have a BIM execution on projects or do you ever take it as the project unfolds?”
  8. “How will BIM 2.0 change to fit with a more cloud based work flow that we have seen evolve over the past two decades?”
  9. “I think the Internet-of-Things has a long way to go but obviously it’s still in its infancy”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

MarTech
How CMOs Must Respond as AI Redefines Marketing and MarTech Strategy
February 16, 2026

AI is shifting marketing from experimentation to operational integration. In this episode, Aby Varma speaks with Palmer Houchins, VP of Marketing at G2, about embedding AI into workflows, rethinking org design, and navigating rapid change across the MarTech landscape. From LLM copilots to agentic workflows, they unpack practical adoption lessons and the increasing importance of…

Read More
experiential learning
Flood the Zone: University of Virginia’s New Strategy to Scale Experiential Learning for Every Student
February 16, 2026

Experiential learning is having a bit of a reckoning moment in higher ed. For years, the default answer was “get an internship” or “do a co-op”—as if every student can pause life, relocate for a summer, and take on a high-stakes role that’s supposed to define their future. But students’ realities have changed: many…

Read More
free tools
The True Cost of Free Tools: When Free Platforms Own More of Your Network Than You Do
February 12, 2026

Nowadays, getting a project off the ground usually means moving fast. A quick map gets sketched. A file gets shared. A design gets reviewed in whatever tool is closest at hand. In the moment, it feels efficient — even smart. But in the telecommunications industry, as networks become more automated, location-aware, and powered by AI,…

Read More
telecom
Predictive Networks: How Baron Weather and GIS are Strengthening Telecom Operations
February 12, 2026

Severe weather is no longer an occasional disruption for telecom providers—it’s becoming part of the operating environment. During Hurricane Ida in 2021, the Federal Communications Commission reported that nearly 1,000 cell sites across Louisiana and Mississippi went offline. In 2024, Hurricane Milton left more than 12% of cell sites in impacted areas of Florida…

Read More