Fast Company recently spoke with Spectorgroup’s Director of Design Technology, Faizan Zaidi, as part of a larger look at how leading architecture firms are developing their own AI tools and finding new ways to integrate emerging technology into the design process.
At Spectorgroup, that exploration has included developing custom AI solutions that can help automate some of the more repetitive and time-intensive aspects of design. One example highlighted in the article is a tool developed to analyze test fits, quickly tallying elements such as conference rooms and workstations to provide an immediate understanding of how a workplace is being planned.
While these tools can improve efficiency and give designers more time to focus on higher-value work, they are not a replacement for design expertise. As Zaidi explains, AI can understand quantities and patterns, but it has yet to replicate the intuition and contextual knowledge that informs decisions such as adjacencies, programming, and how people ultimately experience a space.
For Spectorgroup, the opportunity lies in finding the right balance: using technology to streamline the process while keeping creativity, experience, and human judgment at the heart of design.