Project Description
During my Design Technology internship at Hart Howerton, I conducted a workflow research project focused on improving early-stage planning and landscape design processes. Through interviews with architects, planners, and landscape architects across multiple offices, I mapped current workflows, identified recurring pain points, and translated them into three research directions: site data acquisition, design tool interoperability, and cross-team knowledge sharing.
The project combined research, systems thinking, and hands-on prototyping. I created comparative guidelines for acquiring site context and terrain models, tested workflows across Rhino, Revit, ArcGIS, Grasshopper, Dynamo, Lands Design, Forma, and other tools, and developed prototypes such as Rhino-to-Revit interoperability scripts, an ArcGIS reverse viewshed automation workflow, and a Dynamo-based terrain conversion workflow. I also built a firmwide Airtable toolkit to organize tutorials, resources, and workflow references into a shared knowledge system.
Rather than treating design technology only as a technical support role, this project explored how better workflows can shape collaboration, decision-making, and design culture. The final outcome was a set of practical tools and research-based recommendations that helped teams evaluate which workflow to use based on project needs, accuracy, speed, and software environment. The project also pointed toward future opportunities for AI-searchable workflow tools and more accessible design technology systems.