From drafting boards and hand-drawn plans to 3D modeling, digital collaboration, and emerging AI tools, the design industry has transformed dramatically over the last four decades. To explore that evolution, we sat down with three of our tenured professionals whose combined experience spans 114 years:
Though each person followed a different career path, their stories reveal a common theme: while technology has transformed how projects are delivered, the fundamentals of great design remain unchanged.
Where it All Began
When Kevin and Donald joined the company in 1987, and Sanjay followed a few years later in 1990, there was no elaborate onboarding program or carefully mapped career path.
For Kevin, roadway design wasn’t originally a deliberate choice, but he quickly found his passion in drafting and plan production.
“When Donald and I were hired, we started on the same day. They simply said, ‘Kevin, you go to roadway. Donald, you go to bridge.’ It wasn’t really my choice. I was fresh out of ITT Technical Institute, and they needed a drafter. I’ve been in roadway ever since.”
“The drafting side is what I’ve always enjoyed. Back then, it was all paper and drafting boards, and even as it has evolved into AutoCAD, I still like putting plan sets together and getting them ready for the engineers. Building the plan set from start to finish is what I enjoy most.”
Donald’s interest started much earlier. A seventh-grade career day presentation by an architect sparked his fascination with construction and design.
“A career day presentation in seventh grade is what started it all for me. An architect came in and showed us plans, calculations, and models. I thought it was fascinating. As I got older, I realized I was more of a nuts-and-bolts kind of person and enjoyed the structural side of design, which eventually led me into bridge design.”
For Sanjay, architecture offered the perfect balance of art and science.
“I’ve always enjoyed both art and science. Architecture seemed like one of the few fields where I could combine creativity with technical problem-solving. My father always said, ‘Do what you enjoy.’ If you’re doing something you enjoy, it never really feels like a job.”
Growing up and studying architecture in India, he was heavily influenced by historic buildings, cultural architecture, and hands-on design before eventually moving to the United States and beginning a new chapter in his career.
Kevin, Donald, and Sanjay early career company headhsots
Drafting Board Era of Design
Long before cloud collaboration, BIM models, or digital markups, design work was entirely manual.
Survey crews recorded elevations and measurements before handing them to roadway drafters like Kevin. From there, every plan sheet was created by hand.
“Survey crews would record information in field books and bring it back to us. We’d plot everything manually sheet by sheet using straight edges, triangles, compasses, and all the classic drafting tools. I’ve still got some of those tools today.”
Changes were painstaking.
“Everything started in pencil. Once the plans were finalized, we’d go back and ink everything by hand. If something changed afterward, you still had to go back and update it.”
For Donald, bridge design relied on similar tools.
“When I first started, it was a drafting board and an HP 10C calculator. Believe it or not, I still use that calculator today. The process was slower, but it forced you to think through every line before you put it on paper.”
Architecture wasn’t much different.
When Sanjay graduated from architecture school, every drawing and design concept was produced manually.
“You couldn’t rely on technology the way you can today. A lot of the visualization had to happen in your head. You had to imagine how the building would feel, what the spaces would be like, and how all the pieces would come together before you ever drew them.”
The CAD Revolution
As the 1990s and early 2000s progressed, technology began reshaping the profession. All three remember early CAD systems like FarbCAD and the initial versions of AutoCAD. The transition wasn’t instant, but it quickly became clear that digital design represented the future of the industry.
“There was definitely an adjustment. We started with a program called FarbCAD before moving into AutoCAD. It was still mostly drawing lines and working in 2D, but even then, you could see where technology was heading.” – Kevin
The software was limited compared to today’s standards. Everything remained two-dimensional, and designers still needed to think through every detail manually.
For Donald, one of the biggest misconceptions was that computers would instantly make designers faster.
“The biggest adjustment was helping people understand that computers weren’t making the design faster overnight. Creating something on a computer was still pretty much a one-to-one replacement for drafting on a board. Where computers really helped were the revisions, corrections, and updates.”
The real value appeared later.
“Back then if you changed a driveway or feature, you had to update it across multiple drawings. Today, you make the change once and it updates throughout the project. That’s where technology has saved an incredible amount of time.” – Kevin
Sanjay recollected a time when architectural presentations were hand-colored and delivered physically to clients.
“You’d sketch it, render it with markers or watercolors, and take it to the client so they could understand what it would look like.”
As software matured, changes that once required hours or days could be completed in minutes.
“The biggest advantage wasn’t creating the design. It was making changes. Before, a change could mean erasing, redrawing, and recreating an entire presentation. Suddenly, we could explore multiple options without losing days of work.” — Sanjay
Modernization Era of Design
The arrival of 3D modeling fundamentally changed how projects were communicated.
In roadway design, Kevin has found that visualization improved understanding for both internal teams and clients.
“When everything was paper, clients were looking at lines on a sheet. With modeling and visualization, they could finally see what the roadway was actually going to look like. It made them much more involved in the process.”
For bridge projects, Donald saw significant benefits when working through complex roadway geometry, super-elevations, and drainage challenges.
“For bridges and roadway geometry, especially things like super-elevations and drainage, 3D modeling made it much easier to understand what was happening and make sure everything worked together the way it should.”
Architecture experienced perhaps the most dramatic transformation.
“What once required sketches, renderings, and a lot of imagination could suddenly be rotated, viewed, sectioned, and explored from every angle. Clients could understand a concept much faster because they could actually see it.”
As collaboration improved, project schedules became increasingly compressed. Projects that once took years to develop could now be completed on significantly accelerated schedules.
What Has Improved the Most?
When asked what had improved most over the course of their careers, whether accuracy, speed, or communication, all three arrived at a remarkably similar conclusion, COMMUNICATION.
Kevin noted how quickly roadway designs can now be reviewed and revised.
“Communication has improved the most. We don’t have to physically carry plans to meetings anymore. We can send a roundabout layout, get feedback almost immediately, and make changes in a matter of hours. That impacts speed, accuracy, and everything else.”
Donald highlighted how modern collaboration tools have connected teams across offices, states, and even time zones.
“Communication and collaboration are probably the biggest technological improvements we’ve made. We can work with teammates in different offices, different states, and share information much faster than ever before.”
Sanjay agreed.
“People can now work in the same model at the same time from completely different locations. That level of collaboration simply didn’t exist when I started.”
What Hasn’t Changed?
Despite decades of technological advancement, each designer emphasized that successful projects still depend on people.
Roadway projects continue to require coordination between environmental specialists, surveyors, hydraulics engineers, right-of-way teams, and designers. Bridge design still depends on understanding structural fundamentals and knowing how to solve problems. Architecture still requires balancing science, function, aesthetics, experience, and human behavior.
In every discipline, experience and judgment remain essential.
“People don’t realize how many disciplines come together on a roadway project. Survey, hydraulics, environmental, right-of-way; there’s so much more involved than most people realize.” – Kevin
“Accuracy is only as good as the person entering the information. Technology helps, but you still have to understand the engineering behind it.” – Donald
“Architecture is still a combination of art and science. It’s not just making something look good. It has to function, it has to be buildable, and it has to create an experience for the people who use it.” – Sanjay
Technology has changed dramatically, but good design still depends on judgment, communication, and experience.
Looking Toward the Future
All three professionals see tremendous opportunity in emerging technology, particularly artificial intelligence and increasingly powerful design software. However, they share a common caution that technology should assist designers, not replace critical thinking.
Kevin emphasizes the importance of listening, learning, and understanding the complete process behind a project. Donald encourages future engineers to understand the fundamentals before trusting software outputs. Sanjay believes future architects must continue to experience buildings firsthand rather than relying solely on digital representations.
Advice for the Next Generation
After more than a century of combined experience, their advice for the next generation of designers is remarkably consistent.
“Listen. Understand the constraints. Use good judgment. Be willing to learn and accept constructive feedback. Ask questions and keep learning.” – Kevin
“Work hard, don’t cut corners, and never think you know it all. Listen before you speak because you’ll learn more that way. Respect the people around you and take pride in your work.” – Donald
“Use technology, but don’t let it do the thinking for you. You still need to understand the why, the how, and the reasoning behind your decisions. The tools will change, but critical thinking never goes out of style.” – Sanjay
In Closing
Kevin, Donald, and Sanjay have witnessed the transition from drafting boards to digital models, from hand calculations to advanced software, and from mailed plan sets to instant collaboration across offices and time zones.
Technology has transformed how roadway, bridge, and architectural projects are delivered. Design schedules have accelerated, visualization has improved, and communication is faster than ever.
Yet throughout all the change, the qualities that define great designers have remained remarkably consistent: curiosity, communication, problem-solving, integrity, and a willingness to keep learning.
Donald summarized it best when reflecting on the advice his father passed down to him decades ago:
“Work hard. Don’t cut corners. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right the first time. Take pride in your work and strive to do your best.”
Whether creating a roadway corridor, designing a bridge structure, or shaping a building that will serve a community for generations, the tools may continue to evolve, but the commitment to thoughtful design remains unchanged.
114 years of combined experience. Countless projects. One shared belief: great design starts with great people.
