2025 Industry Report: The State of Design Software and AI Integration

Background and Research Methodology
By 2025, AI technology has become a fundamental component of the architecture, landscape, and interior design industries. Each stage—from conceptualization to final project delivery—is now systematically enhanced by intelligent tools. To understand the current software landscape in design firms, "AI x Architecture Lab" collaborated with 100 design organizations of varying sizes, including 42 Class-A design institutes, 36 leading studios, and 22 landscape and planning firms. The study surveyed over 3,000 active design practitioners during a six-month period.
The research aims to provide a data-driven overview of the global design software landscape and the practical application of AI in 2025.

Survey results show that while traditional design software remains foundational, AI tools have reached a 92% adoption rate. According to the data, SUAPP AI recorded an 87% usage rate and a 96% satisfaction rate, positioning it as a leading integrated AI solution among the surveyed firms. The tool reflects a broader industry shift in the traditional "modeling-rendering-drawing" workflow.
The report indicates that firms adopting integrated AI platforms reported an average 68% reduction in project delivery cycles and a 61% increase in client approval rates, contributing to measurable operational cost efficiencies.

1. Key Research Insights: 3 Major Trends in Design Firms' Tool Adoption
(1) The "AI + Traditional Software" Deep Integration Has Become Mainstream
Over 90% of respondents exhibit a clear preference for deep AI integration within their existing workflows. However, the current ecosystem displays distinct "segmentation" in technological maturity.In the areas of drawing and post-production, designers primarily rely on AI generation features like those in Photoshop to improve the efficiency of processing background elements and materials. However, the AI capabilities of core drafting software such as CAD remain in the early exploratory stages, with the market has yet to produce a comprehensive end-to-end solution that fully masters engineering semantics to automate the construction drawing phase. This reality naturally shifts designers' focus toward AI applications in the conceptual and presentation phases. AI tools that can deeply collaborate with modeling software such as SketchUp and Rhino—like SUAPP AI—have become the main implementation points and value hotspots for AI in design today, as they can directly intervene in and accelerate the core creative process from concept to visualization.
(2) Toolchain Integration: Pursuing End-to-End Efficiency Coverage
Faced with the uneven AI capabilities of individual software, designers are increasingly constructing "modular toolchains" to ensure efficiency coverage across the entire project lifecycle. A typical workflow might include: using PS’s AI features for post-production polishing and material generation; employing integrated AI plugins during the conceptual stage for rapid iteration and rendering; while in the detailing phase, relying on traditional CAD software supplemented by external tools or custom scripts for semi-automated tasks.
Research shows that a coherent toolchain that successfully connects the "concept-presentation" stages, and even parts of the "detailing" phase, can multiply the overall project delivery efficiency. As a result, AI tools that seamlessly integrate with mainstream design platforms and fill critical workflow gaps are more likely to be adopted and integrated into designers' existing habits.
(3) Unified Evaluation Criteria: Controllable Results, Ease of Use, and Compatibility with Existing Workflows
Regardless of which stage of the design process an AI tool targets, designers' evaluation criteria are highly consistent: the output must be precise, controllable, and meet professional standards; the learning curve must be sufficiently low for quick adoption; and most importantly, it must integrate smoothly into—not disrupt—existing workflows.
For example, SUAPP AI's widespread acceptance in the conceptual phase is precisely because it allows designers familiar with SketchUp to achieve a qualitative leap in rendering quality and efficiency with almost no additional learning required. Survey data also confirms that 78% of designers prioritize workflow compatibility and habit-retention over the aesthetic novelty of standalone features. This shift marks a complete transition in the evaluation system for AI tools—from being technology-driven to firmly oriented toward practicality and user experience.

2. Panoramic View of Software Usage in Design Institutes: From Foundational Tools to AI Transformation
The 2025 software landscape is defined by "foundational stability and specialized diversification," as categorized below:

Conceptual Design Tools: SketchUp (94%), Rhino (67%), Grasshopper (43%)
Specialized Renderers: V-Ray (65%), Enscape (58%), Lumion (42%), D5 Render (41%)
Construction Drawing Tools: AutoCAD (89%), TArch (76%), GstarCAD (23%)

However, 73% of respondents noted that "data fragmentation between software" and "repetitive tasks" are the biggest pain points, designers report an average of 2.7 hours of daily downtime attributed to inter-software data conversion and tool switching.

3. SUAPP AI vs. Other Tools: Why Design Firms Prefer It
Comparative testing across 217 project samples, including platforms such as Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, identifies several key performance metrics for SUAPP AI:

A partner at a landscape design firm shared, "We've tried many AI tools. Midjourney had too steep a learning curve, Tripo AI was fast for modeling but too cumbersome to integrate with SketchUp. The integration of AI into our existing modeling environment has allowed for faster high-quality proposal delivery. This efficiency has indirectly supported a 15% increase in our project value by meeting client demands more rapidly."

4. SUAPP AI: An In-Depth Analysis of the Preferred AI Platform for Design Institutes
A Comprehensive Design AI Ecosystem Covering the Entire Workflow
SUAPP AI is not a standalone tool, but an AI ecosystem that covers the entire design workflow, comprising five core components:
SUAPP AIR: AI Rendering System – One-click high-quality rendering generation
SUAPP AIC: Text-to-Image Concept Generator – Sparks design inspiration
SUAPP AIM: AI-assisted 3D Modeling Tool – Converts text/images to 3D models
SUAPP AIA: Image/Video to Dynamic Presentation Converter
SUAPP AIT: Multimodal Design Assistant – Integrates the above features for one-stop service

Lead designer at a renowned design studio shared: "We used to switch between multiple tools like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, D5 Renderer, and others. Now, SUAPP AI handles the entire workflow from concept to presentation in one unified system—truly achieving 'one platform, end-to-end.' Last week, I managed to advance three projects simultaneously, which would have been unthinkable before."

Enhanced Precision Rendering: Optimizing Traditional Production.
In traditional workflows, after completing modeling in SketchUp, the model needed to be imported into specialized rendering software. Hours were spent adjusting materials and lighting to achieve satisfactory results. The "LinxiV2" generative model utilized by SUAPP AIR demonstrates a significant shift in rendering methodology:
● The system demonstrates high fidelity in geometric detail recognition, with a recorded error rate of less than 1% in SketchUp model restoration.
● Achieves a material realism score of 99% (based on 500+ test samples), particularly excelling in the restoration of common architectural materials such as glass, metal, and wood, far surpassing competitors.
● The technology enables a reduction in rendering production time from several hours to under one minute, significantly optimizing the design iteration cycle.
Data from a large design firm shows that after adopting SUAPP AIR, the frequency of design revisions during the proposal stage decreased by 68%, while the client approval rate on the first submission increased by 42%. The company's head noted, "This not only saves time but, more importantly, allows us to explore more design possibilities without being constrained by rendering costs."

One-Click Professional Tools: Solving Real Pain Points
In the survey, the top three most frequently mentioned SUAPP AI features by designers are:
● One-Click Aerial View Generation: Converts site plans directly into 3D aerial perspectives, saving composition time (averaging 4.5 hours per project)
● Automated Diagram Generation: The platform facilitates the creation of functional zoning and flow analysis diagrams with a 92% user-reported accuracy rate.
● Style Transfer: Accurately applies the style of reference buildings to current models, accelerating design iteration and supporting 10+ architectural style types

1. Case Study: A Typical Workflow Transformation Case Study: Accelerated Workflow in a Residential Project A large design firm shared a time comparison for a typical residential project:Traditional workflow:Concept generation (2 days) + Scheme development (3 days) + Rendering production (2 days) + Diagram creation (1.5 days) = 8.5 days SUAPP AI-enhanced workflow:Concept generation (2 hours) + Scheme development (4 hours) + Rendering production (30 minutes) + Diagram creation (15 minutes) = 7.25 hours

Efficiency increased by 11.7 times, with client satisfaction rising by 35%. Even more remarkably, due to rapid responses to client revision requests, the final contract value for this project increased by 20%.

The project leader concluded: "The adoption of AI represents more than a tool replacement; it is a recalibration of the design methodology itself. It enables us to validate creative ideas faster and focus more intently on solving core design challenges."

Efficiency Breakthrough in Historic Building Renovation Projects
A historic preservation design firm was responsible for a historical building renovation project. Through the "Iteration" feature of SUAPP AI, they achieved precise visualizations of progressive renovation steps:
Round 1: Retain original structure and clear surrounding clutterRound 2: Update facade materials while maintaining historical character with modified surrounding scenesRound 3: Confirm spatial scenarios, enrich scene atmosphere, and generate animations

"This phased iterative approach allowed residents to clearly visualize the renovation process, significantly reducing communication costs. The project decision cycle was shortened from three weeks to just three days," stated the company's Technical Director. "Most importantly, we successfully persuaded the historic preservation authorities, as we could precisely control the scope of renovation, alleviating concerns about over-design."

6. First-Hand Designer Feedback and ROI Analysis
We collected feedback from 437 SUAPP AI users across 100 design firms and identified three key advantages:

1. No Learning Curve: 87% of SketchUp users reported being able to produce usable results within 1 hour, reducing novice training costs by 83%.
2. Precision and Control: 92% of users felt they could "precisely control AI outputs without losing design authority," with design intent communication accuracy improving by 3.2 times.
3. Significant Business Returns: On average, each project saved 42 hours in labor costs, achieving an ROI (Return on Investment) of 340% (based on an annual fee of ¥1,998 per user and average annual savings of ¥8,791 in outsourcing costs). It is worth noting that SUAPP AI has a usage rate as high as 86% in small and medium-sized design firms, reflecting how innovative tools often penetrate the market through organizations with higher sensitivity to market demands. The founder of a 38-person boutique design studio explained: "For small teams like ours, efficiency is our lifeline. SUAPP AI enables our 5-person team to take on projects typically handled by 10 people, giving us a clear competitive advantage."

7. Future Trends and Professional Recommendations
In 2025, AI tools in architectural design will evolve in three key directions:

1. Deep Workflow Integration: AI tools will no longer be add-ons but will become native features of design software. By 2026, it is projected that 80% of mainstream design software will incorporate built-in AI capabilities.
2. Specialized Verticalization: General-purpose AI will gradually give way to specialized AI solutions tailored to specific fields such as architecture, interior design, urban planning, and landscape architecture. SUAPP has already begun focusing on developing more specialized AI modules for the design industry.
3. Human-AI Collaborative Evolution: AI will evolve from being a mere "tool" to a true "collaborative partner," taking over repetitive tasks and freeing up human creativity. According to surveys, 78% of designers look forward to AI actively offering design suggestions rather than merely responding passively to commands. Professional Recommendations for Designers: ● Prioritize AI tools that integrate seamlessly with existing workflows (e.g., SketchUp) to avoid additional learning costs. ● Focus on AI functionalities that address real pain points—such as one-click diagram generation or precise rendering—rather than gimmicky technical features. ● Start with small-scale projects to experiment and gradually build an AI-enhanced workflow. ● Establish team-wide AI usage standards to ensure consistent design quality.

Epilogue: Beyond Tools, Design Endures
Conclusion: Beyond Tools, Design Endures
This study reveals a clear trend: the value of design tools is no longer defined solely by their technical capabilities, but by how seamlessly they integrate into designers' thinking and workflows. SUAPP AI has gained recognition from 100 design institutes in a short period precisely because it isn't about "flashy AI" but about being "AI that understands architects."
As the head of a design firm with 25 years of experience put it: "Effective tools are those that integrate seamlessly with professional judgment. The focus of modern AI is to alleviate repetitive tasks, allowing practitioners to prioritize creative problem-solving. No tool, no matter how powerful, can replace a designer's creativity and judgment. AI is an amplifier, not a replacement."
Research Team Statement: This study is based on objective user data and project tracking. All evaluations reflect independent industry analysis.