DIM Manifesto

The Case Against Conventional BIM Software: The world of building design is trapped by unnecessary complexity, and it's time we reject the outdated assumptions that hold us back. Here's what we're against:

• Complexity for the Sake of Complexity The assumption that architectural drawings must be complex, and therefore require equally complex tools, is a fallacy. Complexity has become a crutch for bloated software. We believe design can be simple without sacrificing power. The idea that sophisticated programs are a necessity only serves to inflate development costs and introduce bugs, all while alienating the actual users—designers.
• The Competitors Are 25 Years Behind We don’t buy into the myth that building a Revit alternative is a lost cause because we’re "25 years behind." Time spent is not the same as progress made. Trying to clone a broken model with a fresh coat of paint just perpetuates the same problems. The idea that you need millions of dollars and a team of elite engineers to make a better design tool is an industry illusion. Better doesn't have to mean bigger.
• Proprietary Data Strategy Companies cling to proprietary formats to differentiate themselves, but all this does is create silos and divide the community. We stand for open, accessible data formats that work for everyone, not just a handful of companies. True innovation doesn’t happen by locking down information—it happens by sharing it freely.
• Chasing the Big Dogs Instead of scrambling to beat Autodesk at their own game, we believe in redefining the game. We refuse to accept that any new tool must bow to Revit or integrate into a legacy system to succeed. If your tool is truly useful, it shouldn’t have to live in Revit’s shadow. We should be aiming for a complete reimagining, not a piecemeal concession.
• Speed at the Expense of Design The idea that saving time equates to saving money is shortsighted. This mindset sacrifices design quality on the altar of efficiency, and ultimately harms businesses and creativity. We reject the belief that rushing through design to get to PDF outputs faster is somehow the best we can do.
• Collaboration as a Gimmick Collaboration is not about watching someone’s cursor move across the screen or locking others out of your model. True collaboration means empowering teams to work fluidly and creatively—without the constant fear of breaking something. We envision tools that foster real-time cooperation without artificial boundaries.
• Fast Means 'Barely Tolerable' The idea that “fast” means 5 frames per second on a top-of-the-line computer is absurd. We won’t settle for sluggish, bloated software that requires the most expensive hardware just to function. Our tools should be nimble, accessible, and responsive across the board—not a constant battle against file sizes and load times.
• Security Through Obscurity Security doesn’t come from proprietary formats or keeping models on local servers. It comes from transparency, encryption, and modern, cloud-based solutions that actually protect intellectual property. We oppose the illusion of security that crumbles the moment a file leaves your server.
• Empowering Admins, Not Designers We reject the notion that software should be forced on designers by those at the top. Designers, not directors, should decide what tools they use to create. By catering to decision-makers rather than those who use the software daily, the industry is building tools that fail the people they’re meant for. We say no to gatekeeping and yes to empowering users.
• Sunk Costs As Strategy For too long, companies have banked on the sunk cost fallacy—expecting users to stick around because they’ve invested time in learning a convoluted interface. We believe software should be intuitive and easy to adopt, without trapping users in an ecosystem designed to frustrate and complicate their work.

Here's what we do believe in:

• Build Tools for Designers The goal isn’t to make a few people experts in complicated tools; it’s to give everyone the ability to create with ease and speed. We’re against cultivating a small class of “software masters” whose careers revolve around solving arcane technical issues. Our vision is a future where tools adapt to the designer, not the other way around.
• Design Tools Should Be Designed Well If a company is paying millions for software, it shouldn’t look and feel like a relic from the past. Design tools should inspire, not depress. The value of a design tool lies in its ability to enhance the creative process, not just spit out a decent PDF. We envision tools that are modern, user-friendly, and empowering—without the corporate, sterile aesthetic that plagues today’s BIM software.
• Designers Deserve Better Designers are the heart of our industry, yet they are often treated as afterthoughts in software development. We need to offer tools that are as intuitive as they are powerful to allow architects, planners, developers, clients and designers of all types to focus on what they do best — design.

We believe that design tools should be simpler, faster, and more empowering. We don't need more complex solutions to address already complex problems. We need smarter, leaner, and more intuitive tools that empower designers to do what they do best—design.

← Back to Home