Superusers: Design Technology Specialists and the Future of Practice

Randy Deutsch AIA, LEED AP is the Associate Director for Graduate Studies and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA, teaching and conducting research in design, professional practice, building technology, and digital technology. Randy is an international keynote speaker, workshop leader, and design technology authority. An architect responsible for the design of over 100 large, complex sustainable projects, Randy has been an Exec Ed program leader at Harvard GSD. He has written for DesignIntelligence, has been featured in ARCHITECT magazine and Architectural Record, and is the author of three books: Convergence: The Redesign of Design (2017) on the nature of the ongoing convergence of technology and work processes in the profession and industry; Data Driven Design and Construction: Strategies for Capturing, Analyzing and Applying Building Data (2015, translated into Chinese in 2019) on the innovative individuals and firms who are leveraging data to advance their practices; and BIM and Integrated Design: Strategies for Architectural Practice (2011, translated into Chinese in 2018) tracking the social and organizational impacts of the new technologies and collaborative work processes, among other publications. More at www.randydeutsch.com.

Acknowledgements. Foreword by Ian Keough, Father of Dynamo, CEO of HYPAR. Preface Scaring the pants off of everybody. Introduction How a specialist came to be this generation's generalist architect. Part 1: Why Superusers? 1. Superusers' C-Factors. 2. Superuser Superpowers. 3. Roles Superusers play. Part 2: Finding and making Superusers. 4. Superusers value proposition. 5. Hiring (and poaching) Superusers. 6. Engaging (and retaining) Superusers. Part 3: Managing and leading Superusers. 7. The career path not taken: The Superuser risk journey. 8. Design technologists as digitally savvy designers. 9. Leading Superusers. Epilogue. Index.