2025 State of Design & Make Report
May 2025The 2025 State of Design & Make report is Autodesk’s global, annual study providing insights on the current and future state of the Design and Make industries. Discover key trends about digital transformation, sustainability, AI, talent and more based on insights from 5,594 industry leaders and experts.
Watch the highlights from the report
For the 2025 State of Design & Make edition, Autodesk surveyed and interviewed 5,594 industry leaders, futurists, and experts across Design and Make industries.
Leaders in Design and Make industries report that they are confronting daunting headwinds, from increased geopolitical uncertainty and inflation to talent gaps and challenges implementing emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).
Four selected key insights from the report:
Digital transformation efforts have an overwhelmingly positive impact
One standout finding this year is that most leaders surveyed say digital transformation efforts led to improvements at their organizations. The majority of organizations benefiting from digital transformation are seeing more than 50% improvements in categories such as customer satisfaction, innovation, and productivity.
Moreover, digital maturity is helping Design & Make organizations to prepare for unforeseen change and identify opportunities amid disruption. Leaders from digitally mature organizations are 29 % more likely to say they are prepared for the future.
Nearly two-thirds of organisations are confronting a skills gap
Design and Make industries have struggled in recent years to find skilled talent, and this year, that struggle has become acute enough to hinder growth. Leaders are struggling to find employees with the right technical skills while also lacking the resources to build effective internal training programs.
61% say new employees with the right technical skills are difficult to find, up 16 points from 2024. This widening skills gap is pushing leaders to rethink their workforce strategies. 46% say AI skills will be a top hiring priority over the next three years.
Sustainability remains a priority
Sustainability is emerging as a key differentiator for companies seeking to drive growth, build resilience, and attract top talent. Business leaders are increasingly recognizing the financial benefits of sustainability, with 72% believing it can generate more than 5% of their annual revenue.
Organizations with advanced technology adoption are leading the way, using sustainability as a competitive advantage. 39% of leaders say they use AI to make their business more sustainable, and for the second year in a row, AI is the top sustainability enabler.
The AI hype cycle meets reality
Nearly half (48%) of leaders and experts agree AI will destabilize their industry, up from 41% in 2024. This suggests that leaders are increasingly concerned about AI and emerging technologies as their use expands within their industries and organizations.
While AI adoption is accelerating, enthusiasm is cooling and there are talent shortages for the right technical skills. 69% of business leaders say AI will enhance their industry, representing a 12% drop from 2024. These results indicate leaders face the reality of implementation, an ongoing technical skills shortage, and the limitations of the current technology.
About the State of Design & Make Report
For the 2025 report, Autodesk surveyed and interviewed 5,594 industry leaders, futurists, and experts in the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations; product design and manufacturing; and media and entertainment industries from countries around the globe. This report contains key findings from this research, including details at the sector and regional level.
