Architectural models finally come to the browser

When the collaborative design software company Figma launched its public beta in 2016, its browser-based web and interface design tools were a quick hit, putting the startup head to head with the dominant design software company of the day, Adobe. The premise and the interface were so simple, Figma soon became a go-to tool for designers. The building design software startup Motif wants to do the same thing for architectural models. Through its platform, architects and builders across a project team can design and visualize buildings, and then collaboratively review and augment their designs, all online. [Image: Motif] Motif Design is a newly launched platform that is seeking to take on the established software tools of the architecture, engineering, and construction industries by making them more user-friendly and collaborative. The cofounder and CEO, Amar Hanspal, says the software that these industries rely on has for too long been overly complex and frustratingly difficult to use. Motif Design, he says, offers a new way, making it possible for even highly complex building models to be worked on simultaneously in real time by different teams. “By making it browser based, we are …