Walking the floor at AHR Expo this year, one thing became clear to me. While everyone is talking about improving user experience in building automation, much of the industry is still designing for itself instead of the people actually operating the buildings every day.
Coming from a process automation background, I naturally ask different questions. That space figured out continuity, standards, and intelligent graphics years ago. Interfaces there were built to communicate real meaning tied to data, not just to make things look better. BAS system graphics are moving forward, but in many ways, the field is still playing catch-up.
I heard a lot about the shortage of control technicians. At the same time, many teams are still asking those same technicians to build graphics and floor plans. That isn’t a knock on anyone’s skill; it’s just how the industry evolved. But when your most valuable technical resources are split between engineering, commissioning, service, and design, something always gets stretched thin.
Outsourcing floor plans has become an easy decision for many integrators because the return is obvious. It frees up internal teams and brings consistency to projects. System graphics are heading the same direction, although it can be harder to change old habits. There is a major difference between simply outsourcing tasks and working with a company that lives and breathes the BAS visual layer. Over the last twenty years, QA Graphics has built the tools, workflows, and mechanical knowledge that allow them to do this work efficiently and accurately at scale.
Tagging and ontology conversations were everywhere. Haystack and ASHRAE Standard 223P are getting a lot of attention, but many people are still unsure what to actually do next. From our standpoint at QA Graphics, tagging should not just live inside databases. It should exist within the graphics themselves. That is why they continue building structured tagging into everything they produce, not just libraries, because intelligent graphics start with intelligent objects.
True automation and intelligent graphics will move faster once the larger players align around real standards. Until then, open systems and smart UI overlays give the industry a practical way to improve usability today instead of waiting for perfect alignment.
As far as the show itself, we thought it was excellent. Attendance felt strong and the conversations were high quality. We saw a lot of customers and met plenty of new people who are serious about where BAS is going. Our branded hot sauce giveaway ended up being a bigger hit than we expected and sparked some great conversations at the booth.
There was significant interest in the Vector Symbol Library and the “Vectortology” approach, along with our data center and other industry-specific libraries. System integrators were especially interested in outsourcing floor plans, while manufacturers spent a lot of time talking with us about 3D equipment design and marketing visuals. It is clear that the visual layer is becoming more important not just for operations, but for how companies present and communicate their technology.
AHR Expo reminded me of something we have believed for a long time: the industry does not need more complexity stacked on top of existing platforms. It needs a better focus on usability, continuity, and intelligent design that supports the people running buildings every day.
I appreciate everyone who stopped by the booth and shared their perspective. If you want to continue the conversation around graphics, floor plans, tagging strategies, or 3D content, let’s connect.
