A Look Back and Ahead: National CAD Day 2026
To celebrate National CAD Day 2026, French & Parrello Associates (FPA) is highlighting the important role CAD plays in every project. Every bridge, roadway, water system, and site development effort begins with an idea. Long before the community sees the finished project, that idea must be transformed into a detailed set of plans that engineers, contractors, and owners can all understand.
Whether designing a movable bridge, reconstructing a busy roadway, improving a wastewater treatment facility, or developing a public park, every FPA project relies on CAD to bring engineering ideas to life. Although every project is different, they all begin the same way—with carefully developed plans created through CAD.
Behind those drawings are professionals who help ensure our projects follow consistent standards, leverage evolving technology, and provide engineering teams with the tools they need to work efficiently. To reflect on both the history and future of CAD at FPA, we spoke with Sue Sleeman, whose 44-year career at FPA spans the evolution from hand drafting to today’s digital design environment, and Ofir Konforti, CAD Manager, who brings 25 years of experience in CAD management and Design Technology, leading the firm’s standards, workflows, and technology initiatives.
We asked them to share their perspectives on the evolution of CAD, the importance of standards, and where engineering design technology is headed next.
Ofir Konforti
CAD Manager
Sue Sleeman
CAD System Administrator
Looking Back
With more than 44 years at FPA, Sue Sleeman witnessed the evolution of drafting and design technology at the firm firsthand. From hand-drafted plans created with technical pens and drafting tables to today’s sophisticated digital design platforms, she has experienced every major shift in the profession. We asked Sue to reflect on how CAD has evolved throughout her career and what has remained constant despite decades of technological advancement.
Q: You’ve seen CAD evolve throughout your career. What was drafting like when you first started?
Sue: When I started my career, engineering plans were “hand drafted.” Instead of a computer screen, we had a drafting table that you would secure mylar or vellum to with drafting tape. Instead of commands, we had technical pens with various pen widths, engineering scales, T-squares, triangles, a protractor and a drafting compass, templates for drawing shapes, Leroy lettering templates or lettering guides for lettering and shading films for hatching. Instead of delete or E for erase, we had an electric erase. Instead of using a copy command to duplicate text, details, and repetitive items, we had Stanpat applique film. Instead of large format plotters, we had Blueprint machines where you would run your drafted plans on top of sheets of blueprint paper through the machine one by one. Lots of tools and equipment to get the job done.
Q: What technological advancement has had the biggest impact on your work?
Sue: Computers, Microsoft Windows, and the Internet – It changed the workflow of how Drafting and Design was approached and executed. Sharing of new ways to perform old tasks was now limitless with the internet.
Q: What’s one thing that hasn’t changed despite all the new technology?
Sue: The principles of Drafting and Design. The concepts are the same, but the methods, tools and execution of tasks are constantly evolving.
Today
As CAD technology has changed dramatically over the years, the need for consistency, accuracy, and collaboration has only grown. As engineering projects become more complex and multidisciplinary, standardized CAD practices help teams work together seamlessly while maintaining the quality clients expect from FPA.
As CAD Manager, Ofir Konforti leads the development of the standards, workflows, and technologies that support engineering teams across the firm. Here’s what he had to say about the role of CAD standards and how they contribute to successful engineering projects.
Q: Why are CAD standards so important?
Ofir: CAD standards provide the foundation for consistency across every project we produce. They ensure drawings are organized, accurate, and presented consistently regardless of the office or discipline preparing them. When everyone follows a shared approach, teams can seamlessly share work across offices and disciplines, making collaboration on complex, multi-discipline projects much more efficient. Less time is spent interpreting drawings, answering questions, or reworking files, allowing project teams to focus on engineering, design, and delivering projects more efficiently.
Q: How do CAD standards improve the finished project?
Ofir: CAD standards create operational and presentation consistency, allowing teams to collaborate more effectively and achieve better project outcomes. Drawings developed using consistent standards are easier for project teams, reviewers, contractors, and clients to read, review, and understand. They improve quality, increase efficiency, reduce rework, and create predictable workflows where everyone knows what to expect. This results in smoother coordination, fewer errors, faster project delivery, and a consistent level of quality from start to finish.
Q: What role does CAD Management play beyond creating drawings?
Ofir: Today, CAD Management extends far beyond governing CAD standards and supporting drawing production. It encompasses developing standards, advancing Design Technology, improving workflows, managing software and licensing, providing training, implementing automation, enhancing quality control, and evaluating new technologies that help project teams work more efficiently and consistently. The goal is to remove obstacles, simplify everyday tasks, and provide teams with the tools and support they need to deliver successful projects.
Looking Ahead
The evolution of CAD is far from over. As new technologies continue to transform the way engineering teams collaborate and deliver projects, we asked Sue and Ofir how they see CAD continuing to evolve in the years ahead.
Q: Looking ahead, how do you see CAD continuing to evolve?
Sue: The use of AI will be used to re-define how certain tasks will be re- imagined and performed. But just like when the industry changed from “hand drafting” to Computer Aided Drafting the principles of Drafting and Design will always remain.
Ofir: CAD will continue to evolve as part of a broader, increasingly integrated Design Technology environment. Artificial intelligence, automation, cloud collaboration, and connected data will streamline repetitive tasks and improve coordination throughout the entire project lifecycle, across every phase from planning and survey through design, construction, and beyond. The future of CAD will enable firms with well-established standards and processes to fully leverage emerging technologies, empowering project teams to collaborate seamlessly, improve productivity, and deliver exceptional projects while accomplishing more together than ever before.
While the tools have evolved dramatically, from hand-drafted plans to intelligent digital models, the purpose of CAD has remained the same: transforming engineering ideas into projects that improve communities.
This National CAD Day, FPA recognizes the CAD professionals whose expertise, precision, and dedication help turn concepts into construction every single day.
