Billings have been soft for years. Inquiries haven't stopped.
Architecture firms have faced a long downturn in billings, but clients are still asking about new projects. In a tight market, the firms that win are the ones clients can quickly understand, trust and shortlist.
Architecture & Design Firms benchmarks
- AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index in July 2026; below 50 means more firms reported declining billings
- 46.6AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index in July 2026; below 50 means more firms reported declining billings
- AIA project inquiries index in June 2026, still in growth territory
- 56.1AIA project inquiries index in June 2026, still in growth territory
- Typical organic visibility gain on sector and project-type searches, 6-12 months
- +20-40%Typical organic visibility gain on sector and project-type searches, 6-12 months
- Typical lift in qualified inquiries after a portfolio website rebuild
- +15-30%Typical lift in qualified inquiries after a portfolio website rebuild
Drawn from Digital Squad engagements with architecture firms. Your realistic range comes out of the audit.
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What holds architecture firms back
The same four constraints show up in nearly every architecture & design firms engagement we start.
A record-long slowdown
The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index has stayed below 50 for about three and a half years as of mid-2026, the longest downturn in the index's history. Fewer projects means each pursuit matters more.
But clients are still looking
AIA's project inquiries index stayed in growth territory, at 56.1 in June 2026. Prospective clients are researching firms. The question is whether they find yours.
Portfolios that don't explain
Many firm websites are beautiful galleries with little text. Clients and search engines can't tell what problem each project solved, what it cost or why it worked.
Every firm says 'design excellence'
Without a clear specialty or point of view, firms look alike. Clients default to whoever they already know or whoever is cheapest.
What we do differently for architecture firms
Project pages that tell the story
Each project gets the client's goal, the constraints, the design response and the results, written so both people and search engines understand it.
Sector and project-type pages
Pages for the building types and sectors you know best, like healthcare, education, multifamily or adaptive reuse, built around how clients search.
Thought leadership that wins trust
Articles, talks and guides from your principals on codes, costs, sustainability and design questions clients actually ask.
Shortlist support
Clean proposal pages, team bios and case studies your business development team can send with every pursuit.
Services that move the needle for architecture firms.
We'll recommend the smallest set that unblocks your actual constraint, not the biggest bundle.
Architecture & Design Firms results, in detail.
Full case studies with the numbers, the mistakes, and what we'd do differently.
Architecture & Design Firms questions, answered straight.
Yes, especially for private clients, developers and smaller institutions. Even when a project starts with a referral or an RFP, the client almost always reviews your website, portfolio and team before deciding who to shortlist.
Other industries we serve
Let's talk about your growth constraint.
A free 30-minute teardown built around how architecture firms actually grow. You keep the findings whether or not we work together.