How mobile app Aether enhances transparency in architecture projects

This blog post was authored by Jashwanth Lakshmanan, Senior Innovation Technologist , Gresham Smith.

At Gresham Smith, we talk a lot about how design should be collaborative, transparent, and human. For me, those aren’t just talking points, they’re the principles that shape how we should approach every challenge. And they’re what led me and a team of collaborators to develop Aether, a mobile app that invites clients to be more connected to their projects in a way that feels intuitive and meaningful.

Over the years, we’ve seen moments in the design process where clients felt just a step removed. Not because they weren’t engaged, but because the tools didn’t always make it easy to stay informed or involved. We realized there had to be a better way to bridge that gap, to build something that keeps our clients connected to the heartbeat of a project, not just the milestones.

That led to Aether: a digital tool shaped by the way we work with clients, and more importantly, by how we want that experience to feel.

Designing a More Connected Client Experience

Aether was never meant to be just another project tracker or communication app. It’s rather  a digital extension of the conversations, sketches, and decisions we share with clients every day in addition to other tools within our Design Lab of the Future suite.

Everything lives in one place: dashboards, drawings, key updates, even milestone celebrations. This results in clarity, not clutter, by removing the mystery from the process and replacing it with confidence and visibility.

What you can do with Aether

Here are a few of the tools we’ve built into Aether to make that experience more seamless:

• Interactive project maps: Browse live and completed projects across different markets and regions over time.
• Dashboards that make sense: Track progress through simple visuals: cost, schedule, sustainability, and more.
• Design files at your fingertips: Access renderings, sketches, and documents your team shares, without digging through emails.
• Updates with insight: Follow the story of your project with photos and notes directly from the people designing it.
• Room for real-time feedback: Ask questions, share thoughts, or align decisions instantly. No delays, and fewer surprises.

Creating Transparency Across the Design Lifecycle

What excites me most is that Aether reflects something bigger than an app. It reflects how our teams view design as an ongoing, evolving conversation with our clients. We're not just sharing documents or checking boxes; instead we’re building shared understanding.

At Gresham Smith, innovation isn’t just about adopting new technology. It’s about solving real-world problems in ways that feel thoughtful, human, and purposeful.

The Future of Collaborative Project Delivery

As our industry moves forward, we’ll need more tools  that make the design process even more transparent, collaborative, and adaptive.

Aether is just one step in that direction, but it’s one I’m incredibly proud of. It’s a small but meaningful advance in reimagining the client experience. Because when we design for connection, we create better outcomes for everyone involved.