Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Shaun Bryant, affectionately known as 'SCB,' with the 'C' standing for CADjedi. That's been my nickname for many years and my forum name for a long time. I originally studied Civil and Structural Engineering at the BTEC Higher National Certificate (HNC) level in the UK. My first experience with AutoCAD was at my first job as an Engineering Technician in 1988. I have been using AutoCAD for 36 years and Revit since 2002, so you could say I have some experience! My current role is as owner of CADFMconsultants, a training and learning consultancy that provides training and learning on AutoCAD and Revit. I am also a learning content creator as a LinkedIn Learning [in]structor with over 80 training courses in the LinkedIn Learning library, primarily based on AutoCAD and AutoCAD specialized toolsets.
From meeting folks at Autodesk University to making connections via our Forums, you've connected with many members of the Community over the years. How did you first get involved with the Autodesk Community?
I started working more closely with Autodesk and the Community when I began volunteering for Autodesk User Group International (AUGI). I moved from their UK liaison coordinator to the UK Country Chapter Coordinator to being an AUGI Board Member between 2010 and 2016. AUGI is now an entity in its own right and not affiliated with Autodesk. However, we used to meet in the San Francisco office once a year to talk about AUGI's presence at AU and strategic initiatives. It was a good time in my career, and I made numerous connections at Autodesk, which led to my joining the Expert Elite program. As they say, I haven't looked back since!
What are you most looking forward to at this year's AU?
I love speaking at AU. I only have one class to teach this year, so the pressure is off a little, meaning I can attend more classes! AU, for me, is like meeting up with old friends every year to catch up, talk about the industry, make new friends and contacts, and reconnect with the people I work with. I am a big believer in conversation, especially face-to-face. AU is fantastic for that. It's also why I set up the Not Just CAD! podcast. The podcast is about having a conversation: two people talking informally about what they are enthusiastic about.
AU is the same. It gives a platform to the Autodesk Community's incredible passion and enthusiasm. AU Speakers are the catalyst for that, passing on the baton to the AU attendees and empowering them to do better after attending their AU classes—also, San Diego. I haven't been to SD since I was about eighteen.
I am looking forward to a new base for AU this year!
What are some of your favorite AU memories?
There are so many! My first AU was in 2006 at The Venetian in Las Vegas. I had four classes to teach that year; it was a BIG stepping stone. The sheer presence of AU took me aback. It was mind-blowing. Another fond memory was that Michelle (my wife) and I married in the Nevada desert at the Valley of Fire a few days before AU 2008. Lynn Allen invited us up on stage at the AU party, and we were interviewed in front of the AU attendees that year. It was a lot of fun.
Other fun memories include being mistaken for Ricky Gervais by numerous Americans. I have a similar accent to him and (from a distance) look a bit like him, too. It has led to some hilarious Anglo/American conversations. Another fun fact is that one of my AU class reviews said I sounded like the Geico Gecko. Being English, I had to look it up!
What makes a healthy online community?
A community is only as good as the people who facilitate that community. When I say this, I refer to the excellent Community team at Autodesk and its program members, such as the Expert Elites. We are tasked with being community advocates and trusted advisors to the overall Autodesk user community. We facilitate that link between Autodesk and the user community by way of user groups, providing great content in blogs, social media, and other information silos. A healthy online community offers all the necessary information to empower users to do more and do better, ensuring that the user community can work smarter, not harder. A community should also be fun. We work in reasonably dry, scientific, and technical industries, so making Design & Make fun for the user community is a real plus. That's where Autodesk University excels. It brings users together with the community facilitators, such as the Expert Elites, face-to-face, where many animated conversations can ensue about topics that mean something to the community members and users involved.
What has been one of the most rewarding projects you've worked on?
My most rewarding, ongoing project is my learning content in the LinkedIn Learning library. As a LinkedIn Learning [in]structor, I have empowered thousands of people to gain access to learning content for applications such as AutoCAD, Revit, and, most recently, Forma. It still gives me a buzz when I get an email from someone who has loved one of my online courses. Better still, when I meet a LinkedIn Learning student at AU, I ask them what my courses have done for them face-to-face. I see the joy on their faces when they realize that I am that voice on their course and that I am there to help them further and empower them to do better. It's incredibly rewarding and makes all the long recording hours for each course very much worthwhile.
What is one of your favorite recent projects?
That has to be The Workshop, my new office/recording space/DIY workshop. When we moved to East Yorkshire in the UK in February 2022, we inherited a large old outbuilding that the previous owner used for his welding business. It was initially partitioned into two inside so I have taken ownership of one half, building an office and recording studio as a separate partitioned build within the existing workshop.
Around the outside wall of the interior office/studio part of the build, I have installed racking shelves for all of my tools and DIY materials, with worktables and space to work for woodworking, kitchen refurbishment, and other home DIY projects. I designed it all using AutoCAD and AutoCAD Web, utilizing AutoCAD Mobile on my iPad Pro, and using the cloud in conjunction with Microsoft OneDrive. As I jokingly said to my son, I practice what I preach.
How do you use automation and AI in your current workflow?
Right now, I am really enjoying the AI in AutoCAD 2025. There's the new Smart Block technology, where you can find objects that resemble existing AutoCAD blocks, convert them to blocks, or create new ones. There's also Markup Assist, where markup images and files (such as PDFs) can be added/overlaid to an AutoCAD DWG file. Then, text and geometry from the markup can be converted to AutoCAD objects and annotation. The Autodesk Assistant in AutoCAD is also fully AI and can be used to search for help with all things AutoCAD, connecting you to a human support person when required. I love that Autodesk AI is now becoming integrated into all Autodesk products, not just AutoCAD. It certainly takes the onerous work out of a workflow. This specific use of AI will revolutionize AutoCAD workflows and processes, and I sincerely wish it had been around in 1988!
What are some of the pros and cons of AI in your opinion?
Throughout my career, I have always followed a simple philosophy regarding computers, technology, CAD, and BIM: "Rubbish in, rubbish out." That has been with me since I first started using AutoCAD in 1988. We must ensure that we, the humans, maintain the appropriate checks and balances. AI is not perfect. It is incredibly useful, but it could be better. For example, I have tested ChatGPT to write numerous passages regarding AutoCAD workflows, such as how to draw a polyline in AutoCAD. It gave me a decent overall workflow, but I had to make changes to ensure it used appropriate terminology and command syntax. That being said, AI does help save time when performing more arduous tasks. If I wanted to write an e-book about AutoCAD, ChatGPT could save me loads of typing time as I would only have to perform minimal edits and copy and paste the required text. When creating learning content, this would be a massive time-saver for me.
What advice can you share for the next generation of designers and makers who want to positively impact our ever-changing world?
Firstly, always be inquisitive. Always look for the answers; ask questions if you can't find them. Never be afraid to ask. Doing things wrong and failing to ask for help won't help you learn. Asking around in your peer group will help you learn how to do it right. It also allows you to gain confidence and learn from others.
Secondly, I will use what my grandfather used to say: "Shy kids get no sweets." They can only say no, but you'll never get it if you don't ask. Having that confidence to ask will always pay dividends. If you need training to progress, ask for it. If you need a faster PC from your employer, ask for it by doing your research to prove you need one. When I asked my boss if I could attend my first AU in 2006, he said "no," which only motivated me to do more. So, I took unpaid leave and paid for my AU '06 myself. I have now been an AU Speaker for the last eighteen years.
Lastly, always be learning. Technology is moving faster than ever, and we can learn anytime and anywhere. Listen to those podcasts, watch those LinkedIn Learning videos, read the blogs. It's all there for you to find. The internet is a beautiful place, especially if you want to learn.
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