This is the usage chart for one of UrbanForm's customers over the entirety of the 2024 year.
They're a mid-sized architecture firm (currently about 80 full time staff) that works across many different building typologies--affordable housing, multi-family, education, institutional, and commercial.
The last time we published one of these reviews, it was for a very different customer profile (the other profile was for a small design-build shop), so we would perhaps expect to see a very different pattern of usage.
And that is indeed what we see here.
To explain the chart above a bit and the metrics UrbanForm measures: the activity tracked in the chart shows unique parcel look-ups. We find that unique look-ups are a better indication of the value provided by UrbanForm than time spent on the site. This is because each look-up on UrbanForm represents a portal to information that may be contained outside of UrbanForm's website. This is much like how Google is actually more useful the less time you spend on it.
With the other customer, the small design build shop, there was a steadier pattern of UrbanForm look-ups over the course of the year, with a small variation in activity in certain months (see below).
However, with this customer, the larger architecture firm with exposure to many different building and larger building typologies, there are more pronounced peaks and valleys of usage. Some months see heavy usage as project inquiries tick upwards, while some months are virtually dormant as project inquires decline and large projects with longer timespans occupy the staff.
This corresponds to the seasonal nature of business development, as explained by one of the firm principals.
From the outset, we believed that UrbanForm was a tool that would be valuable to architecture firms of all sizes. That is reflected in the profiles of our customers, which range from single-practitioner architecture studios to large firms with regional presences.
While the usage patterns may be slightly different, we're happy to be able to provide value to any business that has need for zoning information.
As UrbanForm's capabilities and geographic reach expands, we hope to be able to compound the value provided.
Happy 2025!
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