Digital Workplaces, powered by real-time data, AI, and IoT, are poised to revolutionize product design and manufacturing workflows within the design-make-use lifecycle. By enabling data-driven, predictive processes, Digital Workplaces transform how products are conceived, iterated, and validated. What if IoT sensor data embedded in a product can detect stresses during its operation, which can be derived to automatically redesign a stronger and more efficient iteration? What if IoT sensor data embedded in a 3D printer can detect defects on a layer-by-layer basis to make real-time, in-situ adjustments to prevent manufacturing failures and scrap? Questions like these are not only being asked but explored and tested at Autodesk Research. Through a performance-aided design approach, we are harnessing sensor data to drive real-time optimizations, using a flying vehicle as a cutting-edge testbed to redefine the future of design and manufacturing.