Hey, hope I’m posting this in the right place. I’m an undecided freshman at Purdue, and I’m fairly sure that I’m going to go into the ID program. Before I switch majors or transfer schools, however, I’d like to interview someone in the field. I just have some questions that can be answered through e-mail or instant messenger. I would greatly appreciate anyone who could help me out. Thanks
why don’t you post the questions here so you can get a spectrum of answers.
That is a great idea…and you could probably even use a webservice like surveymonkey.com to make you life easier too…
Sure, here’s what I’ve asked the fine people who offered to help:
First, what is your specific position?
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How did you decide upon industrial design?
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If you were hiring a person for your job, what are the qualifications for which you would look?
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How are you evaluated?
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What do you enjoy about industrial design? What are the personal rewards?
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Describe a typical day in your work
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What are the typical fringe benefits?
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What part-time work experiences could help me get to know the ID field better? Do many firms use college interns?
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What advice do you have for a person who is considering this occupation?
First, what is your specific position?
Designer. Brand Jordan_ a division of Nike
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How did you decide upon industrial design?
When I was 13 I told my parents I wanted to “draw stuff from the future when I grow up”… later that year my father happened upon an article about Giorgetto Giugiaro ( Giorgetto Giugiaro - Wikipedia ) that featured his drawings for a car, a boat, a tennis racquet, and pasta… and I knew that was it. I was lucky. -
If you were hiring a person for your job, what are the qualifications for which you would look?
Curiosity, optimism, persistence, the ability to visually communicate ideas through sketching and 2d rending, the ability to speak in public, just the right balance of confidence and humbleness, the ability to listen, learn quickly, and filter unneeded opinions, quick decision making, flexibility (mental) -
How are you evaluated?
By my Design Director based on a number of factors like: how well my shoes sell, what innovations I have brought to the table, how I work with the team (design development and marketing) -
What do you enjoy about industrial design? What are the personal rewards?
Getting to “draw stuff from the future” is pretty high up. Seeing people I’ve never met using the things I’ve designed is also high up there. -
Describe a typical day in your work
There are few typical days. In any given day I could be doing any combination of traveling, researching, brainstorming, sketching, rendering, presenting concepts to our internal group, presenting concepts to VP’s. doing technical drawings, correcting 3d files, working with pattern and tooling engineers from factories, revising prototype samples, redesigning based on test data, visiting assembly lines… -
What are the typical fringe benefits?
I’m not in it for the graft, but it happens. -
What part-time work experiences could help me get to know the ID field better? Do many firms use college interns?
Get anything you can and maximize those opportunities. Offer to intern for free for a few weeks with the option to get paid after that if you have to… get whatever experience you can. -
What advice do you have for a person who is considering this occupation?
Be prepared to work hard and you’ll be in good shape, it is an awesome job.
First, what is your specific position?
I am a footwear designer / developer for Power Athletics Ltd.
1. How did you decide upon industrial design?
originally going into architecture, a childhood friend stayed at my house when she was goingin for her interview to get into an industrial design program, i didn’t know what it was, she told me about it, i was intrigued, went to the interview with her, where i explored the school and was immediately smitten…
2. If you were hiring a person for your job, what are the qualifications for which you would look?
creative yet logical / nerdy yet with it / passionate yet willing to abandon idea for something better
3. How are you evaluated?
a shoe line is cerated based on customer needs and market trends. if my designs can satisfy the customers while pushing new boundaries i have done my job well… sales are also a good indicator…
4. What do you enjoy about industrial design? What are the personal rewards?
I enjoy the sporadic nature of this job. one day i am trendspotting in the fashion area of town, the next surfing the net for all things new and good, then sketching all day, then travelling, then developing molds, etcetcetc. personal rewards are seeing my designs mass produced. or in shops. it’s like having our “babies” out in the world. nothing feels better than that.
5. Describe a typical day in your work
no day is alike. see above…
6. What are the typical fringe benefits?
travel, and… not having to have to dress business casual at the office (but that might be mainly a shoe design thing…)
7. What part-time work experiences could help me get to know the ID field better? Do many firms use college interns?
anything you can get. and yes, firms use interns all the time, they will do the work no one else wants to . i know it, i have been there
8. What advice do you have for a person who is considering this occupation?
kiss sleeping goodbye.
ps. jsut to add to # 6… i own about 200 pairs of shoes… 