Questions for IDers from student. Answers appreciated!!!

Design Discussions students and schools
1

Hi everyone,
My name is Vanessa and I’m freshman in college. Right now I’m undecided in my major, but lately I’ve taken an interest in industrial design. I’d like to learn more about it from people who are currently working as industrial designers. I’d appreciate it if any of you industrial designers out there could answer some (or all!) of the questions I have:

If you can, please tell me where you work and your job title.

  1. How long have you been in the field of industrial design?
  2. How much education have you developed to get where you are now?
  3. Was industrial design your first choice of study, or did it take you a while to conclude that industrial design was the right choice for you?
  4. What are your major responsibilities?
  5. What do you perceive to be the major rewards of being an industrial designer?
  6. What do you like most about industrial design?
  7. Is there anything you don’t like about industrial design, or are there aspects of industrial design that frustrate you?
  8. How has industrial design changed since you first entered the field?
  9. As an industrial designer, what are your long term goals?
  10. What is the future outlook for growth and job openings in the field of industrial design?
  11. What advice would you give to someone coming into a job like yours?

THANKS!!!

2

welcome to Core77
as you wait for responses, could you tell us a bit more about what about ID you find interesting?

do you enjoy drawing or working with your hands? have you taken art classes before? are you also interested in engineering or business/entrepreneurship courses? do you think there’s a type of product you’d like to work on most (toys, furniture, electronics, cars, etc…)?

3
  1. How long have you been in the field of industrial design?

It isn’t a field per se, so much as a well designed umbrella. I’ve been under the industrial design umbrella for about 8 years.

  1. How much education have you developed to get where you are now?

I only have a BID, but the real world ‘school of hard knocks’ has been a much more critical element of my success.

  1. Was industrial design your first choice of study, or did it take you a while to conclude that industrial design was the right choice for you?

It was my third choice, initiallyl I followed my friends off to school and realized that I wasn’t having a good time. I took some classes I thought I would like (and did). Life drawing, literally changed my life. I applied to art schools up and down the east coast and wanted to be an artist; upon arriving at art school (Pratt), I found Industrial design and couldn’t look back.

  1. What are your major responsibilities?

I do a lot of shoe design (drawing, rendering) and development (spec’ing, pattern corrections, blueprint corrections, little bit of qc). The most important thing I do is pay attention and listen, the rest just falls into place.

. What do you perceive to be the major rewards of being an industrial designer?

There is a large degree of freedom that I have been given. Freedom to experiment with ideas; free from 9/5, my office has very liberal hours; no suits up in here.

  1. What do you like most about industrial design?

This is a strange question, it’s like asking ‘What do you like most about water?’ I can give you this much insight: without it I don’t know if I would last too long. It’s a lifestyle/mentality/state of being.

  1. Is there anything you don’t like about industrial design, or are there aspects of industrial design that frustrate you?

No. I probably sound like a sap, but I really do enjoy what I do, I’m very fortunate to get well paid for work I would do for free (I’m a designer not a biz major ) .

  1. How has industrial design changed since you first entered the field?

It’s gotten 8 years older.

  1. As an industrial designer, what are your long term goals?

At some point I would like to start my own shoe line or company, but the real world gets in the way of men & mices best laid plans.

  1. What is the future outlook for growth and job openings in the field of industrial design?

Well educated, articulate and creative people will never have a problem. However I think that in the US it is getting a little bit harder. I see more and more design opportunities going overseas, but the people who fill the positions seem to have a much higher turnover rate, so there must be some quality problems with the caliber of person being hired.

  1. What advice would you give to someone coming into a job like yours?

You can’t work too hard. Draw everything that comes to mind.

4

Thanks. Sure. I think industrial design appeals to me because I’m interested in the way things look and how they work…how efficient things are, and how they make me feel. Like if I’m using a product and it frustrates me because it’s poorly designed I always think of different ways that could be redesigned to make that thing work better. I’ve taken engineering classes before (physics, calc, statics) but it doesn’t seem like engineering alone involves a lot of artistic elements. Industrial design seems to involve engineering and artistic design…the best of both worlds! But also it seems like industrial design involves elements of psychology and anthropology…observing how people use different products in different situations. That also appeals to me. As far as specific products I have imagined working on, I think it would be cool to design kitchen products, like redesigning things like the dishwasher so they use less water and energy, but look really awesome too. I’m at a community college this year and I’m taking very general classes, but hopefully next semester I’ll be able to take some sort of drawing classes as that seems to be a major skill to have.

• So when you say the most important thing is to listen, you’re listening to a client, or boss? How does a proposal for something, like a shoe, reach you? Also, what is qc?
• What types of computer programs do you use?
• As a shoe designer is your work influenced a lot by current fashion trends? This sounds corny, but what inspires you?

Sorry, to throw so many questions at you. I’m just curious.

• Do you usually get to work alone, or do you work in collaboration with a team?

Nope, not a sap. You sound very passionate about your job.

5

If you can, please tell me where you work and your job title.
Owner of a small design firm.

  1. How long have you been in the field of industrial design?
    Almost 20 years

  2. How much education have you developed to get where you are now?
    BA Degree

  3. Was industrial design your first choice of study, or did it take you a while to conclude that industrial design was the right choice for you?
    First Choice

  4. What are your major responsibilities?
    Getting clients, devising proposals and contracts, managing workers, hands on concept development, project management.

  5. What do you perceive to be the major rewards of being an industrial designer?
    Ability to learn about many diverse topics, never the same mundane project (if in a consultancy environment).

  6. What do you like most about industrial design?
    Ability to define the artifcats of our times. Play God.

  7. Is there anything you don’t like about industrial design, or are there aspects of industrial design that frustrate you?
    High pressure deadlines, lots of all nighters, many low-balling clients.

  8. How has industrial design changed since you first entered the field?
    More computer-based skillsets and quicker prototyping tools.

  9. As an industrial designer, what are your long term goals?
    Develop my own brand and products.

  10. What is the future outlook for growth and job openings in the field of industrial design?
    I think the internet is allowing industrial designers to break out on their own and develop and market their own inventions.

  11. What advice would you give to someone coming into a job like yours?
    Always aim to be the best, ID is not a profession you can really half-ass. After paying some dues, start being selective about the projects and clients you take on. Like acting, a bad role can sink you so learn to walk away from things that conflict with your values. Don’t let clients devalue your talent.

6

I listen to my boss and to the clients when they bring something in, I try my best to pay attention to our past work together and see what has worked well and stay within a a certain degree of successful projects. You have to pay attention to what a sales team can sell, otherwise you won’t be doing a lot of business together in the future. When I walk around a lot I see what people are wearing, I try to see what is selling in the stores from high to low end I watch some tv to soak in pop culture and see what trends they’re turning to (you can learn a lot if you mute your TV and just watch). I’m constantly observing what’s going on around me and try to put all of that information to work when someone tells me what they need.

We don’t really do individual shoe proposals, we take on an entire line and usually have an arrangement set up to work with the licensee for a period of time (lets say 4 seasons). This allows us enough time to establish a solid body of work and enough time to see if we have been successful, we can create a product that means something to the client and their customer.

QC is quality control. Just because you design and develop something doesn’t mean that you won’t have problems when it’s being manufactured, in some cases you can catch it when you’re oversesas. In other cases you may have to spot check to catch it, but the absolute worst is when you get a phone call and someone else says ‘hey this stuff we paid you for isn’t want you promised to deliver.’ You should always assume the worst and be vigilant in protecting the quality of your designs, after all they carry your reputation.

Photoshop and Illustrator. It’s faster to get a pullover or model than to make an intricate 3d rendering.

What inspires me is the opportunity to do what I really enjoy. I can find inspiration in a previous drawing, an idea I thought of in the shower, anything really. I try to really make this an important part of life and I think the inspiration shows up when I pick up a pencil to draw.

Initially we’ll split up a line into a few categories then divvy up the workload. Thumbnails are made and for the most part this is done alone, then as the design takes on a little bit of life other people get involved. The extent to which they can get involved varies and you’ll usually find that some type of collaboration will result in a better outcome. If I do the upper pattern and another guy does the sidewall/outsole design. It works because we each have our own style but integrate cues from the other persons design vocabulary so the result is generally a more sophisticated design.

7

Chevis Watkinson
Principal Industrial designer @ MPE-INC.

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  1. How long have you been in the field of industrial design?
    13 years

  2. How much education have you developed to get where you are now?
    4 year BS degree in ID - countless seminars, tutorials, and conferences

  3. Was industrial design your first choice of study, or did it take you a while to conclude that industrial design was the right choice for you?
    1/2 year into my foundation year I was exposed to ID - originally going for graphic design - and fell in love with ID. never new it existed

  4. What are your major responsibilities?

Full Up front design and development of our products for clients upto transition to engineering were in I still follow the project through to complete production to ensure design intent remains. VOC/ Concept Development / Ergonomics / running ID dept.

  1. What do you perceive to be the major rewards of being an industrial designer?

I find my work to be more play then actual work, and the reward to see my efforts in physical form

  1. What do you like most about industrial design?
    The ability to work in a variety of areas

  2. Is there anything you don’t like about industrial design, or are there aspects of industrial design that frustrate you?
    Everyone has an opinion and they mix opinion for fact

  3. How has industrial design changed since you first entered the field?

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  4. As an industrial designer, what are your long term goals?
    VP or Director of a Design Group

  5. What is the future outlook for growth and job openings in the field of industrial design?
    Looks as if it has been continuing to grow and evolve

  6. What advice would you give to someone coming into a job like yours?

Understand the balance between emotions and business

8

  1. 20 years, give or take.

  2. MID

  3. I needed only 2 more semesters for an ME degree before switching to ID. My parents loved that.

  4. Project management in all phases - research, strategy & implementation.

  5. A constant education, I am always learning something new.

  6. See #5

  7. I’m in medical. The quality system required by the FDA can be grating. But I imagine any career choice will have tedium.

  8. Design integration was the exception, now it is becoming the norm. What I call design integration is integrating the entire brand - product, packaging, UI, brochures, instructions, ad campaigns, exhibit, web, sales tools, service tools, etc - to speak with a unified voice to the value of the brand.

  9. First, I want to be all-being of time, matter and space. Then, I want to go to France. (Sorry. Its an old Steve Martin bit about slowly reaching your goals.)

  10. I have been pessimistic about ID opportunities since I switched majors over 20 years ago.

  11. Luck and perseverance.

9

  1. How long have you been in the field of industrial design?
    8 years

  2. How much education have you developed to get where you are now?
    Bachelor’s

  3. Was industrial design your first choice of study, or did it take you a while to conclude that industrial design was the right choice for you?

Started in engineering due to bad advising, moved to INDD

  1. What are your major responsibilities?
    Planning projects, VOC/research, sketch/mockup ideation, reports and documentation, meeting with clients, some 3D modeling

  2. What do you perceive to be the major rewards of being an industrial designer?
    When you solve an actual problem that needed solving, that is pretty cool.
    No suits, no business casual unless I have a client meeting.
    Pretty flexible hours and laid back workplace most of the time.

  3. What do you like most about industrial design?
    Not doing the same task over and over.
    Opportunity to go deep into a problem.

  4. Is there anything you don’t like about industrial design, or are there aspects of industrial design that frustrate you?
    I think the occupation doesn’t get a lot of respect and may have evolved beyond the words “industrial design.”
    People attempt to put you in a box - resist this at all costs.

  5. How has industrial design changed since you first entered the field?
    Technology to do the job keeps getting cheaper - lower barrier to entry on that side.
    I think the sophistication level of clients is increasing somewhat, but the downside is they tend to internalize some of what we do.

  6. As an industrial designer, what are your long term goals?
    To never live in a silo, and to do more business oriented design consulting.

  7. What is the future outlook for growth and job openings in the field of industrial design?
    I wouldn’t go into it right now unless you want to work on the front end of the development cycle. I think a lot of the back end (pure styling, DFMA) is becoming a commodity.

  8. What advice would you give to someone coming into a job like yours?
    Create your own title.