Breaking In

Check out some great work from Ernesto Quinteros.

Interviewed while Mr. Quinteros was Chief Brand Officer at Belkin in Los Angeles.

What kinds of portfolios get your attention these days? What brings in an industrial designer for an interview?

I’m always on the lookout for people who will challenge or complement the team. We tend to think about the studio as an organism. When we look at portfolios, we ask ourselves: “What does this individual bring to the table that will push our thinking?” or “Do they possess skills that we lack?” Additionally, we look for results. Often, a portfolio will come in that has some interesting research, good conceptual thinking, or a strong design aesthetic. But if their projects can’t bring it together as a cohesive solution, that portfolio may not get the attention and enthusiasm to bring them in for an interview.

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Belkin AC 1200 DB Wi-Fi Dual-Band AC+ Gigabit Router

Ernesto Quinteros, former Chief Brand and Design Officer of Los Angeles-based Belkin International, become Johnson & Johnson’s first Chief Design Officer in 2014. The creation of the Chief Design Officer role is part of Johnson & Johnson’s effort to “accelerate innovation globally and strengthen the equity of our core brands across our consumer, medical devices and pharmaceuticals business.” Part of Mr. Quinteros’ mission is to lead a companywide effort to apply design thinking – which integrates user experience into product, packaging and technology. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, he established Belkin’s Innovation Design Group (IDG), which is responsible for product design and innovation.  Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Brad Richards.

Interviewed while Brad Richards was the Exterior Design Manager at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. 

What kinds of portfolios get your attention these days? What brings in an industrial designer for an interview?

First of all, the quality of the work has got to be there, especially for the line of work that I’m in. There’s a certain amount of fundamentals that need to be represented, so if that’s all there, in terms of a portfolio that catches the eye, it’s usually something that has been built on content not flash. Having said that, there have been some unique ways people have submitted their work that creates a little buzz within the studio. So, along with the quality of work, we also may react to a unique way someone may present their work as well. But there have been a few portfolios that I’ve reviewed in the past that have relied solely on the portfolio itself instead of the content of the work within it. That never flies.

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2015 Ford F-150

Brad Richards is the Director of Design at Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to joining in 2015, he was the Chief Designer at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, overseeing Creative Teams, and managing the Design Process. During his 17 year stint at Ford, he managed designs of 2015 Ford F-150, 2014 Ford Atlas, 2013 Lincoln MKT, 2013 Ford Flex, 2011 Ford F-250/350/450 lineup and 2006 Ford Fusion. He was also the chief designer behind 2011 Ford Harley-Davidson F-Series. At the start of his career at Ford, he was the lead designer of 2005 Ford F-250/350/450 range and 2004 Ford F-150. Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Adam Bazydlo.

Interviewed while Mr. Bazydlo was the Senior Designer at Peugeot Design in Paris.

What kinds of portfolios get your attention these days? What brings in an industrial designer for an interview?

I would definitely say, and we definitely get thousands of them, that the portfolio that gets our attention is the one that corresponds to the job. If the candidate is applying for an interior job and he only has exteriors, or bicycles, or windmills, then obviously it won’t work. For people just starting out, they need to give their portfolios more thought for a job they’re applying to. The other thing that would really get them in for an interview is the character they have, and we can see this through the work that they do. Whether they’re very constructed and logical, or very expressive, or just crazy, it’s apparent through their work. We like to see something that tells us that this person is original and has something different to say in his work.

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2011 Peugeot HX1 Concept: The HX1 Concept Car gives Peugeot the opportunity to once again illustrate the marque’s ability to reflect on new ideas, learn how to evolve and to continually reinvent itself.

Adam Bazydlo joined Ford as manager for interior design strategy in September 2013, and is responsible for the creative outlook for both Ford and Lincoln brands. Prior to his current rile he worked at Visteon in France and at Peugeot, where he led the design of the interiors for the 508, the 208, and the award-winning HX1 concept car, among others. Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Demetrius Romanos.

Interviewed while Mr. Romanos was Executive Creative Director at Kaleidoscope in Cincinnati, Ohio.

What kinds of portfolios get your attention these days? What brings in an industrial designer for an interview?

It depends on the level we are looking for, but ultimately, you want people who are well rounded and people who stand out. We want someone who has a good sense of aesthetic, good overall technical skills, especially at the base level of sketching. If we are talking about entry-level designers, that’s the bulk of the stuff they’ll be doing: sketching and initial concept development, participating in as many projects as possible just to build up their skill sets. They also might be skilled at things that are more in the technology kind of area. Anything that would make somebody stand apart and perhaps bring something new to the team, to not only be able to demonstrate a high sense of aesthetic but how they arrived at that.

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Febreze Packaging Line

If business is all about relationships and design is about experiences, then it’s the crossed paths of those where Demetrius Romanos functions best.  For 20 years Demetrius has applied his creative leadership, deep empathy and refined design lens to help companies use design strategically to drive top and bottom line growth by creating brand experiences that enrich users’ lives.  As Vice President of Design at Targus he is responsible for leading design globally for all product categories, as well as packaging and branding, to create industry leading business-to-business and business-to-consumer products in the mobile technology space. Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Jonas Damon.

What kinds of portfolios get your attention these days? What brings in an industrial designer for an interview?

It’s a combination of things, but most importantly: the ability to be an author and tell a story. By this I mean having your own point of view and being able to articulate it. It sounds a little clichéd, but it is ultimately what we as designers do. Isolated images of isolated products without context are meaningless. A designer needs to understand the greater world in which their work lives, and needs to be able to communicate that. And then fantastic execution skills as well, of course.

There are certain schools that are difficult to hire from because, while they educate a designer to think well, they don’t exactly train them to shape or visualize their ideas well. That’s fine for somebody later in his or her career who may have already mastered these skills through previous experience, but fresh out of school you really need to be able to execute. The combination of storytelling and craft is what ultimately makes you hire-able.

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HOMEHERO Fire Extinguisher for Arnell Group

Jonas Damon is an industrial designer based in New York City. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he began his career at Tom Dixon‘s Eurolounge in London before becoming a design manager for the European retail group Habitat UK. At Habitat, he took part in rebuilding the in-house design team that revived Habitat’s reputation as the leading European retailer for home goods. He has been based in New York City since 2001, where he has influenced product design for companies and brands such as Areaware, AT&T, Chrysler, Harter, Malin+Goetz, The Home Depot, Tupperware, Vitra, and Wedgwood. He is currently an Executive Creative Director at frog design. Continue reading →