Breaking In

Check out some great lectures from Anne Marie Boutin.

What would you say are the key ingredients of an exceptional industrial design portfolio?

For a designer an exceptional portfolio must include a great diversity of projects realized in different contexts: for companies of different size, from different sectors, with different kinds of briefs, using different materials and processes, in different marketing environments. But also personal projects without clients. This portfolio will show different methodologies that take into account the needs and desires of consumers, and if possible, that involve them in the innovation process. It must also show the capacity to work at different levels of the innovation process. In general, exceptional portfolios present awarded projects. Continue reading →

Anne-Marie Boutin is the President of the Agence pour la promotion de la création industrielle – APCI, in France which she founded in 1983, and Conseiller maître of the Cour des Comptes (French National Audit Office).The agency aims to further the cause of design throughout France towards companies, public organizations, consultancy firms and general public and to promote french design abroad.

She is a member of the selection committee of the Design 21 programme of UNESCO, and also a member of advisory committees for several international art and design schools in France and abroad. Ms. Boutin is the author of numerous articles and contributions to books and catalogues on design education, design management, design strategy, design-culture and technology. She regularly participates as jury member or expert in French or international competitions and awards. Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Luca Casini.

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

Certainly the objects in the portfolio, the style, and its presentation. It should emphasize the fundamental design skills like personal taste, proportions, sensibility, CAD, and the layout know-how. Every day we receive many CVs, and it’s very important for the applicants to give an immediate good impression, so allow me to share with you some practical advice.

Should they use a PDF or .doc file for their CVs? If they’re using a PDF file the recruiter will know that the CV probably will contain not just text, and that probably it will be visually more interesting. I personally prefer receiving PDF files. When naming the file remember to include your name, for example: “John-Smith-CV.” We receive so many files named just “CV.” Normally we download the document in a general CV folder and if it doesn’t have a name we need to add it manually, or we forget to change it and risk losing the file. So the name association between the e-mail and attachment is very important.

Next, do not send heavy attachments. Design studios don’t like receiving heavy files. Keep the attachments to 3 MB maximum. We often receive portfolios from 10 to 15 MB. Designers should know that receiving 10 to 20 files a day of this kind could create problems.

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Born in Bologna, Italy, Luca Casini graduated in Architecture in 1996. In 1997 he opened his studio in Milan with a variety of projects ranging from perfume packaging, office products, tableware and home accessories. During this period he furthered his initial research into primary shapes, designing a series of lighting projects for Dupont De Nemours which was exhibited at the Palazzo dell’Arengario with the patronage of the Comune di Milano, and furniture for private collections. Casini collaborated with Ritzenhoff AG, Atoma, Unilever, Newell, and with C. Monti for Technogym, and patented the first plastic spherical bottle for sparkling beverages which was recently produced by a worldwide renowned brand. Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Michael Young.

You have stated that, “It is design as industrial art that interests me, not in a limited edition, but in mass-production.” How does this guide your design approach and design solutions?

Simply that I want all my design to have the same empathy and love that one associates with art, but in a commercial mass-market process. It means we design finely manicured industrial products which are invariably of better quality than competitors, but at a lower price. I love craft design, but I save this for galleries. Art is of course conceptual and design is not, but the empathy of art is an emotional subject that people feel and are inspired by. I wish design to be this soulful.

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HACKER WATCH : Michael Young for O.D.M, 2011
A practical, everyday timepiece that deviates from the conventional appearance of a watch, featuring a concave face with a central disk that supports the hands while protecting the lens from the knocks and bumps of an active life. The dial is designed so that it can be read at a glance by application of visual ergonomics, where bold lines lead the eye at a glance to read the time.

Michael Young was born in 1966 in Sunderland, a small industrial city in the North-East of England. He graduated from Kingston University in 1992 and the following year, he founded the Michael Young Studio with the aim of providing exclusive, quality design services across an eclectic range of markets – from interiors to technology.

Michael Young quickly became one of the UK’s most sought-after young designers and revered retailers and institutions such as the Conran shop and the Pompidou Museum began demanding his work. He became known in the industry as a sophisticated minimalist acclaimed for his elegant, pared-down aesthetic design, which was in direct opposition to the elaborate style dominating London at the time. Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Achim Badstuebner.

Interviewed while Mr. Badstuebner was Head of Exterior Design at Audi in Ingolstadt, Germany.

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

I don’t want a person who is only into automotive. They should have some other interests and somehow project it in their portfolios. I like to hire personalities—that’s really important. They should have a strong background in another area. Another field. Something unexpected. That always gets my attention. We like artistic portfolios: people who have unexpected artwork, who add to their portfolios some architectural drawings and such. It’s always interesting to talk to them to get a feeling of what kind of talent they are.

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As of 2013, Achim Badstuebner leads exterior design at Mercedes-Benz. Prior to this role, Badstuebner had been working at Audi for 13 years as the Head of Audi exterior design. He was considered one of the public faces of Audi’s design department and was responsible for some of the most successful current Audi designs. Continue reading →

Check out some great work from Christopher Chapman.

Interviewed while Mr. Chapman was Director of Automotive Design at BMW Group DesignworksUSA in Newbury Park, California

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

After 20+ years of looking at portfolios, the truth is I flip through them rather quickly.

I can usually tell in a matter of seconds who has original ideas and who is a copyist. I also can tell who has put the time into sketching. It’s all about mileage. The ones that catch my eye contain the least amount of flash. Usually, this means they are “DWP.” No, it doesn’t mean Department of Water and Power, it means “Deadly With Pencil.” If you take away the computer, they can still capture and command attention with a simple, monochromatic sketch. It’s really apparent when someone hasn’t used a pencil enough. They try and compensate by “bedazzling” their audience with flash and color and digital filters. It’s a smokescreen for laziness. Beyond that, I look for someone with graphic sensitivity and overall craftsmanship and layout skills. The true professional has the ability to tell a visual story in a concise manner. It is, without a doubt, the true differentiator.

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2001 BMW X-Coupe Concept Detail

Christopher Chapman is the Chief Designer of the Hyundai Design Center in Irvine, Calif., having joined Hyundai in 2012. He is responsible for new vehicle and concept design for Hyundai Design North America. Prior to joining Hyundai, Chapman was with the BMW Group at DesignworksUSA in Newbury Park, California. Among designing for a variety of concept and production programs, he designed the exterior of the X5 Sport Activity Vehicle. Continue reading →