Why I QUIT my DREAM JOB as an industrial designer 

I've been a practicing industrial designer for 45 years and still practicing. Like you, the visual sketching and ideation are what led me to design. What I've also enjoyed was the transition of my work and process as technology has progressed. In 1987, the first 3D CAD systems came online at Hewlett-Packard and I was a quick learner.....today, as I continue to grow as a designer, it's augmented reality and virtual reality. Sketching is fundamental, but rarely are they shown to the client...I move into 3d as fast as possible for 3 reasons..1. Keep me honest on proportions and size... 2. Allows me to supersede engineers as I define the surface I WANT and not dictated by them. 3. Photorealistic renderings and animations that convey the final appearance, fit and finish to the client. Though I admire you for your sketching ability, for me, sketching is a means to an end....it is not ART. Sketching is a visual expression of ideas that address real, identifiable problems...the final deliverable is a product...not a sketch.....I think my friend, you fell in love with sketching but have resisted growing as a designer....but, heck, if it's working for you...who am I to judge...

That was so emotional and touching !! :( Actually, car designer was my dream job since i was 4 years old !! Now, i'm Architect and interior designer but few months ago my dream is back and i started to watch videos and found you till i reach this video ... and i don't know what to do .. sorry for my English :)

The best designer is an engineer too. I always sketch something and practice physics and math. Is hard to do both but If you love science/engineering and art it is rewarding

This was so inspirational I was just telling my fiancé this exact thing it’s refreshing to know it’s people who feel the same way I just want to sketch all day it’s good to know that there is a way to make a living doing what you love in the most purist form this is a beautiful story of passion and personal understanding when it’s done right it brings you back to your childhood you’ve just gotten a new subscriber man awesome stuff!

I needed this video, thanks for the advice!

Man i just love the way you handle the whole frame👍.Can you upload making the suv ? M a little bit confused with the baseline for suv?

Thanks for answering!!!!

I am studying industrial design and I want to get transfer to a transportation design school. I love designing but (there is always a but) the good schools that make me excited for this field are expensive. I know myself at this point of life and I can say that if I go to an "ok" school I will have an "ok" job and lose my dream. In the next seven days I have to send my portfolio and grades to see if my future will be as I dreamed. PS. just needed to take that out.

wow this is an awesome story! I mean you need to have a lot of courage to do this. You have my respect :D

awesome story! could you talk more about your other business? this is inspiring!

Hi SketchMonkey! I just wanted to say that some of your videos have helped me refine my proportions and enabled me to sketch cars at different angles that I used to suck at. But now, here's what I want to say now (might be long but here we go) I’m going to be a freshman in Faculty of Management under Global BBA in Nagoya University of Commerce and Business. However, despite the fact that I struggled in Art & Design in my IGCSE and A-Levels, which led me to give up my aspirations, there are times when I suddenly recapture the passion and curiosity in Design, specifically Car and Industrial Design. And that passion led me to winning the Next BMW Designer Contest in Hong Kong after 2 attempts, which was a free trip to Munich and a chat with Mr. Calvin Luk, designer of Z4 . What I did was to design a BMW concept that solves the mobility issues in HK, which my winning design was to design a modern electric iSetta with a twist (and so on..) As for Business, one of the main reasons why I chose was, firstly, I got the encouragement of taking that path, especially from my Dad (even though he did persuade a little bit), and because they think I’m better off due to my much higher marks in my IGCSE and AS-Levels (55% & 53% VS 83% & 70% respectively). And suddenly that time, my passion for arts waned due to the intense and frustrating syllabus that just couldn't push myself further, as well as poor communication and motivation with coupe of previous art teachers from the past (the current ones, including my mentor, are doing fantastic now), despite trying to expose myself fully in design during my time in high school. However, I started to believe that just because I’ve got the higher marks doesn’t really translate I would really be fully passionate about (despite my interest on some aspects of Business that links to design, such as brand marketing and manufacturing aspects like Kaizen,etc.) What I’m planning to do during my early years was to look for classes that are link to my interests in design, such as Design Thinking (one of the reasons why I chose that university), as well as taking part of creative clubs like art, and also learning Japanese (I have strong interest in Japanese car culture and industry, as well as their industrial design in general). Since my university is close to Toyota City, as well as their Automobile Museum, that’s what I will do and also attend the car festivals to expose myself with the latest trends, etc. But as of that, I’m not sure if that’s enough, especially since I also wanted to learn 3D modelling, marker sketches, etc. but not sure where to start to during my time as a Business student. That’s pretty much I could explain for now (I wish I could have a chat with you and see how it goes). But I hope I could get some valuable advise that I could take from. Thank you very much!

First of all, I love this video. I personally wanted to be a car designer so bad a few years back. But recently i began to think that (although i didn't get a job or anything), there could be more things that i can do than just designing cars and marveling at the final product (if i'm lucky). But i still feel i have a designer's blood in my body. I call myself a designer because i do design. I am just a high school student with no particular job, no ACCD diploma but i like to think i am a designer. I design my environment, i design new systems in my mind, and of course i design cars. I personally think most people get into design by cars, because it is the most easiest looking target, it visually satisfies your eyes. Designing cars might be fun and satisfying for me right now, but i keep thinking about the real purpose of design. This video really helps me a lot, because i can see from the vision from someone who got through it all. I think it is really cool what you do- communicating and doing nice chats while sketching... thanks for the video and wish me good luck!

sketching with your videos in the background and a cup of coffee is the best thing before i leave for work 👌🏻

I am from Europe too and wanna move to the US someday to graduate MD in the Art Center in Pasadena and after that maybe to stay there somewhere in LA or SF and sketch all day long near to the beach, I even thought to go to the UK or Germany (and why not Sweden there is also Umeo uni, Volvo, Scania, Koeniggseg etc.) where are mostly car industry companies but it's not great the weather there. This would be very cool and we have actually very close interests with you man! Just great!! I am really happy when I know there is someone other person who has the same interests and passion! I love to sketch cars, this is like obsession for me.

Thank you, this is amazing advice I think I’m going to love industrial design, my dream job is to become an inventor though.

Wow I love how care free you are. Such a great characteristic in this aspect. Keep up the good work sir 👍👊

Thanks for sharing. I'm in South Florida as well. You mentioned that you worked at some firms in South Florida. Do you mind telling which ones and what CAD programs did you use?

Super interesting journey dude, I think i'm on the same path to be honest! probably not in sunny LA though, lucky guy!

Totally cool to hear this. I feel like I'm going through a similar thing. I got hired at a tech company in FL to do industrial design and moved out there living in Fort Lauderdale and got into the 9-6 groove, CAD all day long, engineers saying "no, it's too expensive". However, I was also like feeling like something was missing. Like truely being able to be free to create. So recently I sold all myself and decided to drive aimlessly around the country trying to figure out how I can still design but outside of the traditional corporate realm which was soul crushing. Finding a new way of creating for design is a tricky thing it seems. Like I'm also into beat making and love to sketch and cad while I'm synthesizing loud af. And obviously there's no room for that in a traditional setting. So I'm like how can I make this happen....designing my design lifestyle somehow. Idk lol in any event what your saying hear resonates with me. On a side note, do you ever hit up the Kava bars in South Florida?

Thanks for this video it cleared up at the direction I want to go!

Awesome inspiring talk dude. many young people are surely facing such philosophic questions like me. so thank u. glad that heard it and enjoyed every sec. keep it up

Thank you for sharing the story.

Hi ! Cool video and sketch ! I’m a young designer, working for almost 4 years. I know it’s a little but to me, sketching is just a tool to communicate with other people in the team your working with. I think being a designer is also about communicating a lot, knowing trends, being aware of manufactures possibilities and cost contraints. Maybe it depends of the company your working in as a designer, but in my company, there is no day without talking me about production process, client budget and deadlines. I think design schools should more talk about these aspects of the job to the students. I don’t know if you agree ;)

Your videos are just awsome They give us an idea about basic automobile designing and I am also choosing to do the same

I am an student now, but I always wonder my self everyday: will i am happy when i am a professional designer in a famous company? When you sketching for your self, i think that is the best moment

Thank you soo much for this video!! You talked about your Online-Buisiness, it would be very nice if you can give a short look how you create it and so on, because for people, that want to sketch all day it could be very nice chance to finance their lifes. Also for people, that do not fit in a nine to five job, like many creativ humans, is it realy interesting. :D Live it up.

I love this video. :) I'm curently trying to get accepted in art school to study industrial design. I'm glad this poped up in my suggestions. This is so cool.

Yes I know that feeling, the feeling of dealing with engineers, sometime is fustrating and one time someone said to me, why you break your mind in order to innovate when you can see the competition and just adapt what is built and that work well for now. Getting this type of comments as an designer are not good.

I love cars and I have gotten into learning about a cars inner workings which is why I love to work on cars now whatever keeps my hands and head occupied and happy is better for me in the long run cause I would rather do that what makes me want to do it more than something I thought worked for me but only masked off my real intentions in life

I'm a year and a half into my Industrial Design degree and I absolutely hate it. Next semester I'm transferring into a few concept design classes and will be applying for jobs in props design. Worst part is I basically had to give up my own business to focus on study, which makes me resent it even more haha.

No Marwan you are really very good designer and Sketcher, just forget everything about engineers , It was nice to hear about your journey wish you all the best.

Great video thanks

I think your design is pretty cool, maybe if you can meet some customers who want to modify the car, then you can finish it with some car modifiers/ car repair shop, which based on your design , i think that's would be cool enough

Great videos!

hey there! im completely new to this and still contemplating to whether or not i should dive into this specific course later in university my question is does industrial designers must have the knowledge in automotive design even when they are product designers??

It was nice to know you were a SPD Alumini & things which happen in SPD, Since its Volkswagen school, there is no doubt students can do whatever they want, But talent should always have its space...if you would have to choose a design school from UK , which one would have been from your list as per todays scenerio, i am a Automobile engineer from india want to persue industrial design ahead...hence a bit confused between italy & UK....

I'm really curious to know if u never felt afraid when u were gonna leave your safe job behind n move on an untreaded path?? Plz answer.

I have the opposite view, i dont want to sketch, i just wanna to do CAD and research haha.

I like the design, and the story as well!

Oh nice...I love this. I studied systems Engineering in school and would love to study automobile design for masters. I need direction 😑 .if you don't mind

This is so relatable 💓

you would love canada. Toronto especially but instead of ocean its a massive lake. which is really cool if you think about it

Can relate so much, now feel less guilty not working a 9 to 5, thanks 🙏

Hi, I really thank for you teaching us sketching and what's the type of your pencil? I think it sketches smoothly.

How hard was it to get as far as you did in the commercial industry?

I originally wanted to study art when I was younger but now I'm thinking about studying something more practical like product/industrial design. However, I'm still apprehensive about it and college application are coming up. For anyone who reads this, are you a designer of any sort? What do you do? Mastery in which subjects are most vital to being a successful designer? What do you like about your job?

Is it worthit to study Automotive design in Germany, being a student from Africa, with a dream of designing Supercars and speaking fluent german?

you are doing a great work brother

I’ve got a masters in ID and designed hundreds of products over the years. But at this point I find myself wanting to do something totally new. A lot of our industry is now UX/UI and research and everything but classic industrial design. The product can be an app basically. Whereas I fell in love with 3D, creating physical products 20 years ago.....ID is no longer guaranteed design. It could just be teamwork, troubleshooting, Keynote...it becomes very uncreative and stressful....just like any other job....

I wanna study industrial design and I am completely new to it, I can't draw Nor sketch but I like to create stuff is it a good idea? Can this sketching thing be practiced?

Per fare quel genere di disegno al computer che programma si usa ?

Can you explain what goes into being a transportation designer ? Or how does a car designing process look like ? You helped me out a lot until now with your great vids dude thanks a lot ✌🏾

I have a question! I’ve got a ba in art. Not sure whether to go for a bs in Id or a Masters because they’ll admit me to either program. I just want to learn what I actually need to learn. Also Can a person in ID be more focused on model building/ fabrication vs software all day?

Hello, i have one question and I would love to have your advise. What's your opinion on the Product Design Engineering? I'm a person who enjoys sketching but also likes to be involved in the project and make a final product with its materials. Therefore, with product design would I only learn designing and sketching?

Love the story of your journey and it may be a similar journey I make take. I want to be a designer, but I am not sure for what right now. Don't get me wrong, I love cars and would love to design them, but like you heard or maybe saw the politics about it. I don't like that either. Even one of my professors told me don't just focus on auto design. He had a friend working for Honda and said, all he does is design mirrors and dashboards for years. That did not sound all to fun to me. I can do the 3D modeling, but I am not excellent at it. I think I would love to do more design consulting and helping people with their ideas as well as design some I my own in the process. 👍🏼

Hi, your sketches are amazing, I have a question and I'm starting to realize industrial design isn't for me, I completely understand the point of being told what to do. That's what's actually stopping me now. Not actually designing as a whole car instead you might to get a small portion of the car or the engineers basically telling you no for your imagination. But Clay modeling has came across ever since I did a project in one of my previous semesters. I made a Art Deco Inspired Foosball table and I fell in love sculpting the car. By any chance, do you know what schools or how one can become a clay modeler? I know designers work with clay modelers and I was wondering if you had some insight on it since not much is out there about it. Thank you again for getting the chance to write back.

Hej! I want to work as a hardware tech designer/engineer. (The design aspect is what I am really interested in.) I am currently a ”teknikare” med inriktningen speldesign and I am learning I about computer science and some design stuff. I ultimately want to start/co start my own company as I want to make as big of a difference I can in the world. Laying the groundwork for a simulated reality is also a dream of mine therefore I want to work on the overarching creative aspects of such a task. Will a hardware design job lead me to my goal or am I on the wrong track?

How did you started this channel? I wanna know..plz make another video on that

Can you Show some of the sketches you Used to apply for industrial design

Hello ,thanks for you video ! your video motivated me , and i would like to know generally which kind of background i need to get bachelor degree from any university ?

thanks for your share

I request you to differentiate between product design and industrial design. Also, is the job market different for each

You know what, how about sketching for computer games and movies. Sci fi, or mad max stuff. They just need concepts without working it out for months until it really works

I always wanted to become a car designer, I even wanted to make my own car company. I wonder what degrees I need to go for to make this dream happen?

THANKS for this video. It is important to talk truth and be real, you are nice.

Tjena!

thanks

Interesting story! So, what did you not like about the car design job? I’m 23 and this is my dream job haha and I’m working on getting there. What did you mean by politics? What you said about engineers sounds about right when it comes to production cars. I think it would’ve been more fun if you worked as an advanced designer or a creative designer where you would design cool concept cars without having the engineers tell you what to do and what not to do. I don’t know, interesting story though... I’m glad you’re happy now

Can you give a tutorial on photoshop sketching

You are pretty lucky because you are doing what you really want to do

Design and illustrations is different and I just found that too😮

Very good skill👌🏻🏆

Im loving ur videos bro im currently in first year of studying automotive design at uni and ur videos have been really useful in helping me improve many thanks keep it up

Does industrial designer career can vary from transport, gadget, to fashion?

I am fine art students, u think I can complete my Master degree in product design?

Can you tell us the places in Florida you worked at?

Am an studying industrial design but am scared right now that it might not a be good idea...to be an industrial designer

"you know what you know and you know what you don't know, but you don't know what you don't know", that reality changes everybody's life when it hits them, unfortunately some never really see it clearly and end up getting hit by the reality over and over again, that is especially prevalent among us artistic types who tend to live with their "head in the clouds" as they say... BTW i just subscribed to your channel solely because you saved that dog from being destroyed, i've dedicated my whole life to the rescuing and protecting of animals with "special needs", you never can tell which message you send out is going to be important to someone!!!

How come you don’t have any accent? Also do you recommend design school for someone who learns well on their own.

So how’s the car design job is in reality?

I feel you man

I quited engineer and aim to be designer! Learn sketch from yours!

What is that pen that you use??

Thanks for the video. But my question is what politics you mentioned in the video about a car company could you let us know? i too aim for being the same as you.

I have choosen engineering for bachelors due to something but still have intrest for designing, cars specially, so can you suggest something someway, I domt wanna quit engineering, I love that too. So somehow to get into design after engineering

Ur insperational .. I like it . I appreciate that .

I saw you are Hodl aswell... To the moon bro

Hey bro actually i applied in diploma in automobile engineering....but i wanted to do designing but in india i live in india there are no designing college ....so can i go abroad with my auto diploma..?

realisticly how much would that car cost that you are sketching? can you go into detail about the things that you discussed with the engineer? how many steps to take a car from a sketch to the sema show at las vegas as a concept to dealership? when we see a car like a lambo that has a metal plate on the engine and a persons signature enbossed in the metal what does that mean? did that person design the car? engineer the car? assemble the car? all of the above? do you know how much that person who's signature is on the plate makes? you talked about the politics of the industry and your level of accomplishment. at what level do you become the be all end all so to speak. at what point in your profession do you take credit for every aspect of a idea of your car or that doesnt exist at all? is it that the production of a car always gets sectioned out so to speak i.e. the drawer draws it and the egineer engineers it so on and so forth? can it be that one person can do it all and they are allowed to do so?

Do you not find it a perhaps common mistake to get into Car Design just because one likes to sketch, somehow even I feel this way after having shifter from Engineering degree to ID bachelors

This is true for any jobs. It s never what we hoped it to be.

Can you pls tell all about car designing?? Pls pls plsssssss

glad to hear this is what im studying to be

روعه شكرا لك

i am an industial designer in israel. most of the work is the "boring stuff" like project managment, engineering etc... sketching all day and dont care about production is just not an option here...

i hope you make it

Which design school in italy you did masters?

How is SPD college and what do u think about their masters program

I was also got attracted to Car desinging job many years ago. Now succesfully working as a Storyboard freelancer and writing a short film now. Hope will direct it soon. Sometimes I just do car sketches as fun. Great video sir 👍👍🙏🤟😊

Sir, I’m from India and studying for product and industrial design course of 4 years.I would like to ask you, Will I get a job as an industrial designer in India ??