Jesse Diephus has almost a decade of experience in the automotive industry, having worked in the USA, Japan and Australia for companies including General Motors and Holden. Jesse currently runs JD Synergy Design and also participates as the Senior Designer on AutoHorizon’s FR1 Project. Jesse’s interview offers great insight for anyone looking to gain entry into the highly competitive area of Automotive Design.
Highlights
- “Automotive Design is basically a highly specialized sector of industrial design and the process is very similar to product design. In one studio there may be as many as 8 designers working on 2 to 3 projects at a time. One major difference from Automotive Design compared to Product Design is that it is difficult to change something late in the development process.”
- “I would also recommend to those who are interested in automotive design to be aware of the other roles necessary to develop a vehicle. There is a lot of work that goes into research and development behind the scenes that most people don’t know about and it would be in your best interest to know about these other professions.”
- “It is important to listen to what other people have to say about your designs including Non-designers. Most customers are not designers and they see things very differently than we do.”
1. Jesse, Welcome to Design Droplets. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, could you please give us a quick introduction on yourself.
Thank you Raph, I appreciate the opportunity to participate on Design Droplets. I have been designing professionally for almost 9 years. I’m originally from the US, I graduated from the Art Center College of Design (ACCD) with an industrial design/transportation design degree.
My industrial design career began as soon I started my internship at Mattel in Los Angeles, where I got the chance to work for HotWheels as a Toy Designer. My automotive career began when I was offered a position to work in Tokyo for a Japanese Automotive Design consultancy called Milai. Upon returning to L.A. in 2001 I worked as an Industrial Design freelancer, developing design sketches and sometimes working on Alias models. Eventually I was recruited to work for GM in Detroit. Following an eye-opening 3 year automotive experience in Detroit I decided to further my international experience and signed on with Milai again in Tokyo.
Now here in Australia, during the last 3 years of my career I have worked as a Creative Designer with the Holden Design team in Port Melbourne. Additionally, I have been participating as senior designer on the FR1 project for the AutoHorizon in Docklands.
FR1 Chassis Direction 2007
2. You are our first automotive design interviewee here on Design Droplets, can you tell us a bit about the automotive design field? How does it differ from other forms of product or industrial design?
Automotive Design is basically a highly specialized sector of industrial design and the process is very similar to product design. In one studio there may be as many as 8 designers working on 2 to 3 projects at a time. One major difference from Automotive Design compared to Product Design is that it is difficult to change something late in the development process. A major change late in the program can potentially affect all the other components within the vehicle from the suppliers to engineering of vehicle architecture. So when we begin a program I think we utilize more designers upfront to contribute to the initial phases in order to ensure that we have considered is more than one style.
Due to the number and complexity of parts I think Automotive Design adapts new technology more readily than any other product. There are always newer, better or more efficient ways to integrate features along with improved safety and comfort controls. When these technologies overlap it can also sometimes affect the overall design.
Most car development programs take longer than product design. It may take anywhere between 1 ½ – 5 years depending on whether we are working on a Production program or developing a showcar. There are many things to consider relative to cost and product planning for future audiences. This is why we need strong forecasting information before we set out to design our vehicles. I have personally attended some of these Foresight seminars and I found them to be very insightful as a guide in considering future markets. Forecasting becomes very difficult when you start speaking of faint signals or distant scenarios that are 5, 10 or even 15 years into the future. Since there are no crystal balls, the best thing we can do is to try and reduce the risk.
FR1 Chassis CAD Front
3. You have worked in design in various parts of the world including Japan and the USA, how do the design cultures in these place differ from the design culture here in Australia?
It is difficult to compare cultures but I can tell you that Japan was an amazing experience. I had never imagined that so many people could be living in one place! There are many interesting things to observe in a city such as Tokyo. I often noticed all the gadgets and neon signs against the old world traditional architectures. Australia is also beautiful place, and from what I have experienced so far I find it very comfortable living here and I find the newer architecture to be very modern. Design-wise, what I have observed in each of the cultures is that everyone is very capable in regard to automotive design. In Japan I did see a greater variety in the small cars than compared to the US. In the US they tend to drive pickup trucks more so than anywhere else I have visited. Here in Australia it is more common to see a Ute instead of a pickup, but I think Australia also has an advantageous diversity in the smaller European and Asian cars which are not offered in the US.
FR1 Headlamp Model exploded view
4. What are your thoughts on the future of automotive design?
I am very interested in the newer technologies and I spend time considering how to adapt some of these into both automotive and other design industries. Sometimes there are clear-cut needs that require a specific product but investment costs can be a major hurdle. I hope to see more involvement with Government for funding Design and Development projects in Automotive and Transportation Design. There are still areas untapped in terms of Personal Mobility, Food Distribution and Emergency Services. I think it would prove to be a worthy investigation as to how we could better utilize some of the latest technology for transporting people, goods and services.
In terms of impacts on future Car Designs, I think robotic technologies and crash avoidance softwares will begin to change things in a new way. Ideas currently being explored in Personal Mobility such as Toyota i-Swing, GM PUMA concept and the Honda Asimo & Walking-Assist devices were all initially developed outside automotive design arena. Now they seem to be interacting with the studios more and I think this will open doors for even more opportunities in the future.
FR1 Chassis CAD Side View
5. Every facet of the design industry has a slightly different development process. Can you talk about the typical product development process in the automotive industry?
Most studios begin the process the same way with a design brief. The Design brief is the document which outlines the program intent. Normally it contains an analysis of all the forecasting work, market research, competition comparison charts, product positioning statements and key engineering hard-point criteria to consider all before the sketching begins. For production programs we usually sketch over existing models or have an underlay of a rough Alias model to draw over. We do this for several weeks in a competition between other Designers (and sometimes other studios). The initial sketches and development renderings are presented in quick succession. This process is held over several weeks with formal reviews and there are target dates that must be signed off on by Design Manager, Design Chief and the Design Director. Once theme selection has taken place the designers are allocated skilled clay modellers who take the 2D information to sculpt a scaled-down clay model for the studio to evaluate. Then working as a team it takes a combination of Engineers, Designers, Clay Modellers and Digital Modellers (Alias CAD) to refine and improve what the brief has called for. Each Designers sets out to realize their creative vision for the brief.
FR1 Chassis update June 2009
6. What advice would you give to students/professionals who want to pursue a career in automotive/transport design?
Besides studying design, I would also recommend to those who are interested in automotive design to be aware of the other roles necessary to develop a vehicle. There is a lot of work that goes into research and development behind the scenes that most people don’t know about and it would be in your best interest to know about these other professions.
Most car designers gravitate towards sports cars and that’s Ok, as long as you recognize that it’s a niche market for these vehicles. But when you attempt to design an efficient car for the Indian market, as an example, it is actually more difficult because it has more criteria to adhere to and it involves strict cost restraints. It is actually a little easier to design an expensive car because the cost is usually expected to be higher. My advice then is to learn about lots of different types of cars including the more economical cars for places like India and other future markets.
FR1 Hero Chassis Render
7. Can you share your creative process and design philosophy with Design Droplets readers?
When I start a project I try to think of where the company has been and also what I think the company is capable of. I want to excite people within the organization with where the product could go, so a clear vision is needed in order to pitch a design succinctly in a formal presentation.
It’s really up to my sensibilities to measure the potential in a product and to project a vision for a concept through illustrations, so I have to know the limits for how far to take to creative license. I also try to add some elements that that make it unique.
When I search for a direction for which to take a design I have to resist the temptation to put too much in or I could risk over-cooking a design. I look for inspiration everywhere, and I try not to repeat what already has been done by someone else. It is common to find similar ideas or themes that have been executed before, so the important thing is that the ideas and sketches work in harmony with the overall design brief.
I am fascinated with the mechanical aspects of cars. There are so many different ways to integrate technologies or combine material these days. F1 race cars are the ultimate in this regard. I always get inspired by reading science and technology forums where they highlight remarkable breakthroughs. Sometimes I will take an opportunity to suggest, integrate or propose what may have been overlooked for a vehicle.
I think to achieve a successful result in any car design requires the consideration for the whole thing. Customers will appreciate outstanding designs for both the Exterior and the Interior. It requires an ability to step back from the product and to be able to consider the end users and to consider all the steps on how to fulfil a market demand.
FR1 Chassis Render
8. What skills do you think students coming out of Design School need be equipped with?
Drawing skills are essential. You would have a hard time convincing non-designers in a car company to share a common vision without seductive sketches and illustrations depicting new form languages.
Design presentation skill is also something that I would recommend knowing more about. When I was in school it was discussed, but I don’t think that there was enough emphasis on it.
Digital skills are the norm these days, so if you don’t know how to use Photoshop software or understand basic Alias modelling skills, my advice would be to stay in school until you have learned them well.
One skill you might not learn in school is the ability to receive criticism. It is important to listen to what other people have to say about your designs including Non-designers. Most customers are not designers and they see things very differently than we do. It is also more professional to respectfully receive a critique rather than retort or refuse advice.
9. Digital visualization, CAD and rapid prototyping are starting to become tools that are accessible to almost anyone, how do you think this will influence product design in the next 3 -5 years? How have these tools changed the way you design?
Alias AutoStudio is now the standard software for car designers. However I hope see a time in when this will be replaced with something more intuitive. I welcome it! I think there are many developers trying to come out with different ways to generate digital surfaces. Analysis tools and rendering tools are getting better all the time. I know there are softwares which can calculate load paths now, and it would be great to see something that allows both the freedom of intuitive form-modelling that was combined with capability to share data seamlessly with engineers. In 3- 5 years I would expect this type of software to greatly improve the design process, to speed up development time and also to become more affordable.
New Wing development 2009
10. Jesse, thank you very much for your time and for sharing your knowledge and experience with Design Droplets readers. Before we wrap up do you have any final comments, thoughts or advice?
If you are going to become a designer then learn how to sketch and keep sketching.
If you want to study Automotive Design, try to appreciate the basic engineering principles that go into primary structures and try to understand how parts are manufactured.
Study automotive history and learn where different cars come from and how they were initially developed.
Know about part lines intersections on a car and try to understand the different ways components like seats and steering wheels are packaged.
Talent will get you in the door.
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