Fire - image via onextrapixel.com
Dear friends,
Yesterday on my Facebook page I received a message from a young guy asking about how to do to become a car designer. Now we can say this is a classic question I receive since years I am online with this blog, however what turned me down was the second part of his message something like…
” I have heard that in design school students do not have time for a real private life, is it true? I have heard that designers also work until late at work is it true? Because you know I want to be a car designer but I would also like to get married one day and still have free time for myself and my future family!What about the pay? Why work so hard if a young designer at the end is not really well paid? Can you explain please? Is there a way to make more money on royalties? For example let’s suppose I am an important design director and my project goes to production, will I earn more money for each sold car?The message ended in the classical way…thank you for your time I know I wrote a long message but it is very important for me to know how it really is out there.”
This has been my answer:
Dear…..I think you better abandon the idea of becoming a car designer it is not for you!
To become a designer is a bit like a mission.
I remember when I graduated at Art Center College of Design; during the graduation ceremony we had a special guest speaker Mr. Nuccio Bertone in person! Yes a real legend car designer whom talked to us about his adventure motivated by his passion against all odds. All the difficulties he went through to accomplish his dream: to design and built cars made to let others dream.
Later on, during that ceremony, Ron Hill (former Chair Transportation Design Dept.) gave his final speech to us and talked about how we should have considered ourselves like “special people”!A designer is someone that with his passion, talent & creativity does something to help people to live a better life.
Few years later, early 90’s, Chris Bangle (former VP Design at BMW) was guest speaker at Art Center Europe graduation ceremony in Vevey. I was there as teacher and Chris talked to the students to share his vision about how the love for car design generates great adrenaline and could create real masterpieces.
During his talk he said something like:
“…everybody thinks good designers have a big brain from which all cool ideas come out: wrong!Designers have simply a big heart yes a big heart, designers are giving people, yes for sure most of them have also a strong ego, but they generate ideas from their heart: the signal goes to their brain and ends up in their hands with which they sketch and model something that will improve someone’s life. It is like working to be good to people! This is going to be your mission.”
Now a suggestion to all of you ready to start a design school career or that would like to start one, please STOP asking how much money I will make, do I have to work really hard?.....or…..Sir I do not sketch but I love sports cars please help me to become a car designer!...How can I do to be hired by a sports car company?... To become a designer is a question of heart, passion, talent, wills, it is not a question of money or how much of free time I can assure to my family or to myself!
Remember it is like a mission!
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