Scion

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Photoshop Car Rendering by Harald Belker

This video shows a good tutorial to make a car rendering using digital and photoshop tools, enjoy the vision.

From Youtube.com

Fiat Wink

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LM Ikaika

You can find my Hawaii Motors Competition entry here.

Scola Biberon Bloom by Studio Narcisiva

Kids Design, colorful biberon support for home made by Design Studio NARCISIVA of Antonella Narcisi e Siva Andrea for Chicco/Artsana

Info and photo via: www.youngdesigner.it

Design student's presentations

In september I partecipated to a school sponsored project presentation, Transportation Design Dept.
I was directly interested in it because I have managed that project for the last six months and it was the final day.
That morning I was excited to arrive in school because I espected a well organized presentation from the last six selected finalists. When it is the final day there is always something magic in the air, a bit of stress, students that are putting the last sketches up on the wall, cleaning the scale models, orientating better the spot lights at so on...

When I got there I went in the Chair of Dept. office and we talked a bit about the timing, the order of presentations, the photos to take, we drank our hot coffee and left the office to go in the show room. I had my schedule program.

In about two hours the presentation was over, every student had the same time to present his/her work and model, I took few minutes to express my opinion about positive and negative aspects of each project. My objective was, and always is, to give a constuctive critic to make sure that every student has the opportunity to get the deserved compliments but also a clear "what is left to do" in order to be the best.

I tell you that everybody had good 2D and 3D works, their progress was really evident on the last day, their sketchbooks were also a signal of their progress and improuvements.

Their weak point was the way thay where presenting their own projects, it was a sad show, not very motivating with a lack of simple rules to respect to make a good quick presentation.

So for each one I tried to explaine what type of mistakes they were making over and over again.

I'll write them down so that you can read it and think of it on your next presentation:

1. You are telling about your story to an audience not to your board of drawings, look at us and smile!
2. You are talking about Design philosophy, your design vision...do not overdue it...it gets boaring! Remember this: Title, short explanation, conclusion remarking your project objective. Total not more than 3 or 4 minutes time, after question time (and smile).
3. In front of an audience you are selling yourself, YES YOU DO! So speak clearly, do not wisper and do not be to loud,do not move too much your hands or body unless you'll look soon like a clown and people will loose concentration about your concept.
4. You make a mistake while speaking? Do not excuse yourself, just keep going and do not worry.
5.If you get negative critics do not insist about your design vision, just listen and let it go (even if you are right).
6. Be open minded, do not fall in love with your project 100% because this means you will not be objective about critics you will receive.

Now to learn how to present is not authomatic, so it is normal that young students and designers have hard time in coordinating all this. At the same time I believe that every design school today should pay more attention to this aspect for the good of their students future like it is done in ACCD Pasadena, CCS Detroit, IAAD Turin.

Good luck!

Version in italian language click Virtualcar

Photo via www.carbodydesign.com

Design Contest: Stile Italiano Giovani 2008

The Association of the Automotive Industry (ANFIA) Italian Car Coachbuilders Group last month announced the results of the ‘Stile Italiano Giovani 2008' design competition.

by Shashwath Bolar 21 Oct 2008 on Cardesignnews.com

read more digg story

APE Piaggio a 60 years old myth

The Ape Piaggio is 60 years old and we still love it, borned from a Vespa Piaggio it became the 3 wheeler most appreciated and quickly most famous around the world.

Photo Via: corriere.it

Hawaii Motors

I did this sketch for the Local Motors Hawaii Competition. My aim is to design a car that not only screams Hawaii, but incorporates some local elements as functional parts of the car. More to come hopefully ...

Design and Marketing

In a recent post I wrote about Design, Marketing and Trends (http://lucianobove.blogspot.com/2008/07/marketing-trends-and-design.html) explaining that designers predict Trends sometime better and more accurately than marketing experts. In fact, as designer and design managers we deal everyday with Marketing issues about our project. Often we do not share the same point of view about the same thing.

Today I have found a very interesting article, written by Joshua Porter on his Bokardo.com blog, about a similar topic and here a small part of it just to continue our discussion about Design and Marketing:

"Kathy Sierra says we’re all marketers:

“In this new open-source/cluetrain world, I am a marketer. And so are you. If you’re interested in creating passionate users, or keeping your job, or breathing life into a startup, or getting others to contribute to your open source project, or getting your significant other to agree to the vacation you want to go on… congratulations. You’re in marketing.”

I suggest you to read the rest of the article here at:

http://bokardo.com/archives/are-designers-also-marketers/

What is your opinion about it?

Sketching a car in Alias Studio a great tutorial

This tutorial is simple guide that helps to get started in creating a car sketch in AliasStudio in ten steps. Click and read the tutorial with interesting images about the step by step to follow...Via Carbodydesign.com

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VW Touareg

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Lissone Design Award 2008 "Lighting Design"

Why:

The proposed theme requires that participants design new product concepts for lighting design and / or lighting equipment, with reference to the field of innovative lighting technologies and its multiple applications in interiors and exterior design.

What:

Nurture and support young creative minds in the world of Design
Offer manufacturers new product concepts and new market development opportunities
Establish Lissone as an international "center of gravity" at the forefront for creativity and professionalism in the design sector
Promote Lissone as an international centre of research, experimentation and prototyping of products related to the world of Design .

How and Where:

The required design projects must be submitted in person, by post, or by courier not later than 20th December 2008 at 11.00 am (ROME TIME), to the following address:

Comune di Lissone Ufficio Protocollo / Segreteria Via Antonio Gramsci, 21 20035 Lissone (Milano)
Info: lissonedesign@comune.lissone.mb.it

Via:http://www.comune.lissone.mb.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/1217

Project management in 12 steps a great book to read

HI friends,

today I would like to tell you about this book Project Management in 12 steps to which I gave a small contribution talking about opportunities to optimize a work planning in a car design project (page 143).

This book is well written and of easy understanding, it is a sort of manual for any type of manager and very appropiate to Design activities control, too.

It is full of real examples (like mine).
At the moment it is only in Italian language but soon it will be translated and published in English.

Where to buy it?

You can get it on-line or at bookstores in Italy, here a link with a "discount offer": http://www.lametodologiadei12step.com/

About the author

Based in Washington, DC, Antonello Bove is a Consultant for the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), the private investment arm of the Inter-American Development Bank. At IIC, Antonello is the leader of the Italian Development Program, a program designed to strengthen European ties with Latin America and the Caribbean; He spends his time between Italy, Latin America and the USA. The program is creating a network of enterprises and organizations that are involved in import, export, and FDI with the focus on providing finance for medium and long term investments. The program also helps develop strategic alliances with European organization such as Chambers of Commerce, Industrial Associations, International Organizations and Financial Institutions.

Antonello was previously CEO of Robur Corporation in Indiana, USA, a manufacturer and marketer of gas absorption air-conditioning technology for residential, commercial and industrial markets. At Robur he was CEO & General Manger (1997 - 2002), Executive VP & General Manager (1996 - 1997), Board Member & VP Financial Restructuring (1995). From 1990 to 1995, he was a Partner at Proginvest s.r.l. in Rome, Italy, an advisory firm providing financial planning services to the healthcare and manufacturing industries. During 1988 - 1990, he was a Business development & government affairs manager at Iniziativa S.p.A, (Milan-Rome, Italy) today Ernst & Young

Info Via: http://www.pmforum.org/


I suggest to buy it, naturally fot italians and those that read and speak the italian language.

I'll let you know as soon as it will be delivered in English.

Pininfarina B0 electric car

Paris Motor Show 2008 Pininfarina and Bolloré present the "B0 emissions" Electric car.

Benz

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Audi A Sechs

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Highlights from Paris Motor Show 2008

Here some of most interesting Design proposals by Mercedes, Renault, Audi, BMW...more to come

Design school application portfolio

Lets say it: it is not easy to get accepted to a Design College or University!

If we check some of the Forums on Design schools on the net we read about young students trying hard to get in their preferred Design institutions. Sometime you are not accepted and do not know what to do, you start thinking that maybe it is better to give up and try a different field, you get frustrated and mad. You just walk away from your passion.

Guess what? The first time I tried to get in Art Center it did not work out! So I found myself facing the same type of unconfortable feeling, to solve my problem i decide to talk to someone in college to share and understand if I could have done something about it. He (a professor) told me to go to Art Center and talk to the foreign student advisor about my file to know the reasons of my refusal.
That has been a great advice, I went and talked to a fanthastic lady who took all her time to explaine to me that my refusal was primarly due to a long "waiting list" (normal thing for some important schools) and that I should have retraied in a year. She also suggested me to use this time to go to follow some night courses in another Art college to improuve my entry portfolio, and the most important thing was that she made me understand the philosophy about Art Center to help me to better target my sketch samples.

Two years later, after attending PCC in Pasadena, I started Art Center graduating in 1989 and since then I work in the automotive design field.

With this little story I would like to tell you that you do not have to give up too soon, try to know the reasons behind a refusal, try to adapt your work to the school culture of which you want to be part. I know it is not an easy task, but to follow your passion and will it is worth trying. If you are young (I was 19 at that time) just try again being more prepared (time is on your side), naturally if you are older (24 or 26) think it over before taking your decision because today's designers market starts at about 24/25 years of age.

Good luck!