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Real World
Wanna be a car designer? Maybe you should think again. Tony Thacker reports on the road to the studio, 1990s style.
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"In the end I wound up doing transportation design at Coventry Polytechnic, but within a year I was tired of England; I applied to Art Center and was accepted."
Opting not to pursue regular OEM studio work, 1990 grad Nick Pugh hoped to develop his alternative-fueled Xeno concepts (above designs and photos on left) independently. Funding from the natural-gas industry has kept the project alive, but the struggle to create a running example goes on. |
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In all the time I was at Pasadena," however, "I don't think we took one field trip. Which is a shame, because visiting a working studio gives you a glimpse - albeit a brief one - of what it's like in the real world. The students need that." |
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There are more than a dozen professional styling studios in Southern California and at least ten are headed by Art Center alums; despite this proximity and kinship, however, so far there's only limited interaction between these institutions and the students.
Bauer and Shumate's senior thesis, the Kawasaki-powered Tü roadster, demonstrated their ability to take a design from concept to completion. Since manufacturers want stylists with managerial as well as artistic skills, the '94 grads are convinced the project helped them find work. |
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So You Still Won't Give Up, Eh?
Well, suit yourself; Transportation or Industrial Design applicants to the following schools must generally submit drawings and sketches of original concepts for transportation products such as automobiles, trucks, buses and motorcycles. Evidence of drafting and technical drawing skills should be displayed, and the inclusion of informal sketches showing idea development - either loose or in notebook form - is usually recommended. Prices, actual portfolio requirements, previous beneficial experience, etc. varies by institution; contact each directly for a catalog and details.
Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena CA 91103-1999,
USA
(818) 396-2200; 405-9104 fax
Art Center (Europe) College of Design
Chateau de Sully Route de Chailly 144
Case Postale 32
1814 La Tour-de-Peilz,
SWITZERLAND
(+41) 21 944-6464; -1144 fax
Center for Creative Studies
201 East Kirby
Detroit MI 48202,
USA
(800) 952-ARTS
Cleveland Institute of Art
11141 East Boulevard
University Circle
Cleveland OH 44106,
USA
(800) 223-4700
Coventry Polytechnic
Gosford Street
Coventry CV1 SR2,
ENGLAND
(+44) 1203-838520
Facolia Architettura Palermo,
Istituto De Disegno Industriale
Via Maqueda 175
90100 Palermo,
ITALY
(+39) 91-286041
Ohio State University,
Dept. of Industrial Design
128 North Oval Mall
Columbus OH 43210,
USA
(614) 292-6746
Pratt Institute
200 Wiloughby Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11205,
USA
(800) 331-0834
Royal College of Art
Kensington Gore
London SW7 2EU,
ENGLAND
(+44) 1584-5020
Institute of Design,
Umeå University
(Tuition Free)
S-901, 87 Umeå,
SWEDEN
(+46) 90 16-6996; -6697 fax
