Hi Andy (and Wook if you are still on this). I hope you had a wonderful Holiday and a much deserved break from the studio. Sorry for the delay but I always have trouble writing these sorts of things so it takes a lot longer than I expect.
(Please feel free to save me from myself if you see any horrible mistakes or terrible grammar.)
Thanks again for everything, I wouldn't be in this position today if it wasn't for you!
-Tom Smiley
(Dyson Answers)
1) Tell us about yourself – Why industrial design? What’s a fascinating fact about yourself?
When I was a little kid, anytime I had free time (and sometimes when I didn’t) you would find me sketching cars. This led to me find Art Center and attend the Saturday High program almost twenty years ago. I did not end up attending Art Center for my undergraduate degree but eventually the call of design brought me back though the advertising department. I loved advertising but it never felt quite right. This uneasiness continued until I found the grad ID department. As soon as I saw the curriculum and met the faculty I knew this was the right place for me.
My love of products and desire for a “cool car” when I turned 16 led me to start trading stocks when I was 12 years old. I still trade to this day and the experience has helped me to better understand how the corporate system works and where product design fits in that world.
2) Tell us why you think you were selected for the scholarship. Were there any particular projects that distinguished you as a candidate?
The environment created by Andy Ogden in the grad ID department is a direct contributor to why I was selected for the scholarship. First learning the basic skills necessary to create whatever I could dream up freed me to create anything I could imagine. I never felt pressured to play it safe and always pushed harder to come up with solutions to problems that many times were thought of as being “unsolvable”.
The one project that sticks out for me is my thesis. It began as a plea from several senior car industry executives. They understood most aspects of car development, and could optimize the vehicles for each attribute with the sole exception of exterior design. Even in this billion dollar world, the decisions were largely made on a hunch. For my thesis I developed a system that used advanced technology to give executives a peek into how we visually evaluate automobiles. Leveraging grad ID’s reputation I was able to get a global automaker to allow me to develop my system alongside the development of an actual vehicle. This automaker was so impressed with the results that they have now decided to adopt the system company wide.
3) How has being awarded the James Dyson Foundation scholarship influenced your future plans? What does it mean to you?
Being awarded the James Dyson Foundation scholarship allowed me to pursue my thesis to a far deeper level than I would have before. The technology involved has to be rented and this award allowed me to extend the rental and develop my product all the way to market release.
I am a great admirer of James Dyson and being awarded this scholarship is a great honor. I have always been a little cautious in calling myself a designer since I have never worked as one professionally but with this award I now feel a lot more confident in using the term.
4) Would you like to develop your idea into a commercial product? How would you go about it? Where would you like to see the project in a few years’ time?
Yes, I am currently developing my research system into a licensed software model. Thankfully a global automobile manufacturer is allowing me to develop the system within their product development process. With one vehicle line I am going to be using the system throughout the entire 2 year exterior design development process and once that is finished I hope to shop the system to additional automakers.
5) Where would you like to be in 10 years? What is your dream job?
In 10 years I hope to be working for a large corporate company in the area of product development with several products that I have developed out in the marketplace. I currently work in consulting and while I love the pace and variety of it, the client takes the product to market. I will most likely never get to take any product to market, and because of that I feel that a large corporate company (especially a design-led one) would be the best place for me.
6) What invention do you wish you had thought of?
I am always attracted the idea of mixing two existing technologies to create something greater than their parts. The Camera phone. The simple paring of a digital camera sensor and digital cellphones while now obvious, at the time it seemed just like another gimmick. The way that this simple pairing of technologies has transformed how we communicate, learn about our world, and connect with people has been incredible. All of this from the simple pairing of two existing technologies.
7) Who do you look up to?
My mom, my father died when I was only 10 years old and she raised me by herself. When I was in the Saturday high program she would drive me up to Art Center from about 40 miles away and wait in the cafeteria so I could take classes and pursue my dreams. She has always supported my endeavors and there is absolutely no way I would be here today without her selfless effort.
8) What advice would you give a young person considering Design/Engineering as a career?
Design is an incredible job to pursue but in order to be successful you have to be willing to go all-in. Design isn't a job, it’s more of a lifestyle and a very hard one to live. Good design process is inherently inefficient and sucks up an incredible amount of time. I don’t know many designers that have hobbies outside of design. If you love it then there is no other job.
On Thu, Dec 18, 2014 at 4:32 PM, Wook Kim <Wook.Kim@artcenter.edu> wrote:
Chase and Tom,
I apologize for this intrusion into your holidays. I'm just trying to wrap things up for the year and came across one minor housekeeping issue with which I can use your help.
As part of the Dyson Fellowship, the College has been asking for some insight into the Fellows so that they can report back to the James Dyson Foundation. There was an original set of questions which was sent to us, but the questions were not quite appropriate for gradID. Therefore, Rich took a pass at coming up with something more aligned with who we are. I am attaching the questions and answers from Rich, Michelle, and Ekin on this e-mail. Please take a look at the questions and their answers and see if you could come up with an answer set of your won. We would greatly appreciate it if you could e-mail Andy with your answers by the beginning of next term, January 12th.
Thank you for your help with this matter.
Have a wonderful break and see you both in the New Year! Happy holidays!!
Best,
Wook
Rich Siemer
- Tell us about yourself – Why industrial design? What’s a fascinating fact about yourself?
I wanted to be a car designer as a kid, but no one in central Michigan knew how to become one. So I opted for the next best thing: architecture. I practiced for 20 years, designing everything from churches to spas to homes, but I was always easily distracted by designing and making things other than buildings. After some soul searching during the economic downturn, I decided it was time for me to change course--or rather, regain my original course.
I don't know if it's fascinating, but I've devoted a lot of my free time to volunteer search and rescue (SAR) over the years. One of the things that I am most proud of is being one of the founders of Atalaya Search and Rescue in Santa Fe, New Mexico. We started a new SAR team from scratch in 2002. After five years of securing grants, procuring equipment, training and participating in missions, we passed our Mountain Rescue Association certification and became one of only two MRA-certified teams in the state.
- Tell us why you think you were selected for the scholarship. Were there any particular projects that distinguished you as a candidate?
To some degree, this opportunity came to me because I was fortunate enough to attend Art Center's Grad ID program. Considering the reputation of the school, the department, its faculty and its graduates, my conclusion is that I truly stand on the shoulders of giants. Beyond that, for my part, I have tried to rally my class to perform well as a group. The result has been the creation of a very cohesive bunch of designers who both cooperate and compete with each other.
One past project that I consider particularly successful was the result of being assigned a design problem that perfectly matched a big part of my life experience: a helmet for winter search and rescue. I was able to draw on my extensive knowledge of the subject and produce a system-based solution that improves safety through creating a robust communications network. I was only able to get so far with it and I'm considering tackling one or more aspects of the system as my thesis project.
- How has being awarded the James Dyson Foundation scholarship influenced your future plans? What does it mean to you?
One of my current projects that I'm particularly excited about right now is a carry system for bike commuters. The scholarship will give me the opportunity to develop multiple prototypes at a higher level than I would have been able to otherwise. Our program at Grad ID is pretty compressed so it's a rare opportunity for me to continue the iterative process in the later stages of a design.
One of my professors called James Dyson "a designer's designer" and I think it's true that many of us admire his work immensely. Being recognized by his foundation is a huge honor for me. It's easy for me to say I'm not worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as the man, but it does inspire me to push myself, to earn the honor.
- Would you like to develop your idea into a commercial product? How would you go about it? Where would you like to see the project in a few years’ time?
Definitely. The most direct route to market would be to license my design to a company in the bike industry with established manufacturing, marketing and distribution capabilities. Those are things that would take me too long to develop on my own. In a few years, my system would be on the market, widely adopted by my target users and we'd be in the process of introducing a line of products that would populate the ecosystem.
- Where would you like to be in 10 years? What is your dream job?
The idea of having my own consultancy is pretty attractive. Though many designers choose to specialize, I'm excited about the idea of working on lots of different types of products--within a certain market. I'm definitely most at home in the outdoor sports category so I plan to do whatever I can to create a situation where I can strategize, design, prototype and test products for the activities I love: cycling, backcountry skiing, mountaineering--whatever gets me in the outdoors. That's where I feel most alive and also where I come up with my best ideas.
- What invention do you wish you had thought of?
I'm tempted to name things like the polio vaccine or the Gillette Safety Razor that have had enormous impact on a global scale. Then there are those iconic designs like a Ferrari 250 GTO or the Eames DCW that I'd like to take credit for. But I'm going to cite the Black Diamond Camalot. It's one of those little devices that rock climbers wedge into cracks to anchor the climbing rope to and its solution of using two separate axles that opposing cams revolve around is one of those simply elegant mechanical solutions that I really appreciate.
- Who do you look up to?
Mostly my family. My father and I are pretty different, but I'm humbled by his unerring commitment to give me and my sister the best opportunities he and my mom could. My sister was dealt a serious health setback years ago but she persevered, raised two kids and is now coaching a crew team for economically disadvantaged kids even though the work exhausts her. I have to say that I look up to my wife most of all. She's forged a career in water policy that is the envy of her peers, working at the state, regional and federal levels to insure reliable supplies to her constituents. She has accomplished so much at a rather young age. I'm lucky to have such inspiring people in my life.
- What advice would you give a young person considering Design/Engineering as a career?
I think the pursuit of a career in design truly has to be a passion because it can be immensely difficult and unrewarding work at times. I always encourage people to take risks because I think it's something that I wish I had done more often, but I guess I wouldn't be in this position right now had I not taken a chance and gone back to school at my age. So far it seems to be paying off.
Ekin
- Tell us about yourself – Why industrial design? What's a fascinating fact about yourself?
I grow up in Izmir, Turkey. Design quickly became my passion at an early age and I completed my undergraduate degree in industrial design with high honors.
I think one of the most fascinating facts about myself is that I have an identical twin sister who is looking same with me. Although we spent all our life together, our identities are very different. Since our childhood, she was the person who is dealing with what is actually happening: Where are we going, which bus we should take... On the other hand, I was the person focusing on the world around me to find something interesting: Guessing where other people go, how people get in the bus…
I was always observing objects, people, and environment around me. I realized that there are many problems around us to be solved. With this desire, I wanted to solve these problems by creating what is better for people. This led me to industrial design. I am a positive person believing that it is possible to change the world by starting the problems around us.
- Tell us why you think you were selected for the scholarship. Were there any particular projects that distinguished you as a candidate?
In the design process, I constantly develop my idea until I am convinced that its great. This keeps me to work on a project until I find the best solution for the problem.
I think my second term project Twig distinguished me as a candidate for this scholarship. While working on this project, I considered the needs of all the stakeholders involved to this project and I got a great feedback from the potential client during the presentation.
- How as being awarded the James Dyson Foundation scholarship influenced your future plans? What does it mean to you?
I had a personal goal of influencing the future of Turkey through strategic innovations. James Dyson Foundation scholarship motivated me and showed me that I am in the right direction.
- Where would you like to be in 10 years? What is your dream job?
After working at innovation/design consultancy in USA, I would like to go back to Turkey and help Turkish brands to innovate and grow.
- What invention do you wish you had thought of?
I wish I had thought of iTunes. Together with Ipod, it is replacing traditional CD’s and changed the way we listen and buy music. And now, Apple is disrupting previously stable business models with this simple software innovation. From entertainment to the way we make payments it’s affecting our lifestyle.
- Who do you look up to?
Yves Behar is one of the designers I look up to. I think one of the most impressive works he has done is “See better to learn better” project. He has done this project with Mexican Government to provide eyeglasses for poor children in Mexico. What is most unique about this project is that the eyeglasses that he designed were not only low-cost and durable, but also interchangeable, allowing children customize the colors of its two-part frames according to their personal choice. It was a very inspiring idea for me, because he added another, more deeper value to the design, which was improving the emotional experience of users.
- What advice would you give a young person considering Design/Engineering as a career?
I would suggest them to expose in different areas of design and find their own way. It’s also very important to be open to any kind of feedback. Any opinions about an idea should be considered in order to find the main pain points.
