Educational institution: Carleton University (Canada)
Programme:
Industrial Design (2016)
Winner:
Best Student Industrial Design Project in Canada awarded by ADIQ on WIDD 2016 in Montreal, Quebec


What made you decide to become an industrial designer?

As a child, I would spend my summer days alongside my grandfather, whose backyard garden was full of handmade apparatuses to protect his prized tomatoes. This was my first introduction to problem solving. From that point on, I always knew that I wanted to create. After high school, I fell into industrial design in college, and the rest, they say, is history.

In your opinion, what types of people are best suited for the profession of industrial design? What is a typical industrial designer like?

I believe that industrial design is made of people who embrace making mistakes. Embracing mistakes and then solving them in the early stage of the design process, leads to stronger designs. It might sound counter-intuitive, but mistakes help lead industrial designers to reach their goals.

Where did you study industrial design and what was the most important thing you learned?

After graduating high school in 2008, I went to study industrial design at Dawson College in Montréal, Québec. Then, I continued my industrial design education at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.

The most important thing that I have learnt in my 7 years of studying is the importance of user testing. It’s important to ask questions about your project to friends, family, or even complete strangers. Different perspectives can help solve the issue being addressed or raise questions that have not even been considered yet.

What do you believe are the major obstacles or challenges for young industrial designers today from a professional standpoint? Are there additional challenges for women in the profession?

A major challenge for young designers in a professional environment is developing an understanding of how our work impacts different departments within a company. As a designer, we have to take into consideration the sales department, the marketing department, and most importantly, the production department. If a young designer can work in a collaborative manner with these departments, then he or she will grow and develop a stronger professional character.

I do not think that there are additional challenges for women in the field of industrial design. In both schools that I attended to study industrial design, the class was represented equally by both sexes.

testimonial

For me, the most fascinating thing about industrial design is that there is no finish line - the possibilities and concepts are endless.

Tell us about the projects you are working on now.

I am currently working for a concrete company called Techo-Bloc. I work on everything from market research to finalizing new products. My tasks include thinking about concepts, building low-fidelity prototypes, and then creating technical SolidWork files, realistic Keyshot renders, and finally, high-fidelity prototypes. This coming year, Techo-Bloc will be releasing 5 new products that I have designed for the new 2017 season. I am very excited about this!

During the summer of 2016, two friends and I decided to challenge ourselves by creating a mould that could be cast in concrete. Using 3D CAD software, we built a mould by stacking foamcore sheets, and then poured concrete into the negative cutout section views. The outcome was brilliant, and it was a proud moment for us all to see the final product, a 3D casted stool.

Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals listed by the United Nations, which do you believe represent the most important challenges facing your generation today?

I can confidently say that all sustainable development goals should be considered, because each of them can help us build a more unified world that promotes better collaboration with one another. If I had to pick one to focus on a little more, it would be Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. I believe this is a core problem, and if solved, can actually help achieve more development goals in total. We must work on creating a global environment where we can respect each other’s differences, and work together on positive and sustainable outcomes.

Drawing on my own personal experience, a small-scale example of this was working on a team with ten designers. Problems can occur if a single team member doesn’t want to take part in the process. The outcome of the project will never reach its full potential if an individual is being more hurtful than helpful in a team setting. Therefore, it’s important that we encourage younger generations to practice a collaborative attitude amongst peers.

Thinking of those most important challenges facing your generation, do you believe that industrial design is part of the solution?

Definitely. With today’s fast paced needs and desires, I think industrial designers are motivated more than ever to design and create new and innovative products that people have never seen before and would be intrigued to use. Most importantly, I believe that we are a generation of problem solvers. With time and determination, we can create products and systems that will embody “designing for a better world”.

What do you most love about industrial design?

For me, the most fascinating thing about industrial design is that there is no finish line – the possibilities and concepts are endless.

As an industrial designer, what is your biggest dream?

One of my biggest dreams is to see everyone thinking like an industrial designer. It’s important for consumers to understand the life cycle of the products that they are purchasing. This understanding helps to maximize a product’s full utility, and assists consumers in gaining knowledge on how to dispose of a product properly when its life cycle has come to an end. To this end, perhaps it’s also up to the next generation of industrial designers to design better products, which can be easier to dismantle and dispose of.

How do you see yourself working with Icsid to design for a better world?

Promoting creative thinking is something that I am truly passionate about. I believe that everyone (not only designers) can apply creativity to help tackle a problem. I would like to promote the value of creative thinking around the world, especially among my peers.

I believe Icsid is the perfect organization for showcasing how designers and non-designers can innovate for a better world.

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