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Immersive storytelling, collaborative practice: The Academy of Art University’s School of Industrial Design
The Academy of Art University, San Francisco When we first spoke with Antonio Borja, Director of the School of Industrial Design and heard about the Academy of Art University’s unique interdisciplinary program and rich industry collaborations, we wanted to know more. So we asked Antonio and some of his students to talk to us about…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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Design what’s in your head: Christian Grajewski on Alias as career software
It’s easy, these days, to be drawn to the latest software programs, the newer and more simplified versions of some of the programs you cut your design teeth on. Not for Christian Grajewski. This Alias veteran, from Hannover, Germany, has an intriguing career that reinforces both a “creativity first” and a “know the right tools”…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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Finding the red thread: Christian Grajewski, freelance designer and full-time creative
Putting passion first. This German designer has built an intriguing career that reinforces a “creativity first” mindset. With an education in product and conceptual design, experience with Alias, and an internship (September 2007-February 2008) at the Volkswagen Group Future Center Europe GmbH, Christian believed he was set for the life of a permanent interior designer.…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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A car in 15 minutes
Over the last few years, several technologies which massively speed up concept modeling have been added to Alias. These technologies include subdivision surfaces, Dynamo and Create VR. Inspired by this, some colleagues and I wanted to challenge ourselves: How detailed a car design could we create, when limited to a 15-minute time frame? We went…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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Behind the scenes with Mike Turner series 02 teaser: Taking vehicle design off highway
In 2021, we went behind the scenes with Senior Designer Mike Turner to hear about some of his work with VRED. These videos offer tips and processes for extending VRED’s value and experimenting with views and environments, the basics of data set-up and file import; artwork techniques to make your design pop; VRED environments, HDRIs…
Essential SKILLS
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Behind the Scenes with Mike Turner series 01, episode 05: Retro Rendering with the 1980s DeLorean
In this bonus episode of his first VRED series, DGDesign’s Senior Designer Mike Turner walks through how he created a “retro wave” aesthetic to show off a performance-ready DeLorean model. (Mike’s already talked us through getting into VRED for bespoke automotive design, importing data from Alias, working with backplates and other rendering approaches.) Mike starts…
Essential SKILLS
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The smart city: Mobility, infrastructure, opportunity
In our first conversation with the APMA’s Colin Dhillon, Ananda Arasu and I talked about Society 5.0 and its implications for technology and design. We had the chance to talk with Colin again about smart cities, the future of mobility, and how we can get closer to a more sustainable, ethical future with (not despite)…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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Creation of the ETRAXX – Part 2
This is Part 2 of our podcast with Florian Coenen, Technical Marketing Manager. In Part 1 of our podcast, we introduced you to the ETRAXX. We talked through the process behind the design, what design elements inspired it, initial sketching, and moving those sketches into a CAD environment. That’s where we’re picking up for Part…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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“Make anything”: Project Arrow and Autodesk Technology Centers
What does it take to support a sustainable mobility contest run by the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA)? Practical guidance. Industry insights. Product team expertise. Cue the Autodesk Technology Centers. This natural collaboration resulted from a conversation between Vanessa Sigurdson, Development Manager for the Technology Center and Jason MacFarlane, Head of Advanced Manufacturing for Venture…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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Tales of a car designer working remotely
by Peter Spriggs The pandemic introduced millions around the world to remote working, no longer being able to stay within proximity to colleagues necessitated the change to working from home… and for many, it uncovered a surprising truth, working from home does not have to negatively impact productivity. I’m no stranger to remote work, in…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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Reflections on AIF 2021
The 2021 Automotive Innovation Forum is the opportunity for the Automotive Design team to share updates, tease new releases, and connect customers as a community. This year’s focus was on the future of automotive design, and we caught up with Automotive, Concept Design and Extended Reality VP Thomas Heermann and Director of Product Management Marek…
Uncategorized
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Collaborative design: The next phase of VR for Kia Europe’s design team
There’s little doubt that Autodesk’s VRED offers designers some of the best opportunities for visualization. And since VRED adapted VR into its software, designers and modelers have been able to explore their models in new and creative ways. Not every OEM adopts new technologies, but Kia Europe has a history of embracing new ways of…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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A Society 5.0 & vehicle-to-everything world
When I started research on the concept of V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) about three years ago, I came across the Community Analysis Bureau of Los Angeles. I wanted to find the defining moment for the start of smart cities in North America—who was the first to begin using data to improve the day-to-day lives of their occupants.…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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A question of balance: Electric vehicle design gets Lucid
How does an electric vehicle (EV) start-up break into a market that’s both risky and necessary—when only one company has achieved real and sustained success? This is the question that Lucid asks and answers. As its first sedan model, the Lucid Air, begins production and looks forward to launch, we’re seeing a new approach to…
STORIES & INSPIRATION
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The Call of the future: Project Arrow and the winning team
What does the APMA do in response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call to action for a net-zero emission economy by 2050? Engage young, fresh, and motivated minds. Cue Project Arrow. As Canada’s national association for OEM producers, the APMA has led several innovative and collaborative projects within Canada’s automotive industry since 2014. But…
STORIES & INSPIRATION