This is the first of many episodes where we dive into addressing the top 10 questions young industrial designers face. 

1. What skills are most important for a successful career in industrial design?
   • Students are keen to understand which technical skills (such as sketching, CAD software proficiency, and model-making) and soft skills (like communication, teamwork, and creative thinking) are crucial in the industry.
2. How do I build a strong portfolio?
   • Guidance on what constitutes a compelling portfolio, how to showcase different projects, and what employers look for in a portfolio are common concerns.
3. What are the typical career paths in industrial design?
   • Information on the various roles an industrial designer can pursue, such as product design, user experience design, automotive design, and furniture design, and the progression paths in these areas.
4. How can I gain real-world experience while still in school?
   • Advice on securing internships, freelance projects, or participating in design competitions to build practical experience and a professional network.
5. What is the job market like for industrial designers?
   • Questions about employment prospects, industry demand, and geographic hotspots for industrial design jobs are common.
6. How do industrial designers stay current with industry trends?
   • Strategies for keeping up with design trends, technological advancements, and materials innovations to remain relevant in the field.
7. What role does sustainability play in industrial design today?
   • Understanding how sustainability is influencing product design and what designers can do to create eco-friendly and sustainable products.
8. How can I develop my own style or design philosophy?
   • Guidance on how to cultivate a unique design voice that stands out while meeting the needs of clients and consumers.
9. What are the challenges of working with clients and managing projects?
   • Insights into client relations, project management, and navigating creative differences or budget constraints in professional settings.
10. How does industrial design intersect with other disciplines?
    • Curiosity about how industrial design collaborates with fields like engineering, marketing, and psychology to create holistic product experiences.

LINKS:

Follow The Variable on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVariableDesign

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WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

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There's a sea of industrial designers out there, how can you stand out? Everyone is trying to stand out... but how can you actually do it?

Skill Stacking

We talk about the ins  and outs of skill stacking with the help of Sushant Vohra. You can read his LinkedIn post on the topic here.

We also address the question "should I show it all?" when it comes to your portfolio. 

Are you interested in a fix the 'folio program? Be sure to reach out to us at info@thevariable.design to let us know your thoughts! 


LINKS:

Follow The Variable on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVariableDesign

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

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I used to enjoy my job, and now it's terrible. I aspire to be a great industrial designer, but I feel like I'm pigeon holed in my current role. I'm not growing as a creative. I feel stuck but I don't know how to get out of my rut. 

Sound familiar? 

Well.... there's good and bad news. Bad news is, you're the problem. Good news- you're also the solution. That's right, when it comes to getting where you want to go in your creative career, there's only one person behind the wheel YOU. 

In this episode we talk about specific steps we've taken to get out of a rut and see positive progress in our career development and share advice on what you can do to get the momentum you're looking for. 

LINKS:

Follow The Variable on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVariableDesign

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

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You won't always be able to give something 100%... heck sometimes 50% is all you've got.  What do you do when you want to hit a home run, but you feel like you've struck out? In this episode we breakdown strategies for handling these kinds of situations with professionalism and share a few takeaways that will help you make those lemons into lemonade. 

LINKS:

Follow The Variable on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVariableDesign

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

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In this episode we jump on a call with Jack Marple, the Associate Director of Industrial Design at Enlisted in Salt Lake City Utah to discuss design education and the top things that keep young (and old) designers from having job-winning presentation in their portfolios. We discuss eye-opening realizations we've had as educators and best practices on how to not only be able to identify good design, but apply it to your work. 

LINKS:

Follow The Variable on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVariableDesign

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

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In this episode of The Variable Design Podcast we dive in and discuss Sushant Vohra's LinkedIn post:

If you are a design student in 2023 don't fall for these 12 traps ↘

1) Being first in your class and thinking that design life is gonna be easy.

2) Copy pasting ChatGPT responses to comment on a post just for 'networking' sake.

3) Having those slider scales for each software in your CV (seriously drop it).

4) Writing a wall of text in a cold email to a potential employer.

5) Only having college/academic projects in your portfolio.

6) Having no internships because you want to work on your thesis, or because you didn't get your dream studio.

7) Not putting yourself out there for the fear of being judged.

8) Strong arming your peers who might eventually be in a far better place than you.

9) Only looking at design in your own country. (Yes, even if you are in a western country)

10) Not having a website or a landing page as a student.

11) Not having opinions or curiosity around things because you don't have domain authority.

12) Blaming your professors (feedback) for how a project turned out

Not only should we avoid these pitfalls, but we have to be able to be a good person and work well with team members... even if they give us feedback we don't really like. 

How can you leverage interpersonal skills to come out on top? We discuss this and more with Andre Cotan. 




LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
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LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

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Steve Cozzolino, an award winning and distinguished industrial designer with over 25 years of consulting experience, earned a BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Notre Dame in 1993.  Early in his career, Steve collaborated with Eva Zeisel and was Design Director at Karim Rashid Inc. from 2002-2006.  In 2006, Steve launched Cozzolino studio LLC. Steve has received multiple "Red Dot" Design Awards, the industry's highest standard of excellence, has been featured in The New York Times and was honored by the City of New York with a 2011 "Excellence in Design" Award. He's repeatedly won "Good Design" Awards, Housewares Design Awards, ID Magazine's "Design Distinction", and has received numerous design patents.  Recently, Cozzolino studio has worked with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Grand Central Partnership, Rockefeller Center, New York Aquarium, and The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

Support the show

About Joey:

Prior to starting his own practice, Joey led design teams over the past 15 years while working for companies like Clarks, Continuum, Smart Design, Steelcase, and HP. His design work has been recognized with over 40 awards and featured in Design Milk, Dezeen, Fast Company, Interior Design, New York Times, TASCHEN and Wired. Joey graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in Industrial Design. 

Topics we cover in this episode:

1. Be open to new paths: In design school, from shoe obsessed to story obsessed.
2. Ugly design on purpose: In my first design job, I had to design ugly shoes for frumpy dads and learned early on that good design is not universal. 
3. Pivot and expand: How and why I transitioned to design consulting.
4. Go on adventures / don’t make decisions based on fear: 1 year Sabbatical in Costa rica in the middle of the great recession.
5. Go beyond things: Working at Smart Design really solidified my approach to storytelling and contextualizing tangible things.
6. Design at different scales: Growing pains from the transition between small scale to large scale objects (Ford and Steelcase)
7. Work in different cultures: Experience working at HP in Barcelona.
8. Invest in yourself (and your side projects): Touchy/Feely, Coat Check Chair etc.
9. Celebrate how far you’ve come

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

Support the show

Recognized as 1 of the 50 most notable designers over the last 50 years, Brian Roderman is the President and Co-Owner of IN2 Innovation, an experience innovation design agency that provides a global range of services from inspiration to integration. IN2 Innovation currently has offices located in Dallas, Austin, and Atlanta.

Brian has worked in the design consultancy business for over 30 years and is frequently a featured speaker on design and innovation at events and symposiums worldwide. He has extensive design experience in consumer electronics, consumer products, housewares, transportation, telecommunications, and business-to-business industries for clients such as TopGolf, Frigidaire, Interstate Batteries, Newell Brands, Marriott, and many others.

He is active with the Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA), having held six terms on the IDSA National Board of Directors. He was recently awarded a Fellowship within the society along with the top notable designer’s recognition honor.

Brian’s Power statements on Experience Design: 

• UX design is more than just digital design.
• The experience revolution has begun, and we are in for a 30 year run.
• A True User Experience occurs when human senses are engaged (the more the better) and emotional responses are transmitted.
•  A brand can intersect with the True User Experience through combined products and services in digital and physical means.
•  We have long tried to adapt to technology, now we are asking technology to adapt to us.
• Experience design brings the human back into the center of the focus.
•  We need designers who can create a balanced world of experiences.  We need holistic experience designers.

Join our weekly discussions on Clubhouse:
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-variable

Other (non-recorded) Clubhouse events hosted by Justin Adleff
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/objects-experiences?utm_source=clubhouse&utm_medium=share_club&utm_campaign=hAr6ifilAK2P84UTJTMbmw-27939

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
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LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

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There are a number of ways that we as creatives can inadvertently keep ourselves away from progress. In this episode we talk about common ways we shoot ourselves in the foot as industrial designers, how to avoid them, and what to do to find balance and improve in our craft. 

This episode was a recorded clubhouse session that took place on May 12,2022

Join our weekly discussions on Clubhouse:
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-variable

Other (non-recorded) Clubhouse events hosted by Justin Adleff
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/objects-experiences?utm_source=clubhouse&utm_medium=share_club&utm_campaign=hAr6ifilAK2P84UTJTMbmw-27939

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

Support the show

Questions we cover in this episode
1- Industrial Designers do human factors testing and ethnographic research to drive all their decisions.

• When is it appropriate to let intuition trump validation? Is validation always necessary? 
• We always hear about how prospective employers are looking for “good decision making skills” in student portfolios. What the heck does that even mean and how the heck do we show that we’re good at making decisions in our design work? Is that just subjective or can we establish some ground rules? 

2- Industrial Designers are expected to perform life cycle analysis on products under development. 

• How do we balance sustainability and time constraints for production? Especially consumer electronics product dev, it’s like a flash in the fire. So LSA is usually glazed over, especially with smaller startups that aren’t held to the same scrutiny as big corporations. 

3- A design  grounded in research findings is the best solution that should always be pursued. 

• In the long run, is it more helpful for one’s career growth to make a habit of presenting very solid, research based (or very intuitively grounded) solutions or do we think that being a designer that regularly pushes the envelope by presenting ideas waaay out in left field that you’ll see quicker gains in notoriety and skill? 

4- Industrial Designers regularly are carving foam in the shop to create mockups. 

5- Industrial Designers who sketch well are better at communicating ideas.  

6- Working at a design consultancy right after graduation is the best way to polish a wide variety of skills. 

7- Working for a name brand company developing their own products means you’ll design only one thing and your creative diversity is limited. 

8- The best way to move up the career ladder is to spend a good amount of time in one place to specialize. TS- Unfortunately no. Most designers will find that the only way to move up is to get out.  My experience has been that in spades.

9- You studied ID, but will likely spend most of your time creating graphics for presentations and marketing collateral to promote products. 

About Tony Shoemaker:

Tony has been in various roles, across the country, in the ID industry for over 25 years.  He came to Milwaukee Tool after 10 years with Sears, working for over 8 years in the Kenmore Brand unit, and 1 ½ years in the Craftsman team.  Prior to Sears, Tony worked in consultancies such as Bally Design in Pittsburgh, and Ignition in Dallas.  His experience includes medical design, toys, communications equipment, consumer electronics, housewares, packaging, graphic design, retail, and exhibit design. 

Once described by a mentor as a “thoroughbred” designer, Tony has always sought to absorb as much information from the world as he can. He seeks odd knowledge and the synergy between its crossings to create those “ah-ha!” moments key to the design process. Just as comfortable in a pile of parts and shop dust as at his desk sketching fervently, Tony is a self-described “mad designer,” a hybrid of a Mythbuster and a Concept Artist. His real energy comes out when recognizing the human link to a concept’s genesis. He strives for those moments that are genuinely transformative to his work.

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

Support the show

If you've been in the field of Industrial Design or you're just about to enter the field, then you've probably already noticed that there is a very traditional expectation you must meet. In MANY aspects.

- How you present.
- How you draw.
- How you act or express your opinion.
- How you 'live and breathe design'

When you don't fit this mold:

- It's frustrating to experience AND to watch happen to someone else.
- It's already a competitive field, and this just adds to the mental load.
- It has a dramatic effect on your perceived value to the industry.

In this episode we share our  thoughts and experiences on this matter.

The Variable is a top 10 Industrial Design Podcast! Special thanks to feedspot for this publication featuring The Variable Design Podcast.
https://blog.feedspot.com/industrial_design_podcasts/

Join the discussion on Clubhouse:
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-variable

Other (non-recorded) Clubhouse events hosted by Justin Adleff
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/objects-experiences?utm_source=clubhouse&utm_medium=share_club&utm_campaign=hAr6ifilAK2P84UTJTMbmw-27939

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

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As a designer how do you find the balance? Should we expect to always be grinding into the late hours of the night working on designs? Or should there be a clear separation of work and personal life? 

In this episode we talk about the realities of design work, how we can be authentic to ourselves, and how to find balance and leverage all the seasons of career development to our advantage. 

Support the show

Dave Joseph is the founder of Ovie Smartware and Camp design.
It's his mission to make meaningful products that impact people's lives. His design philosophy is to reach for the fusion point between aesthetics, brand, and function. The harmony between these elements turns a product into a treasured object in a person's life.

People can support Dave and his ventures by visiting/following his various channels.
https://www.instagram.com/fridgesmarter/
www.ovie.life

The Variable is a top 10 Industrial Design Podcast! Special thanks to feedspot for this publication featuring The Variable Design Podcast. 
https://blog.feedspot.com/industrial_design_podcasts/

Join the discussion on Clubhouse:
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-variable

Other (non-recorded) Clubhouse events hosted by Justin Adleff
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/objects-experiences?utm_source=clubhouse&utm_medium=share_club&utm_campaign=hAr6ifilAK2P84UTJTMbmw-27939

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

_____________________________________________

OTHER VIDEOS 
How to win jobs you've never done before: https://youtu.be/bOsE7ZaZTEo
Stop 3D printing Crap: https://youtu.be/wpCdp0Ny0ys
5 tips for a better portfolio: https://youtu.be/je94gIJQuMc
Kickstarter sucks? https://youtu.be/QQAJER0sGNc

Support the show

Stephen Wurth jumps in the deep end and shares the power of design thinking within a corporate environment. 

Join the discussion on Clubhouse:
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-variable

Other (non-recorded) Clubhouse events hosted by Justin Adleff
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/objects-experiences?utm_source=clubhouse&utm_medium=share_club&utm_campaign=hAr6ifilAK2P84UTJTMbmw-27939

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

_____________________________________________

OTHER VIDEOS 
How to win jobs you've never done before: https://youtu.be/bOsE7ZaZTEo
Stop 3D printing Crap: https://youtu.be/wpCdp0Ny0ys
5 tips for a better portfolio: https://youtu.be/je94gIJQuMc
Kickstarter sucks? https://youtu.be/QQAJER0sGNc

Support the show

Watch the Original YouTube broadcast: https://youtu.be/y8KCHmiDBzU
Read the article mentioned in our food for thought segment https://vanschneider.com/blog/portfolio-tips/the-old-case-study-is-not-working/

Other (non-recorded) Clubhouse events hosted by Justin Adleff
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/objects-experiences?utm_source=clubhouse&utm_medium=share_club&utm_campaign=hAr6ifilAK2P84UTJTMbmw-27939

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

_____________________________________________

OTHER VIDEOS 
How to win jobs you've never done before: https://youtu.be/bOsE7ZaZTEo
Stop 3D printing Crap: https://youtu.be/wpCdp0Ny0ys
5 tips for a better portfolio: https://youtu.be/je94gIJQuMc
Kickstarter sucks? https://youtu.be/QQAJER0sGNc

Support the show

A degree in industrial design gives you many career options. One of the paths we don’t mention often- but is in high demand- is retail and environment design. As designers, we have the power to influence shoppers, drive sales, and solve unique problems for retailers through innovation and design thinking.

 Neon Carrot is a design studio full of creative thinkers who are professional problem solvers. We are passionate about the world around us. We are enthusiastic learners and encourage each team member to pursue and share new experiences. We believe that continuously learning from the people and the world around us helps us to offer unique perspectives and creative solutions to complex human-centered challenges. Our focus is helping retailers and product brands connect with guests. Insights, strategy and design...we work to help clients solve problems and achieve their goals.

Chris is an innovative and creative design professional with 23+ years design and management experience who applies the latest professional design thinking to business opportunities and challenges. He posses extensive business knowledge and experience in the research, concept, development and implementation of processes leading to new and enhanced consumer products and retail marketing solutions. Chris leads diverse teams to accomplish business goals.

Join the discussion on Clubhouse:
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-variable

Other (non-recorded) Clubhouse events hosted by Justin Adleff
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/objects-experiences?utm_source=clubhouse&utm_medium=share_club&utm_campaign=hAr6ifilAK2P84UTJTMbmw-27939

LINKS:

Support The Variable
www.patreon.com/thevariabledesign

WEBSITE: www.thevariable.design
UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.thevariable.design/qna
NOMINATE STUDENTS FOR SPOTLIGHT: https://www.thevariable.design/spotlight
BLOG: https://www.thevariable.design/podcast

_____________________________________________
DISCORD ►► https://discord.gg/vpypTgPEvY
TWITTER ►► https://twitter.com/thevariable_ID
FACEBOOK ►► https://www.facebook.com/thevariable.design/
INSTAGRAM ►► https://www.instagram.com/thevariable.design/
LINKEDIN ►► https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-variable-design

_____________________________________________

OTHER VIDEOS 
How to win jobs you've never done before: https://youtu.be/bOsE7ZaZTEo
Stop 3D printing Crap: https://youtu.be/wpCdp0Ny0ys
5 tips for a better portfolio: https://youtu.be/je94gIJQuMc
Kickstarter sucks? https://youtu.be/QQAJER0sGNc

Support the show

The best designers are able not only to create noteworthy concepts, but present it in a compelling way that tells a memorable story. That's why we reached out to James Adams and Thomas Manning, the leadership team at Epic Light Media, to help lead our Design Breakroom discussion on storytelling. 

This event was hosted on Clubhouse and broadcast live on YouTube. 


The Variable on Clubhouse
https://www.clubhouse.com/club/the-variable

LINKS:

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John Mauriello is an intensely driven independent industrial designer and adjunct professor of industrial design at California College of the Arts. John works with clients to create best-selling designs that display quality, function intuitively, and meet real-world constraints around manufacturing, deadlines, and cost. John's industrial design skills have allowed him to help clients create new brands and ship groundbreaking products in new and unexplored product categories. John strives to achieve the highest standard in his design work. Never shying away from the tough questions in design, he takes great pride in his design decisions and the principles he uses to make them. 

John's work has been featured in several top-tier publications such as Forbes, Tech Crunch, Venture Beat, Design Boom, Popular Science, and many others. He has demonstrated his ability to deliver game-changing industrial design work for companies like Amazon, Qualcomm, Logitech, and Motorola, as well as with several startups like Eatsa and ElectroSpit. 

John is the founder of Design Theory, a YouTube channel where he discusses various ideas around design and culture. The channel has been very successful, growing from 100 subscribers to over 48,000 in the space of 16 months. 

John's design philosophy is simple: Tools and products should be an extension of the body, requiring no conscious articulation or thought to use. These tools must also inspire us through their carefully crafted forms and surfaces. John's passion is to give people the intuitive and beautiful physical objects they need in order to achieve mastery in whatever activity they engage in. 

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About Reid
A NYC based Industrial Designer with a solid history working in the design consulting and education space. Currently an Associate Design Director at Aruliden and an Adjunct Professor at The Parsons School of Design, teaching process drawing+digital visualization and Studio 4. In his spare time Reid partners with brands and shares his design work on his instagram account (138k followers), creates online design curriculum and is designing and building a bespoke cabin in upstate NY.

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About Spencer Nugent

As the founder of Sketch-A-Day.com, Nugent has been engaged in providing free, high-quality online design sketching tutorials and on-site sketch workshops since 2008.. 
Nugent has worked with General Motors, Astro Studios as well as brands including Adidas, Dell, Intel, Hasbro, and more..
 Through his own business, 50/50 creative labs, he provides creative experimentation and consulting in the categories of Industrial Design, UX, Graphics, Illustration, Prototyping, and Implementation. 
On top of his regular content creation and running his business, Spencer has partnered with Advanced Design and teaches a 12-week online course on Design Discourse for the educational program Offsite with the goal of helping students to figure out why they design, what they design for, and how to communicate the value of their work.

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What does it take to create a game and launch it from the ground up? How do you prepare concepts to pitch to major retailers like Target and Wal Mart? Tim Walsh shares his uncensored advice on how to successfully navigate the challenges of creating games and toys in the play industry. 

About Tim Walsh
 TIM WALSH is a professional speaker, author, game designer and filmmaker. As a play advocate, Tim is out to prove play is a means through which we find our passion,pique curiosity, encourage problem-solving, spark creativity and promote intrinsic motivation. A 30-year veteran of the toy industry, Tim’s designs and codesigns of games have sold over 7 million copies in 13 countries and include the games TriBond, Blurt, Mad Gab, Feed Fuzzy, Bull’s Eye and many others. 

Tim’s latest game, MEGA MOUTH: The Game of Reading Lips from Big G Creative is now for sale exclusively in Target stores nationally.

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When is the last time you've been deeply inspired by the world around us and the amazing things we have created? Yorgo Lykouria shares inspiring insights on his design process, how we can make an impact, and what it takes for us to create our ideal environment.  This audio was taken from a live YouTube Q&A segment featuring Yorgo. You can view it here.

About Yorgo Lykouria

Rainlight is an integrated design studio, operating between offices in London and New York with client collaborations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Part Laboratory, part workshop, part studio, Rainlight combines inspired design thinking with business acumen to create products that enhance how people live, work, and play.

London-based Creative Director, Yorgo Lykouria, discovers the needs of a changing world through cross‐cultural research utilizing an extensive network of experts in various market sectors. A selection of some of Rainlight’s internationally-renowned partners includes Tecno, Scavolini, Allsteel, Carnegie, Zumtobel and Okamura.

For more information follow @Rainlightstudio on social and visit www.Rainlightstudio.com

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In this episode we discuss how having clear vision/mission statements can make or break your final design. We talk about mentorship, how to choose final design solutions, and what makes a designer more or less successful.  This episode was a live recording that aired June 4,2021 and can be viewed online on The Variable YouTube channel.

The "daisy chain" mentioned in the podcast: 

Design ...is one of many...
Outcomes ...which are created by...
People ...who are attracted to...
Culture ...which is built from...
Organizations ...that arise from...
Strategy ...that is determined by...
Mission ... which is driven by...
Vision 

About Bob Baxley

Bob Baxley is a design executive who lives and works in Silicon Valley. He currently serves as the Senior Vice-President of Design & Experience at ThoughtSpot, a business intelligence and data analytics platform. Prior to ThoughtSpot, Bob was Head of Product Design at Pinterest where he built, led, and managed a multifaceted design team responsible for both the consumer and business facing elements of Pinterest.

Starting in 2006, Bob spent over eight years at Apple, where he served in senior leadership roles for Apple’s retail and e-commerce teams. As a Director of Design, Bob hired and led the creative team responsible for a broad variety of applications including the Apple Online Store, the Apple Store app, and the transactional areas of iPhoto and GarageBand.

As Director of Design for Yahoo! Search, Bob built and led the design team that created Yahoo! Answers and designed other search-centric properties. Bob’s career as a designer began at Claris Corporation where he was Lead UI Designer for the initial releases of ClarisWorks and MacProject Pro.

The author of “Making the Web Work”, Bob is also a sought after public speaker sharing his experiences and observations about a range of topics related to design, technology, innovation, and the culture of Silicon Valley.

Bob holds a B.A. in History and a B.S in Radio/Television/Film from the University of Texas at Austin as well as a Master of Liberal Arts from Stanford University.

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About Brett Lovelady:

Brett Lovelady is the founder of ASTRO Studios in San Francisco / Silicon Valley / CA. ASTRO
is a team of innovation experts & designers of consumer brands and products that inspire
markets and strive to improve the human experience.
Brett founded ASTRO Studios in 1994 to blend the value of design with technology and cultural insights producing a wide range of iconic, brands and products for clients like: Nike, HP, Western Digital, Logitech, P&G, Shinola, Xbox, Vive and many more worldwide.  Brett is recognized as one of America’s top design leaders, advocating for design and directing some of the world’s most culturally relevant programs, while helping clients generate billions in new
revenue worldwide.
 
ASTRO and Brett have worked on hundreds of products and brands, from Fortune 100 clients to start-ups, receiving a range of industry recognitions including Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Design, two BusinessWeek Design of the Decade awards and 9 nominations for Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. Brett has also co-created and launched his own brands, most notably ASTRO Gaming** now part of Logitech’s family of brands. Recently ASTRO joined forces with London based PA Consulting a world leader in innovation & commercialization.

 **ASTRO expanded beyond design when in 2007 when they spun-off ASTRO Gaming
Inc., (AG) into an industry leading, hi-performance e-Sports company. In 2011 the venture-
backed AG achieved #13 on the INC. 500 fastest-growing companies list and was acquired by
pre-IPO, Skullcandy Inc.  Then in 2017, AG was sold Logitech expanding rapidly in pursuit of
global gaming domination.

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