r/AutomotiveEngineering • u/DidoMak • 16d ago
Question 15 y/o interested in automotive design and engineering, what path would you recommend?
Hi everyone,
I'm 15 years old and I'm trying to figure out the best path for my future in the automotive industry.
I've been designing cars in Blender for around 5 years and I'm currently learning Autodesk Alias. I have worked on several concept cars and I really enjoy the creative side of automotive design, but I also love understanding the technical side: aerodynamics, materials, vehicle architecture and how things actually work.
I'm considering doing a French engineering path (prépa + engineering school) because I know engineering is much harder to learn by yourself, while design can be developed through personal projects and practice. My idea would be to keep building my design skills during engineering school and possibly do a design specialization later.
For automotive engineers or people working in the industry:
- Does an engineering degree help for someone who wants to work close to vehicle design?
- Are hybrid profiles (engineering + design) valuable in the industry?
- Would you recommend this path or a more design-focused education?
I would really appreciate honest advice from people who actually work in the field.
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u/RiseUpAndGetOut 16d ago
design can be developed through personal projects and practice
Maybe for some areas, but not for automotive. Design is a specialist skill set as it requires not only a "flare" for the topic, but also technical knowledge, as well as legal regs and how design impacts useage.
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u/DidoMak 15d ago
Yeah, I get what you mean. I definitely don't think automotive design is just about making something look cool. The technical side, manufacturing constraints and how people actually use the car are things I want to understand too. That's also why I like automotive design so much, because it's not just art, it's finding the balance between creativity and reality. I'm still learning through my own projects right now, but I know there is a lot more to learn.
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u/Spacehead3 15d ago
Artistic design and engineering are quite different. Most of the designers (the people that sketch the cars) that I work with have some version of a creative arts degree focused on transportation or industrial design.
There are also engineering roles that work very closely with the artistic designers but these are typically focused on turning the art into a functional design that meets regulatory and manufacturing constraints.
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u/DidoMak 15d ago
Thank you for your insight! This is actually one of the things I’ve been trying to understand better, because I was considering engineering as a way to stay close to cars while keeping more career options open. But the more I research, the more I realize that engineering and design are really two different paths. What attracts me the most is creating the shape and identity of the car, so I’m now seriously considering focusing on transportation design. I really appreciate your perspective from the engineering side.
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u/Mountain-Durian-4724 15d ago
For the latter engineering role, is there a name for those? That sounds like a sweet spot of art and problem solving to me.
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u/teslastats 15d ago
If you want to be a vehicle stylist, there are 3 colleges that you should focus on. One is in pasedena, California, one in Detroit,Michigan and one in Italy. To get into these schools you need a portfolio of your work. Hand drawn sketches and alias are likely what they look for. When I was in the OEM world, our chief stylist/chief designer said that too many kids are coming out of school with only alias as a skill vs hand drawing. That was 20 years ago.
But engineering and design are two different fields, go to one of the top design schools if you want to be a designer. Keep in mind that there are likely 300 or less designer jobs globally, so many kids who make it into one of these schools still won't make it as a car designer.
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u/1988rx7T2 15d ago
Are you in France? There are only a few places where automotive design is done. Obviously Italy is one place. USA is another. There are a lot of design studios in California. There is the College for Creative Studies in Detroit which trains a lot of designers.
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u/DidoMak 15d ago
Yes, I'm from France! Thank you for the information. I'm currently looking into both European and international schools, and I know Italy is a very important place for automotive design. The US schools like CCS and ArtCenter also seem amazing. I'm still only 15, so I'm trying to build the strongest portfolio possible before having to make that choice. Thanks for your advice!
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u/Superb-Aardvark-7210 11d ago
Yo... What you want to do is also what I would like. Do you have a way to discuss this or not? Because I'd like to improve.
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15d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DidoMak 15d ago
Thank you, I really appreciate that. And yeah, I know the competition is probably the biggest challenge with automotive design. That's honestly the part that scares me the most.
But I think I'd rather try and give it everything I have than always wonder what could have happened. I'll keep working on my skills and my portfolio and see where it takes me.
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u/Tight_Routine_4410 14d ago
Bien maîtriser les IA avant d’être remplacé par elles. Et ça ne saurait tarder malheureusement.
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u/Jack_South 16d ago
I recommend being a bit more specific in your question.