Posts tagged dilip chhabria

Automotive Sketching Workshops are Back!

Nov23
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

Do you wish to sketch like pros?
Do you want to learn tips and tricks of the craft?
Do you want see your super-cool ideas magically come to life on paper?

Then this workshop is perfect for you.

DYPDC’s Learn from the Masters automotive sketching workshop is a day-long workshop where our expert faculty will take you through the basics of automotive sketching: right from the process of car design to car segments to perspectives, volume, balance, shading, and a lot more. Our wonderful faculty will coach you one-on-one, and teach you quick tips and tricks to master the art of sketching and ways to get progressively good at it.

This focussed workshop will equip you with the skills and confidence that will help you build great portfolios and prepare you for an exciting career in automobile design.

Who’s Eligible?

Apart from having a burning desire to be an automobile designer, the participant should have cleared his 12th standard, or should be in his or her final year of graduation or have completed his graduation.

Duration and Venue

• The first workshop will be held in Pune at the DYPDC Campus

• More workshops will be held in major cities across India. Last year we successfully conducted these workshops in 8 cities including, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Indore and Kolkatta.

• Information regarding venue and time will be provided to you in due course, after registration.

• All stationary items required for the workshop will be provided by DYPDC

• A certificate of participation will be presented to all the participants.

• Tea/coffee, snacks and lunch will be provided.

Cost

A nominal fee of Rs. 1000 will be charged per participant. For working professionals the fee is Rs. 2500. The fee needs to be paid in advance either through a cheque or a demand draft, the details for which will be provided to you, and will include cost of the workshop, certificate, lunch, tea/coffee and snacks.

Please note that if a participant applies to the undergraduate or postgraduate program in automobile design at DYPDC, the workshop fee will adjusted against the DYPDC application fee.

Registration

If you wish to be a part of this exciting workshop, register your interest by calling us on 020 – 3061 0506/7/8 and speak to Raman or Kailash.

Hurry, we only have limited seats!!

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DYPDC’s Learn from the Masters Workshop

Nov23
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

DYPDC’s Learn from the Masters day-long automotive sketching workshops were conducted in 8 cities, such as Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, with the idea of teaching participants the basics of automotive sketching: right from the process of car design to car segments to perspectives, volume, balance, shading, and a lot more. The sessions concluded with the evaluation of participants’ work.

These focussed, one-of-a-kind workshops were aimed at equipping students with the skills and confidence to build great portfolios, and give them a little taste of the exciting lives of automobile designers. Our expert faculty coached the students one-on-one, and taught them quick tips and tricks to master the art of sketching and ways to get progressively good at it.

The idea for such a workshop came about when most of our applicants expressed apprehension regarding their sketching skills.

Some applicants said: “I would love to be an automobile designer. I breathe, talk, sleep cars, but my only problem is that I’m slightly weak when it comes to sketching.”

Others said: “I have the ideas in my head but I can’t translate those ideas on to paper.”

This posed a concern for us. On one hand we needed students with such a burning desire to be automobile designers, but on the other hand we couldn’t admit students with average sketching skills. The answer lay in our desire to teach them, to give them the tools and to see if they could cope up. They did. The workshop results were amazing. We were thrilled to see their faces when they gave shape to the ideas in their heads.

One of the reasons these workshops were a great success was because of what the participants took away with them: the confidence to sketch well and a sense of accomplishment. The high point for them was the drastic change in their sketching output, the before-after results. It was also exciting for them to be among people who spoke their language, perhaps for the first time in their lives. They felt the energy of this collective passion and enthusiasm for automotive design.

So those who have been constantly emailing or calling us to inquire about the future workshops, get ready to unlock the designer in you. We will soon conduct several sketching workshops across the country. Get in touch with us to know eligibility requirements, registration process, workshop fee etc.

On a special request, we also conducted sketching workshops for reputed schools like IIT, Mumbai and VIT, Vellore.

For more details call us on 020 – 3061 9507/8 and speak to Ramandeep or Kailash, or email them at Raman@dypdc.com or kailash@dypdc.com respectively.

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Mr. Prasad Boradkar – associate professor & coordinator, Industrial Design program, Arizona State University

Aug12
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

We have had a great induction week-2011 so far. We have had some of the best visiting faculty who have graciously shared their valuable knowledge with our students. One such gentleman was Mr. Prasad Boradkar.He is an associate professor and coordinator of the Industrial Design program at Arizona State University in Tempe, USA. He was at DYPDC to talk to our students during their induction week.

Click below to watch the interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu3VZrO1ltc

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Dilip Chhabria’s Paintings to be Displayed at Atelier

Aug12
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin


Renowned automobile designer Dilip Chhabria who has worked with the design centre of General Motors, USA before branching out as a successful auto accessory designer and manufacturer with his company DC Designs, has another creative facet to him — an artist. “I welcome the chance to display my work whenever I get an opportunity. If someone calls me and if I find the venue to be progressive, I exhibit my works in that venue as my art needs to be popularized. In this context, the Atelier store goes well with my art.

Honestly, not many people have seen my new passion and so any venue is welcome. My art is all about cultivating intrigue and putting my views across from an artistic point of view. My view is that my art should have the ability to stop you. While walking by, you should step back and say wow! My work has a strong form and use of colour. It is automobile inspired art, my hallmark,” says Chhabria.

So, how did he turn to art? “My customers liked my cars and so I thought I would also paint.” He adds, “I was drawn to art decades ago when I started my career and used to go abroad for work. I would visit art galleries in those cities and an interest was created. When I looked more intensely, I realised that what I saw could be recreated in other ways. For example, Mona Lisa which could be copied thanks to technology. Art as I saw it lost its absolute intrigue. I wanted create original 3D art which cannot be copied.

Thus the 3D aspect was born. Also, success comes to you when others keep away. My knowledge of auto designing could be used for art — it is unique and difficult to create. You can call automobiles my muse.” Practising art also helped him to be sensitive towards automobile designing and vice versa. He also realised that despite the canvas being small, it was not bound by regulations.

When asked about his automobile designing business, Chhabria reveals, “The list of my clients in Pune is growing. Though this city has a big market, most of my business is done in north India.

I have a showroom in Delhi.” According to Chhabria, “When someone works on a car design, it is an asset and one is expected to give money for this asset. If the design does not go right, the money goes down the drain. You might see it as a glamourous field, but it requires high skills. Many Indian auto companies do not get the design right and go abroad for it. Also, the best designers do not want to work for anyone.

I was a designer for a company abroad and then worked on my own. If my work was good, I got the benefit and it gave me an impetus to work on my own. In my company, we have no attrition rate. If you enjoy your work, others enjoy your work too and the customers want to flaunt your work, how is there a competition?” What next? “I work on 20-30 cars in a year. I am always asked by people ‘why can we not buy what our company designs for the celebrities?’ I am working on this. In two-three years, I can come out with a Ferrari-like car for the common man.”

• Dilip Chhabria’s works will be displayed at Atelier, ITI Road, Aundh from August 13-23

SOURCE:
http://www.punemirror.in/article/63/2011081220110812053053420ea70e903/Amused-by-cars.html

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Driven by Design

Aug09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

When you were little and sketching cars on every available surface and pleaded with your parents to get the new alloys you saw in a magazine, did you ever think that these would be the kind of skills that would someday be in demand? You can finally put that energy and passion to use and make a career out of it. In our attempt to give you the best available options in car designing, we realised no one does it better than the India’s car design guru himself, Dilip Chhabria (DC). Using design as a differentiator, DC has made true the mantra, ‘good design is good business’, by establishing a design-based company in 1993 in Mumbai. In 2010, he established DYP-DC in Pune, a design school to lead talented and interested students in his path.

The industry

India is the second fastest growing automobile market in the world. Competitiveness between brands and an increasing presence of global brands in India is the key to this demand. The auto manufacturing industry is also witnessing robust growth — 25-30 per cent annually which is what is creating a demand for talented designers. In 2010, India produced more than 3.5 million automobiles (an increase of 33.9 per cent from 2009).

The beginning

Car designing has emerged as a new and dynamic field in India and is still in its nascent stage. Design helps you make radical or instrumental changes. Automobile design implies taking into account several elements: function of the car, market, production, distribution, promotion, price reduction and increase in safety, ergonomics and environmental concerns. “In the last ten years, I have received queries from youngsters on where they can learn to design cars and what they need to do. Parents come up to me and say, ‘My son wants to be you.’ Cars signify glamour, power and sex appeal and very few products compete on a desirability point of view. We have the requirement, but no history of education in car design,” says Chhabria.

This thought led to an idea five years ago, which was then pursued by Chhabria and Ajeenkya Patil of DY Patil University, Pune. This culminated in the establishment of DYP-DC Centre for Automotive Research and Studies.

The campus

Located in the 100-acre DY Patil Knowledge City in Pune, amidst hills and farmland, there couldn’t be a better location for creativity to kick in. They offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in automobile design, which is residential in nature. Basic requirements in students are the skills to visualise and sketch and an ability to think and create something new.

The course

The three-year UG course costs `5 lakh per annum and the two-year PG programme would come up to `7 lakh per annum. This includes the cost of materials required, which will in many ways prevent any kind of disparity among students. Scholarships are given on a case-to-case basis. Each batch would comprise only 20-30 students because a course like this requires personal attention from teachers and more practical work.

The courses include study of design fundamentals, automobile design studios and digital tools along with basic design, colour theory, drawing and digital 3D modelling. The subjects in the curriculum are basic automotive engineering, basic aerodynamics, vehicle architecture, automotive product planning, vehicle structures, vehicle packaging, materials and processes.

Eligibility

There is a common misconception that automobile engineers are better suited for designing. “It is not so,” says Hrridaysh Deshpande, director, DYP-DC. “In fact, engineering graduates have to be made to unlearn what they’ve already learned to be more in tune with designing needs,” he adds.

Automotive designing is restricted and regulated for the most part, because of engineering limitations, cost issues and strict automotive regulations to adhere to. With the remaining freedom, one has to create something new that doesn’t resemble the past, cater to the brand needs and create something that will be wanted by both client and customer.

The DC factor

Chhabria is hands-on in terms of curriculum and interaction with students. They have designed the campus to have wood and metal workshops for students where they will work on models, a library, and state-of-the-art computer labs with interactive displays, prototyping machinery and 3D printers. They have a design critique session every week, with Chhabria as the moderator and they discuss the pros and cons of a car model, with insights from him. The concept of examinations has been modified to include assignments and juries, which will help build a student’s portfolio.

Mentors

They have eight full-time faculty members from prestigious institutions with industry experience. They also have four faculty members from abroad — Emanuele Nicosia, has worked with Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Peugeot and Cadillac, and Mizuho Tomita Nicosia, design planner and conceptor, has collaborated with big brands like Subaru, Nissan, Honda and Daihatsu. Their visiting faculty includes Sang Koo from the School of Industrial Design, Hanbat National University in South Korea, Patrick Roupin, MD of Kovent Infotech, Vikas Satwalekar, former director of National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Henri Christaans from Delft University of Technology, only to name a few.

“I believe that DYP-DC has set very ambitious goals for the institution. We are talking of a school that will become a reference in car design in India. This is a fascinating dream and I would be pleased to be part of it. I am putting my competence, knowledge and enthusiasm as contribution to this programme,” says Nicola Crea, who teaches automobile designing at University of Chieti, Politecnico di Milano and University of Genoa and is a guest faculty at DYP-DC.

Industrial connections

Students get a chance to work with Chevrolet and DC Designs, only to name a couple. “Students can earn `25,000-`1 lakh per month as starting salary, depending on the company and skills,” says Abhijeet Bhoge, faculty at DYP-DC. They are working towards arranging placements with some of the prestigious design houses and companies, since their second batch will only begin in August 2011. Admissions are still open. For details, log on to www.dypdc.com

The auto industry, being an organised sector offers a vertical growth path. So you not only have a job, but also a career when you step out of DYP-DC. It will merely be an extension of your passion, which you get paid for, with no monotony whatsoever.

What makes DYP-DC different from schools abroad? Deshpande explains, “Firstly, it is too early for a comparison. Secondly, this is a unique programme which has been enhanced by the DC factor. There are no stake holders in other schools with content knowledge. DC is a brand himself, therefore it is important to uphold that. Thirdly, it is solely for car designing, whereas the focus is dissipated in other schools. Fourthly, we provide a feasible, practical and balanced approach to design, technology and business, which are all factors to be considered while designing a car. And lastly, students here will be envisioning, researching and creating a car from scratch to present their finished product in their last year.”

Interaction with students keeps 56-year-old DC in touch with the young and fresh minds, which are always brimming with ideas. “There is a lot of talent, curiosity, growth and hunger in the youth of India. They are incredibly networked and well travelled. They have the same hunger to do what they want as their compatriots. The

problem is not them, but they need to be led. A hard mentality and regulations will go nowhere in moulding youngsters,” says Chhabria. He believes research is exceedingly important and to envision or produce a car that is required by the country in the next ten years. It is important to subject students to that intensity.

Dilip Chhabria — The Auto Guru

“As far back as my memory takes me, I’ve been crazy about cars, drawing on walls, tissue and whatever I could lay my hands on. It was and still is an obsessive interest,” says Chhabria.

After finishing his bachelor’s in commerce from Bombay University, he stumbled across an ad from a foreign varsity that invited applicants for car designing course. That is when he realised that car designing was a possibility. He went to Art Center of Design, Pasadena, USA, in 1974 for four years. He worked another year at General Motors, USA. He realised he could never work in a stifling environment, where you could only design a part of the vehicle. He returned to India, with no pressure from family and started a car accessory business mainly for Fiat and Ambassador cars, which was hugely successful, especially among the affluent.

In 1993, when he had made enough money, he established DC Designs in Mumbai, with the sole aim of offering design and prototyping services to the Indian OEM (original equipment manufacturer) industry as well as customized one-off solutions to the independent buyer.

He tells us, “In hindsight, I don’t believe you can succeed if you don’t put your back to the wall. If you have choices, you don’t succeed.” He is motivated to leave behind a legacy for his children. He strongly believes that it is no longer enough to be creative; one needs to have a business sense and a keen marketing sense so that you can think of niches to exploit. In a competitive environment, design is the only thing that sells. Design speaks for the brand.

Source: Article on DYPDC on the New Indian express website: http://expressbuzz.com/topic/dyp-dc

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The Great Chris Bangle

Aug09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

“Bangle is arguably the most influential auto designer of his generation.” – Phil Patton, New York Times, February 20, 2006.

And one look at Bangle’s work is enough to conclude that Patton isn’t exaggerating. Bangle is and will continue to be one of the icons in the automotive industry, for no one else has had the kind of impact he has had in the field of automobile design. Bangle started his career at Opel after graduating from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena. His next stop was Fiat, where he designed the Coupe Fiat. In 1992, BMW named him Chief of Design. He was the first American to be offered this position. It is his excellent, fearless work with BMW is what he is known for the most.

Some of the faculty members of DYPDC Center for Automotive Research and Studies caught up with Chris Bangle when he was in India recently, and had the great fortune of indulging in chit-chat about design and his philosophy, amongst other things.

Mentioned below is the transcribed version of their interaction.

According to Chris there are quite a few elements that make a design stand apart, that make it distinct, unique in comparison to others. It has to have an element of brilliance. Jaws should drop. It should be the first one to solve an existing problem. So in that sense, it has to be futuristic. The design should be timeless and distinct. It should be so awe-inspiring that it shifts paradigms, in the bargain, inspiring others. It should have this quality that makes others want to be “it”.

Chris said to be a successful designer one needs to learn to challenge everyday doing; to respect convention but not be bound by it. He said culture does play an extremely important part in shaping a person. It plays a crucial role in design as well, he said. He advised designers to be aware of it; to be courageous most of all and not be afraid to do what you really want to do.

He also spoke about the things a designer should keep in mind while designing a car. He said he would like to discourage in designers the thought that there’s something called a “women’s” car, and that if you make one, no one will buy it. He advised designers to never fall in this mindset or be racist against small cars. Also designers should always follow proportions surface detail while designing, he added.

When it came to his design strategy, he said he followed 10 steps, which are as follows:

Step 1: Understanding the dogmas: i.e. what I am, what I am not

Step 2: Finding the metaphor

Step 3: Re-thinking the metaphor

Step 4:

(a): Just thinking…a lot

(b): Thinking what culture can do

(c): USP

Step 5: Making a bold Conclusion (here he talked about 7 series, Bangle Butt)

Step 6: Evolving Metaphor

Step 7: Defining in action

Step 8: Preparing to take heat (talked about the job of a design head)

Step 9: Leveraging my resources

Step 10: Empowering my team

The faculty of DYPDC Center for Automotive Research and Studies are absolutely thrilled that they got to spend time with one of the greats of automobile design and are already looking forward to meeting Bangle the next time he’s in town.

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Design is the practice that allows dreams to come through.

Aug09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin


Nicole Crea is a design manager and consultant for product development. He has worked as a car designer at Pininfarina Concept Institute, Fiat, Mercedes-Benz cars and Giannini. In 1992, he ventured into designing of boats and motorcycles. He started his consultancy, “Victory design”, an engineering studio devoted to yacht design based in Naples. Upon moving to Germany, he worked for “Daimler-Chrysler” at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design studio in Sindelfingen (Stuttgart), from 1996 to 1998. From 2006 to 2008 he headed CISME (Centro Interdipartimentale di Studi sulla Mobilità Ecosostenibile), research center of studies on sustainable mobility. He is also the member of scientific committee as well as coordinator of all design activities for Tulton, a company that specializes in development of new products. He is a professor at the University of Chieti, and regularly collaborates with the Politecnico di Milano and University of Genoa.

He was gracious enough to answer some of our questions when he was at our campus.

Tell us a bit about your background. What you’ve been doing? What you intend to do in the future?

I was born in 1957, I am a car design manager, expert in industrial product development. I am also a university design teacher.

In 1982 I graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (U.S.A.), in transportation design. The same year I moved to Turin, in Italy, where I started working as a designer for “Pininfarina Studi & Ricerche”.

From 1983 to 1986 I worked as a senior designer at “I.DE.A. Institute”.

In 1986 I was hired by Fiat Auto as design manager and studio chief in charge of exterior design of Fiat cars. Later and until 1992, I worked as manager of exterior design of Lancia cars at Centro Stile Lancia in Orbassano. One remarkable result of this engagement was the development of the Lancia Delta Integrale.

In 1992 I started my collaboration with “Giannini Automobili”. I was engaged as director of design and in charge of the development of new products. In only four years, I achieved the task to qualify Giannini as “carrozzeria” in ANFIA, Italian national association of coachbuilders.

In 1996, at the Turin International Auto Show, Giannini, in parallel with all the major Italian coachbuilders, has been invited by Fiat Auto to develop a show car based on the new Brava. Giannini presents Windsurf, a coupé with very advanced aerodynamic concept, which I entirely conceived and developed.

Meantime, since 1992, I widened my professional interest to the design of boats and motorcycles. I started consultancies with “Victory design”, engineering studio devoted to yacht design based in Naples, and “Majestic Auto”, Indian industry producer of motorcycle and mopeds. In both cases I had the opportunity to transfer my specific knowledge and the development technologies in use in the automotive field to these other product sectors.

From 1996 to 1998, I moved to Germany to work for “Daimler-Chrysler” at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design studio in Sindelfingen (Stuttgart).

From 1999 on, my engagements are shared between consultancies and teaching. In fact in the following years I’ve been involved with the Universities of Pescara, Genoa and the Polytechnic of Milan as a teacher in their courses of studies.

During this period of time I developed projects with several companies such as Tecnema, Picchio, Bizzarrini and Tasso (now Italcar) in many cases creating a synergy between industry and the academic world. I organized my research activity by creating, with prof. Michele Platania, CISME (Centro Interdipartimentale di Studi sulla Mobilità Ecosostenibile), a center of studies on sustainable mobility. In 2006, I became director of the research center. Meanwhile, I became member of the scientific committee as well as coordinator of all design activities of Tulton, company specialized in new products development.

Since 2007, I’ve been with the Politecnico di Milano, where I teach and perform my research activity and tutorship of the master on Automobile Design organized with Alfa Romeo. I am now member of the research unit of Advanced design (UDR ADD). I am also member of the commission for evaluation of new patents of the Facoltà del Design of the Politecnico di Milano. I am also project leader of interdisciplinary projects for the Alta Scuola Politecnica (Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino).

I am in charge of Strategic Design course at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Genova.

Since 2009, I’ve been with the Scientific Committee of Milano car design, in the capacity of President. It’s a company devoted to research, design and production of prototypes and special vehicles and in charge of design development and consultant for D.EA. srl (Design and Architecture).

The ambition for the future is to do always better in my work and try to achieve something remarkable in terms of new products, as well as in my academic activity.

What does design mean to you?

Design is one of the most complex human activities. It is a mix of technology, art and social science. The core is innovation. Innovation has the peculiarity of being interdisciplinary. This requires the contribution of other competences. With the wide range of knowledge involved, coordination and organization of projects plays a fundamental role. Moreover, any project must be the development of a new idea, it cannot be the execution of some acquired know-how, as in case of some other disciplines. Design, also, is a way of expression, a communication mean. Design is the practice that allows dreams to come through. Man will always desire. This is why design practice will never stop.

How did you get interested in Automobile Design?

I started to read numbers on car plates, I recognized cars by looking at their wheels, I started to recognize sound hearing the noise of different cars, at school all my notebooks were full of car sketches. I started to play with cars, use them, take them apart, paint them, modify them. I could recognize cars anywhere. I could tell the date of first registration of a car by reading the number on the license plate. At 18 years old, I started to race cars and I had parts all over in my bedroom. I started buying, selling, exchanging and collecting cars. In my life I’ve owned about 90 cars, with a maximum of 15 at the same time. I used to believe that each one of them had a different spirit.

What’s the scope of automobile design in India?

Mobility allows a better life quality. Mostly saves you time, so you can have a more intense life. In developed countries people spends a lot of time inside their automobiles, which has become a sort of prosthesis of our ego. For this reason cars have a representative function which has to be coherent with the culture of the owner. The scope of automobile design is to conceive complex products to supply population with tools and services that people expects. The most interesting challenge it would be to understand exactly what an automobile means to Indian population and its culture and to do our best to design it.

Tell us a bit about your role as visiting faculty at DYPDC

I am offering my experience as a teacher and car designer to the development of DYPDC

What are your thoughts about DYPDC? About what it is trying to achieve?

I believe that DYPDC has set very ambitious goals for its institution. We are talking of the vision of a school that becomes a reference in car design in India and, why not, that spreads its reputation all over the world. This is a fascinating dream and I would be pleased to be part of it. I am putting my competence, my knowledge and my enthusiasm as contribution to this program.

What advice would you give to upcoming designers?

To be a designer is a very special job. It needs a lot of knowledge and a lot of competences. To become a designer takes time and patience, but when you got there, in my opinion, it is one of the most rewarding professions (not necessarily from an economical point of view). So, if you have that special spark inside, it’s worth working hard for it.

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Design is not just about aesthetics, it’s a way of thinking – Henri Christaans

Aug08
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin


It gives us immense pleasure to announce that Henri Christaans, a world renowned industrial designer, will be one of the guest faculties at the DYPDC College. Henri Christiaans (1947) is an associate professor at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of the Delft University of Technology (TUD). He also is a visiting professor at the University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), The Korean University of Technology (South Korea) and the Fachhochschule Voralberg (Austria). Furthermore Henri is member of PATO-board (Post-academic Education in Technology) and chairman of PATO committee ‘Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering. Besides he is working as an editor-in-chief of the ‘Journal of Design Research’.

The following is an interview of Henri Christaans conducted by the communications team at DYPDC College:

What does Design mean to you?

Henri: Interesting question. Design to me is not just the outer appearance or aesthetics of a product. Design for me, is a way of thinking. When a designer is designing a product, he has to keep several things in mind. Design process starts with analysing a problem followed by extensive research. He has to know who his target audience is, what’s the present environment or situation, whether the product will be relevant in all situations.

Design has to bring change of some sort, it has to add value, make the product stand out. But most important of all is that a designer should bring his own touch to every design of his, because that’s what makes it special.

Tell us a bit more about your background?

Henri: I pursued Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, then later did a PhD from the TUD university on a dissertation entitled ‘Creation in Design: the role of domain knowledge in design’. That was my first tryst with design and I have been fascinated by it ever since, 25 years, to be precise.

Presently, I perform research in the directions of design process, thinking, methodology and cognitive ergonomics.

How do you see India in terms of design?

Henri: India has quite a distance to cover in terms of design and that’s what makes it exciting. There are only a few qualified, talented designers while the jobs are aplenty. The demand has always been more than the supply.

What do you think of the DYPDC College?

Henri: I have a good feeling about this college. It has the necessary set-up, infrastructure and facilities to conduct a program of this magnitude. The other good thing is that you are planning to have small batches, which means the quality of graduates produced will be top-notch. This is a great initiative because I believe education plays an important role in spreading awareness about the role of design in the society.

What’s the biggest high for a designer?

Henri: The biggest high for a designer is to see his product in the market, to see his months of hard work finally bearing fruit. But, it is also important for a designer to see his client happy.

Who is your favourite designer?

Henri: My favourite designers include Raymond Fernand Loewy, Marcel Wanders, Philip Starck and I’m also a big fan of Droog Design’s work.

Any words of advice for upcoming designers?

Henri: The best advice I can give to upcoming or aspiring designers is to be yourself. Never try to copy anyone. Develop your own style.

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Eero Miettinen – My world is a better place through design

Aug08
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin


It gives us immense pleasure to announce that Eero Miettinen, a world renowned automobile designer, will be one of the guest faculties at DYPDC. Eero has received the highly revered Kaj Franck Design Award and is on the board of directors of the Design Forum Finland. He has worked with some of the biggest names in automobiles, including Sisu Auto Ltd in Finland and Saab-Valmet Ltd as the design head. He has also worked with Nokia as the group design director.

The following is an interview of Eero Miettinen conducted by the communications team at DYPDC College:

How’s your stay in India been so far?
Eero: Very good actually. I love coming to India. But I don’t find time to do the things tourists generally do because my schedule is always very tight.

How did you get interested in Automobile Design?
Eero: I was born a designer, drew cars since I was two and still do. Fortunately it also became my passion and profession.

How do you see India in this respect?
Eero: India has been doing very well for itself. You have this rich heritage. I commend Indian car designers for being so successful for such a long time in this highly competitive market.

We’re thrilled that you will be one of the guest faculties at DYPDC College. Tell us more about that.
Eero: I’m equally thrilled to be a part of this initiative. Incidentally, I also teach design back in Finland at the Alto University, so this will further help my desire to share my experiences with the new generation of automobile designers.

Could you share a bit more on DYPDC College and what it is aiming to achieve?
Eero:Despite of having a huge heritage of car designers, India still has only a handful of design schools. DYPDC College is a great initiative. There is an increasing demand for good automobile designers and DYPDC College will plug this gap.

What is design to you?
Eero:All objects that we use have to be ‘designed’ – be it a simple object like a cup or a more complex one like the car. Cars are complicated to design. When you design a car, it’s not only about the exteriors, it’s also about designing the proper interiors and also considering safety measures. The designer needs to know the work and functioning of the car. A good designer has to champion both engineering and designing. My world is a better place through design; hopefully the world is a better place through my design.

What’s the biggest high for an automobile designer?
Eero: The biggest high for an automobile designer is to see his creation taking shape and then finally being driven around the world.

Could you tell us a bit about the possibility of collaboration between DYPDC College and Alto University?
Eero: Since I’m doing a similar thing in Finland at Alto, this is a very good foundation for collaboration and exchange, and is a great opportunity for both schools. And one of the best ways for collaboration would be through projects.

Any words of advice for upcoming designers?
Eero: Everyone wants to be an automobile designer, but we shouldn’t compromise on quality in the bid. You need to be very dedicated if you want to be a good designer. A designer should also be aware of his/her social and environmental responsibilities. One needs to find out ecological solutions such as alternative power sources. The infrastructure, that is, the roads and the streets should be in a proper condition for the increased efficiency of the automobiles.

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There’s nothing you can’t do

Aug08
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

Dilip Chhabria: the man who challenged conformism

The lyrics of a famous song by the band, Vitamin C, go something like this

Do, do do what, do do what, do do do whatchulike

Whatever, whatever, whatever you choose,

Everybody wants to tell you what to do,

Whatever, whatever, whatever you do,

This is your life to lead

Make sure you’re doing what you please

Respect yourself, express yourself

Let yourself go, you know, there’s nothing you can’t do


And that’s exactly what Dilip Chhabria did. He did what he wanted to do. He chose to go to the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena to pursue Transportation Design, his dream, his life. At a time when medicine and engineering were the safe career choices, ‘respectable choices’, he went after something completely unimaginable, never bothering about what was acceptable and what wasn’t. He did what his heart told him to.

Here I feel the need to quote from the Samsonite advertisement:

‘In the journey of life, there are two roads to choose from: The first road is an easy one with street signs and shortcuts. It has the approval of the world. The second road is much harder, full of hardships and obstacles with no hand to hold or map to guide. But when you walk on it, you make way for millions of others. Which road are you on?’

Dilip Chhabria chose the second road, and has today made way for thousands of automobile enthusiasts. He has showed them that, yes, being an automobile designer is a great career option. Today Dilip Chhabria’s design firm, DC Designs, has over 650 designs on road, which is no mean achievement. DC Designs is also the largest auto accessory maker in the country. Among his clients are big movie stars, politicians, and top business honchos.

About his job, DC says, ‘I quite like my job as I’m able to dream with other people’s money.’ He is by far the biggest and the most famous automobile designer in India today, and has put us on the world map as a design-centric, design-capable nation.

But who’s going to carry on the legacy? What will be the future of automobile design in India?

The answer is – Big. Bright. Beautiful, and how?

Over the years DC has had several automobile enthusiasts ask him the same question: I want to be an automobile designer. Can you please guide me?

There are many others with such ambitions who have little idea about how to get there. Fair enough. While there are several hundred design schools around the world teaching all forms of design, there are only a handful that teach Transportation or Automotive Design.

A serious dearth of talented automobile designers, and increasing interest among young aspirants to learn automobile designing, gave birth to DYP-DC Center for Automotive Research and Studies, an association between the DY Patil Group, the pioneers in higher education and Dilip Chhabria, the iconic automobile designer.

In the words of Mr. Dilip Chhabria, ‘DYPDC College is my personal passion, and I am going to drive this institute to make sure it produces the best automobile designers. Presently there are no credible programs that plug this gap between demand and supply of world-class automobile designers. DYPDC College is here to fill that void. Automobile Designing is a hot-hot field. It’s an exciting career choice.’

On his role he says: ‘I’ll be involved with the program on three levels. First: I’d be on the jury and act as the chief mentor for my students. Second: I’d be in close contact with the faculty and constantly try and reinvent the curriculum, teaching methods, keeping it fresh and dynamic. Third: I believe like love, design is a matter of heart. The institute will aim to develop skills that embody this philosophy, coupled with business and manufacturing dynamics.’

‘DYPDC College is a boon in view of the impending explosion of automotive growth in our part of the world.’

Why are dreams so important? They give you the courage to think beyond convention, to fling your short-sighted glasses away and allow you to take in the bigger picture. Everyone dreams, but only those who go after them and persevere, make them come true.

So dream and dream big and do whatever you want to do in life. Be it automobile design, acting, singing, dancing, writing, directing – just jump in and have the nerve to keep on walking on that road even when it seems impossible to take one more step. Do it. And it will happen.

I would sign off with this wonderful quote:

“To dream anything that you want to dream. That’s the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.”

- Bernard Edmonds

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