ArtCenter: You recently managed the Renault Design Academy India internship — what was the purpose of the project?
Luciano Bove (BS Transportation Design ’98) Design Manager, Renault: It was a new way of recruiting young car designers. We received 400 portfolios, from which we selected four students to work alongside our team.
AC: What was the goal of the internship program?
LB: We wanted to accomplish a few important things: Touch a younger Indian generation through social media (with videos, photos and live news allowing fans to follow the interns) and spread the Renault brand visibility in India to find young, talented Indian transportation design students ready to work.
Today’s generation of design students are often pressured to go straight to Photoshop — I think students should always draw like hell.
AC: What was the most unique design that came out of the project?
LB: All four interns developed different design proposals and a one-fifth scale model. Three of our design VP’s — Laurens van den Acker, Patrick Lecharpy and Anthony Lo — selected Gautam Muthuswamy’s proposal to be made into a full-scale model and unveiled at the New Delhi International Auto Show.
AC: What are you working on right now?
LB: I recently managed the Renault Twizy project with a team of brilliant designers and engineers. Now, I’m working at the Advanced Design Studio exploring new creative and technological design adventures.
AC: How do you define success?
LB: As my father always said, “Work hard, and one day, you will get deserved satisfaction.”
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AC: What’s the one tool you can’t do without?
LB: Paper and an indigo blue Prismacolor soft pencil. Today’s generation of design students are often pressured to go straight to Photoshop — I think students should always draw like hell.
AC: If you could have any car, what would it be?
LB: OK, let’s dream for a few minutes … Lamborghini Countach, the original.
AC: What do you love most about your job?
LB: Being a car designer is more than a job — it’s about passion, creativity, talent, dedication, responsibility, intuition and the opportunity to help make a change for the better.
AC: What’s your best piece of advice for an ArtCenter student who’s interested in following your career path?
LB: Work hard, improve your skills, be disciplined and explore your creativity to its limits, because at work, it will be different. Be curious, don’t snub technical stuff, even if you will learn that at work. Most of all, think about the role you will have in society — a role that only few can correctly exercise. And remember, it all comes from your heart it, goes through your brain and comes out through your hands.