Car design versus product design

Next month, after 40 odd years, I’m returning to my old secondary school to join in the annual careers day. I’ve been asked to talk about design and how this world has shaped my career, and hopefully inspire a new generation of creatives.

My talk will predictably centre on cars but my brief is that it should also appeal to all design disciplines – transport design, product design and maybe even architecture, because surely at school age, these students could choose any such path.

By contrast, the schoolboy Julian was only interested in cars. Upon leaving I was told the best route into my chosen career was to study industrial or product design so, with a portfolio full of car sketches, I eagerly applied to the highly regarded Central School of Art and Design in London. I was rejected before the interview day was even over, and told to go away and think about ‘proper’ design.