READ THIS BEFORE YOU BOOK!
WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A CAR DESIGNER
To have any realistic chance of landing a design job at a major car company, you must earn a bachelor's or master's degree in transportation design from Art Center, College for Creative Studies, or one of a handful of leading European schools. This field is hyper-competitive. There are far more talented applicants than there are studio seats, and there is simply no other viable way to gain the edge. If someone tells you otherwise, they are selling you something.
WHERE YOU LIVE MATTERS AS MUCH AS HOW YOU DRAW
Design studios exist where the automotive industry exists: the United States, Europe, China, Japan, Korea, and a few other established markets. If you don't live in one of those countries, you must plan to immigrate to one.
This isn't a footnote. Your immigration plan — school admission, visas, sponsorship — is as important as your portfolio, and you should be thinking about both from day one.
WHAT CAR DESIGN ACADEMY OFFERS — AND WHAT IT DOESN'T
We offer no degrees and no certifications. What we offer is live online training and personal mentoring from working professionals, focused on one thing: developing the skills and the portfolio that get you through the doors above.
If you're looking for a credential, we're not it. If you're looking to get dramatically better, keep reading.
3 KINDS OF STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM OUR TRAINING
High school students
Preparing portfolios for admission to a leading design school. Some of our students have landed significant scholarships on the strength of that work.
Design school students
Already enrolled at a top design college and looking to gain an edge among their peers — the peers they'll be competing against for internships and jobs.
Working professionals
Leveling up on the latest tools and technologies, including AI-assisted design and mixed reality, to stay competitive in the studio.
3 AREAS OF TRAINING
Core drawing skills
The foundation everything else is built on. Perspective, proportion, form, and the sketching fluency that studios still hire for first.
Digital design with AI
Using today's AI tools the way professional studios actually use them — to explore faster and iterate further, not to replace your own vision.
3D modeling in mixed reality
Building forms in tools like Gravity Sketch, the same mixed-reality workflow now standard inside OEM design studios.
WE ONLY WORK WITH SERIOUS STUDENTS
We only take on students who are hard-working, committed, dedicated, and carry a mature level of professionalism, regardless of age. This isn't posturing; it's the reality of the field. Only through hard work and dedication do you have any chance of making it. We take a handful of students at a time. If you're exploring casually, this isn't the right fit — and that's okay.
THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
Tell us about yourself — where you are now, where you're trying to go, and what you're prepared to put in.
Learn more about how we're training the next generation of automotive designer through live online training and personal mentoring.
Learn the Essential Skills
Our live online automotive design training will teach you everything you need to start your journey, from basic car sketching, to digital rendering and 3D modeling.