Professional, Live Online Training in Automotive Design

Founder and President

Essential Skills Instructor

As Founder of Car Design Academy, Eric brings 25+ years of automotive industry experience including Ford, Hyundai and Chrysler, along with several automotive startups and consumer product brands. Most recently, Eric led the design teams responsible for the Mustang Mach E and the all-new Mustang coupe. Eric has also taught automotive design courses at leading design colleges including College for Creative Studies, Art Center College of Design and Cleveland Institute of Art. As a Gravity Sketch certified instructor, Eric has trained professional designers at automotive studios worldwide. Eric currently runs LAUNCH Studio, a creative consultancy in Southern California focused on building and leading creative teams at startups and leading brands in transportation, consumer products, and digital experiences.

Principal  Instructor

 David Scott "Nemo" Neal II is a seasoned design professional with over a decade of experience across multiple sectors including automotive, aerospace, electronics, and more. As our newest instructor at CarDesign.Academy, Nemo brings a diverse portfolio of skills, ranging from analog sketching to advanced 3D visualization. Currently serving as the Design Director at Louder Studios, he has previously led innovative design co-creation projects at Launch Forth, contributing significantly to the development of cutting-edge mobility solutions like the Olli 2.0 autonomous shuttle. Known for his dynamic problem-solving abilities and a deep-seated passion for lifelong learning, Nemo is committed to pushing the boundaries of design and inspiring his students to achieve excellence in their creative pursuits.
 

VR and AI Design Instructor

As Product Expert and Content Creator at Vizcom , Nyko is one of the industry leaders in the development and implementation of generative AI, VR and XR design workflows at automotive design studios worldwide.  Nyko is an experienced transportation designer, and one of the original team members at Local Motors. He has a passion to democratize design through the best available tools and technologies. Nyko has mentored nearly 100 students to enter into the industrial design industry, and he has trained professional desgin teams at leading automotive design studios worldwide as Automotive Design Consultant at Gravity Sketch. Passionate for teaching the next generation, he developed the first Transportation Design automotive design courses for high school students as a teacher in Colorado.
 

VR Instructor

Jaren Dorman is a 3D designer, creative partner and founder of Jaren Dorman Studio, helping forward-thinking companies bring ambitious ideas to life. Through high-end concept development, product visualization, and visual storytelling, his studio transforms early-stage visions into powerful, compelling products that move brands forward. With clients like Oakley, Von Holzhausen, and Zellerfeld, Jaren has had extensive experience working with teams of all sizes.

Come Join Us!

Car Design Academy is seeking talented and qualified people to join our mission to reinvent automotive design education! We are seeking passionate instructors with the following skill sets to offer live online training for the following automotive design courses:

• Basic Sketching & Rendering
• 3D Modeling  in Gravity Sketch, Blender, & Alias
• 3D Visualization & Animation in VRED, Unreal Engine, TwinMotion
• Design Leadership

We are also seeking a Marketing & Enrollment specialist to help us grow our student outreach and lead a robust marketing strategy.

If you are interested, contact us today! 

Giuseppe F is an experienced professional automotive designer, who successfully pivoted his career following a layoff from a failed EV startup during the pandemic. After taking Gravity Sketch live online training with Car Design Academy, he landed a position at GM as lead digital sculptor, and was later promoted to lead the design team focused on leveraging the latest VR/AR/XR technologies to get products to market faster.  

Mathew W landed a professional digital sculpting position at Ford Motor Company in their automotive design studio, after taking our Gravity Sketch live online training. As an aspiring clay modeler, he shifted to digital modeling during the pandemic as design teams transitioned to remote work. Mat uses Gravity Sketch in his day to day work at Ford. 

“I had a great instructor at Car Design Academy. He enabled me to work hard and get out of the automotive design courses what I put in. The one on one sessions are enlightening and individually catered to each student”

Vincent P received a full scholarship at College for Creative Studies, a leading private fine arts college specialized in automotive design, after taking our professional live online training in high school. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree, debt free. 

"Car Design Academy has consistently provided a high level of mentorship and education for its students. I worked with my instructor to develop my skillset and form a deeper understanding of design, beyond aesthetics, in a style which suited me best. Taking automotive design courses with Car Design Academy played a large part in my development as a designer, and my acceptance into college with a very generous scholarship." 

Brett P is a highly experienced car design consultant on the forefront of the latest AI, VR/AR and rapid 3D design methodology. In addition to stints at Geely and Opel, Brett co-founded the leading car design blog. He came to Car Design Academy to get certified in our Gravity Sketch live online training.

"The Gravity Sketch VR automotive design courses were such a great experience, with the Collab working space providing a surprisingly normal and very effective automotive design studio environment for our student group to meet, review our work and brainstorm together. Eric's teaching is professional, top-level and fast-paced. As an experienced designer with a thorough understanding of vehicle architectures and design processes, he focuses not only on how to use all the features of Gravity Sketch but also on how it can effectively address your design problems and integrate into your overall design process." 

Leon K is an experienced architect and conceptual artist who is pushing the boundaries of VR, AR and AI to design vehicles in the Metaverse. He developed his Mobius autonomous luxury concept in our Gravity Sketch live online training, where he was able to envision a spacious, immersive interior space and a yacht-like experience.

“I think the strength of the Car Design Academy automotive design courses is definitely the 1:1 sessions. Another strength is that we were able to learn directly in VR, in the Collaboration room with multiple participants. That was also a really nice and fantastic experience. Really enjoyed it! Another strength is that we were able to gain knowledge from real automotive design industry professionals who have worked in leading car brands”.

Andrej S is an experienced automotive design consultant based in Paris,  who is constantly striving to learn the latest tools and technologies in VR/AR, visualization and AI. 

“Unlike other online automotive design courses, Car Design Academy stands out for personalized and live online training approach to each member. There are plenty of resources online on how to sketch & 3D model. But Car Design Academy is special for its direct interaction with tutors and exchange with other members during weekly reviews. 

You can see your project from another perspective, get a different point of view. This feedback is really important, especially if you are stuck at some point in your project. A small group under 10 people is enabled to have live conversations and direct feedback.  

I find intensives are quite close to the professional design development process by its structure, deadlines, reviews with colleagues, and your constant growth in such a collaborative environment.  All in all, It is a super exciting experience, not only from a design perspective but also for the creative environment and private community.”

Mike H is an experienced product designer at a leading consultancy. He wanted to level up his skills while drawing upon his longtime passion for automotive design.

“The tools and techniques that I've learned in the 10-week automotive design courses have been wildly helpful for my professional career at a consultancy. This live online training has been a great opportunity to receive the coaching, encouragement and growth that comes from school without having to uproot my life and go back to college. For those who want to push themselves to learn new technologies and techniques as well as practice the skill of design and creativity, Car Design Academy is a great experience.”

Dominik G is an aspiring automotive designer who developed strong 3D modeling capabilities through online self-study. After months of consuming video content in other automotive design courses, our live online training program gave him the professional mentoring he needed to really hone his skills. He landed a job as a digital sculptor at Volvo and has since landed a new position at Geely. 

“Car Design Academy helped me to develop and hone my drawing skills, which allowed me to improve the quality of my models. Through our 1:1 sessions in Gravity Sketch, my instructor really helped me understand how to construct beautiful surfaces with good geometry.” 

Mazher U landed a professional design role at Monarch, a CA based startup developing electric and autonomous vehicles for sustainable agriculture. 

“Car Design Academy was truly an enriching experience, as I was able to pick up on a new set of skills and introduce myself to a completely reimagined design process. Our instructor masterfully crafted his weekly demonstrations in live online training sessions where he showed techniques in Gravity Sketch, Fusion 360, Keyshot, Photoshop, and Sketchbook Pro. Upon completion of these automotive design courses, I’ve become more confident in my quest for developing a unique automotive design process and visual communication techniques.”