Bqska, a 15-year-old teen, asked me by email how to get started in Industrial Design Sketching (also called ID Sketching) at an early age, even though he’s super busy with school.
One of his concerns is: Should he start a portfolio now to apply for design school?
If you too wonder the same question, let me help you too sharing the advice I gave him.
1. Your Early Passion Is an “Unfair Advantage”
Bqska, it’s amazing that you are already aware of your love for Product Design as a teen.
You have a huge advantage: Time.
If you keep learning from now on, you’re going to achieve incredible things by the time you reach 18! :D
Learn daily with the right fundamentals of drawing to activate the compound effect, and soon you get an exponential growth!
- I used to love drawing when I was a kid, however, I only know about Product Design pretty late as an adult, and I enrolled in my design school at 22yo.
- You can now laser focus your Industrial design learning 7 years before me! Yeah!
It is never too late to start, and it is never too early neither!
Below an example of my student Lucas (15yo) who made tremendous progress with my course Sketch Like The Pros in just 3 months!
2. Should You Start a Portfolio Now?
I wouldn’t worry about building a portfolio right now.
Just keep it in the back of your mind for later.
- The day you may want to enroll a design school, grab information at that time on the requisite they need to apply. For now, focus on finding your own style without worrying much what a school may expect from you.
- Have fun drawing and explore artists and designers you love.
- Feel free to study them by copying them. Then, you can mix and match the styles you love and create your own.
- You are now in your exploration phase of the world. Feel free to go to exhibitions, museums, concerts, beautiful places, maybe learn about urban sketching drawing in the streets, or drawing products in shopping malls
3. Draw What You Love. Not only Products!
3.1 Create stories
I recommend focusing on drawing what you love. Any topic that interest you, even if they aren’t directly related to product design.
- Manga, comics… these are also great ways to learn the fundamentals of drawing since all of it is connected. You can even try drawing products in different styles, or maybe create props for video games!
- If you love playing Fortnite, for example, spend some time designing new vehicles or weapons for a character you’d like to play with. Fortnite love collaboration. These can be completely original or inspired by existing characters. You would go from player to creator role for the game!
- Merge Product Design with theme that matters to you. Exciting right?
Who knows, maybe one day you may apply for a design internship for Fortnite? And maybe more! :)
For example:
- Imagine creating the environment and full set of props around TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle).
It is their 35th year anniversary! How would their shotgun, vehicle, parachute, hammer… looks like. - To create attractive products, create stories. Remember, a Product Designer is not only someone who can draw well. He is a visual story-teller.
You are 15, create and draw things related to your life exposure to pop culture, daily life is amazing source of inspiration to start with – because it’s fueled with so much fun and authenticity.
3.2 Keep your draft for future reference
Drawing what you love will feed your future portfolio with personality and make you unique. So even if you draw for fun at the moment, keep everything you draw, even ugly doodles. Do not throw your “bad sketches” away.
Beyond polished artwork, recruiters also want to see your creative journey and exploration.
4. Real Life Project
While taking a walk in Santa Monica, I stumbled upon news that Nickelodeon is opening a new TMNT Pizzeria soon!
Imagine this upcoming restaurant in your mind.
Ask yourself: Who are the customers? What kind of experience would they want to have? From there, you can envision everything—from the interior design and atmosphere to the menu, the pizza boxes, and even the design of the pizzas themselves!
Of course, I myself love TMNT because it is from my childhood.
How about you? Which theme would you like to create?
5. Draw to Tell Stories (with Ugly Doodles)
All of these experiences will fuel your imagination.
However, remember there are different level of creativity.
Some people enjoy drawing only existing products, and that’s great for skill-building, but what really matters is developing your creativity as a Designer.
3 level of design creation:
- A: You copy and draw an existing bench. It will help you train your observation skills.
- B: You redesign a bench that helps senior people sit and stand safely. It will train your Designer creative skills.
- C: (Let’s get really creative here!) We miss our grand pa after they pass away. What if at the cemetery, there were a bench to chit chat sitting on a bench with an AI hologram version of them. Coming up with scenarios for the future trains your Story-teller skill.
Think about everyday life, and try coming up with scenarios. When you see things around you, make quick doodles of objects you like and think about how you could improve them. Or notice common problems and think of products that could solve them.
Visual Story Telling Tips
- Try drawing mini comics or storyboards before you even start sketching the actual product. Think about how people will use your solution—this will help you design both the look and the function.
- Draw imperfect with thumbnails, train drawing ugly and fast to drop your ideas in parallel with improving your art fundamentals of drawing
- Don’t worry yet about whether your idea is possible to build—budget, technology… that can wait.
- Dream BIG!! Don’t worry if your ideas look crazy. You want to defy the status quo!
Have a wonderful creative day!
Cheers,
Chou-Tac
PS: A “teen designer” success story
I had a student who also started young and took my course at 15. He later graduated with honors and became a professional designer for Somfy. If you’re curious, you can read about his story here:
The Youngest Student I Know Studying Design Sketching – Interview with Hippolyte Lucas (15yo)
Or also Sharjeel Kahn from Canada who followed my course at 13yo!
More Articles about Young Designers
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