I am going to say right away that there are a lot of people who can draw, and make pretty pictures. To actually design a car on the other hand, to actually understand what design is, and the technical elements behind design-- that requires a special kind of person. In the real world, the design community is relatively small and closed BECAUSE it requires people who are willing to consistently face technical and political challenges, and who are consistently willing to make compromises while still making sure most of what they initially conceived makes it to production. It should be made clear that there is quite a difference between a beautiful rendering, and actually designing a vehicle or product within a company. At one of the schools I went to there was a student who had great connections to the industry, and he interned at Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, and GM. His rendering ability was quite amazing, and he could easily outdraw the teachers and a lot of pro designers. However when he graduated, none of the companies he interned with hired him. So he began working for a small advanced design studio. Recently one of the large automotive companies he did a project for rejected his work, despite the fact it was beautifully rendered. This may seem really strange, but here is why: The person in question rarely respected the technical elements, and company design language. While he was creative, what he designed were not cars, but characatures of cars. They were beautifully rendered, and incredibly emotional. But a designer with 30 years of experience under him can easily look right through the renderings and see if the vehicle is buildable, and if it corresponds to what the company needs.
Another student, in the same exact class was offered a job from GM in less than 30 seconds after the two heads of recruitment saw his masters project. His work was clear: He understood what a vehicle was, the technical constraints, the buildability constraints, the material usage, as well as the emotional impact, environmental impact, and usability. His drawings were extremely clear, concise, and simple. His presentation was much less 'intense' than the other students, but one look and you knew this kid knew what a car was. When he told GM that he already had a job with another company, GM offered double the pay, right on the spot! That is how badly they wanted this kid!
There is a lot of creative talent out there, but knowing how to use markers and photoshop and Alias or other 3D programs doesn't cut it anymore. I don't purport to know everything about the industry, but I have spoken to a fair amount of designers and heads of design in the industry to know what they want.
The industry is in need of polyvalent, multi-faceted designers: People who are capable of doing incredibly good hand sketches, as well as photoshop renderings. People who have some knowledge of 3D software, but are not dependent upon it. They are looking for people who can draw a Car and RESPECT THE PACKAGE that is given to them. One of the first things that designers are given is a package. Most of the time you don't have the right to change the angle of the windshield. Sometimes the wheels are only 14' and you are asked to create an aggressive looking design. Being able to understand the packaging, and respect it is a HUGE part of being a designer. Having the technical knowledge to understand that there is the wheel, and then the tire, and then you need to account for the room the wheel will need to turn and move vertically when it hits a bump. Having an understanding of Ingress and egress ( getting in and out of a car) and ergonomics is also extremely important.
What a good designer is is someone who can take a package and the functions that this package enables ( visibility, placement of passengers, placement of motor, placement of wheels etc.) and turn that into an emotionally pleasing, beautiful object that makes onlookers turn their heads twice. Rarely is it the other way around.
One of the recruiters from VW told me a few years ago that to him getting a job at VW wasn't that difficult: The prompt was to simply take any VW car, like the Golf or Passat, and design the next generation of it. He said he would always tell students 'I want drawings of cars, not cartoons. I want to be able to take one look at your drawing and be able to see it on the road tomorrow' and then he said that he rarely got that; students would always send him cartoons full of emotion, and only sometimes would he get the 'boring' yet buildable-tomorrow drawing.
So while it may seem like the industry is getting inundated, I challenge you to go through the San Francisco competition and look at how many out of the 125 submissions actually respected the package and the brief provided by LM. While this competition was for fun, and while LM is pretty lenient at this stage, the industry in general doesn't accept excuses. Disrespecting the package or submitting a design that had little to do with what was asked for would pretty much get you fired.
While it may seem like there is a lot of competition, it depends on how you look at it: Yes, there are a ton of 'Rendermen' out there: people who can do incredible renderings in photoshop, or do amazing drawings. This is no small feat, and they are to be greatly acknowledged. They do have their place but this is an area where there is a lot of fierce competition: You have to be the best of the best to get a job, much less keep it. It is similar for 3D modelers and animators. But the competition dwindles when it comes to well rounded designers who have a deep understanding of the world around them and what the problems and challenges facing society are. These are the people who are consistently curious about their surroundings and are always trying to see how they can improve whatever they touch? They have no boundaries and take an interest in everything-- technology, materials, fashion, products, world news, what bacteria look like, the history of the bow and arrow, etc.... random things like that.
A good designer's job is to take elements around them and translate these elements into a product that will ultimately improve the lives of others. It requires the ability to research and extract what is important, the ability to think differently, the ability put yourself in someone else's shoes and try and see the world from their point of view.
Every member of the LM community is capable of being a great designer, and rising above the others. It just requires thinking about design beyond the drawing and 3D model, beyond the car or product-- but treating it as the solution to a problem.
You mason are at a HUGE advantage because of your age, and because you are such a proactive member of the community. You are smart, you are skilled, and you are unafraid to ask questions. Your curiosity will take you far, and your consistent thirst for knowledge will only guarantee you success. That being said, I wouldn't worry too much about your future. Continue working hard and asking questions. Stay involved with LM, and participate in every competition you can from here on out, be it LM, Michelin, etc. Learn as much about anything that interests you as you can. Honors English classes ARE actually a good thing-- yes, even designers have to write from time to time. If you focus on your dream, it will come true. The sky IS the limit
