Automotive design for young people: a complete guide to training, career and first steps
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When a teenager spends hours drawing cars on any available paper, this is not a pastime. It is a concrete indication of a vocation. Automotive design is one of the most competitive and valued careers in the global creative industry, with professionals working for Ferrari, BMW, Lamborghini, and electric mobility startups. And the best part: serious training begins long before college.
In this guide, we explain what automotive design is as a professional area, what a car designer does on a daily basis, how international training works and why Italy, especially Milan, remains the world reference for those who want to enter this career. If your child is between 15 and 18 years old and loves cars, this article was written for you.
What is automotive design?
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Automotive design is the area responsible for creating the shape, aesthetics, and visual experience of vehicles. It goes far beyond the “beautiful car feel”: every line, every proportion, every interior or exterior detail exists for a functional and emotional reason.
It is a discipline that combines:
- Artistic skills (technical drawing, visual composition, aesthetic sense)
- Knowledge of engineering and ergonomics
- Mastery of digital tools (3D software, rendering)
- Manual techniques such as clay modelling (clay modeling)
A good car designer needs to understand how the car moves, how the driver interacts with the interior, and how the shape communicates the brand's identity. It is the work of an artist with the reasoning of an engineer.
What does a car designer do on a daily basis?
An automotive designer's routine varies depending on the project stage and the specialization within the team. In practice, there are three main areas of activity:
Exterior design
The exterior designer is responsible for the car's silhouette. It works with proportions, surfaces, air intakes, headlights and the visual identity of the body.
The process begins with hundreds of hand sketches, quick studies of form and proportion. Then, the most promising concepts evolve into detailed digital renders. Then, the best renders saw physical clay models for light and volume analysis on a real scale.
Interior design
The interior designer defines the cockpit: dashboard, center console, seats, ambient lighting, and the tactile experience of each surface. With the arrival of electric and autonomous cars, this field expanded, the interior became a space for living, not just driving.
Color & material (C&M)
Less known to the general public, the Color & Material area defines the color, texture, and material combinations of each version of the vehicle. It is a specialization that is in high demand among premium automakers.
- Concept phase: brainstorming, hand sketches, mood boards
- Development: digital renders, material selection, engineering validation
- Prototyping: clay model or 3D printing for volume analysis
- Approval and refinement: adjustments in conjunction with product and marketing teams
Why is Italy the world reference in automotive design?
That answer is not a matter of taste. It's history.
Italy is home to the largest independent automotive design studios in the world. Italdesign, founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1968, is responsible for iconic projects such as the VW Golf, the Alfa Romeo Alfasud and the De Tomaso Mangusta. Pininfarina signed decades of Ferrari. The Centro Stile Alfa Romeo is located in Milan. The Ferrari Design Center is less than 300 km from the city.
In addition, the Motor Valley region, on the axis between Modena, Bologna and Maranello, concentrates Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati in a few square kilometers. It's the only place in the world where the child can visit supercar factories as part of the training.
Milan, especially, is the world capital of design by definition. The Politecnico di Milano has been training industrial and automotive designers for decades. The IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) and the Domus Academy have campuses in the city. The ADI Museum dedicated to Italian design is located in the center of Milan.
Studying or doing an intensive program in this city isn't just about learning technique. It's about immersing yourself in the cultural environment that produced the most influential designs of the last 70 years. Also check 3 fascinating destinations to study Italian in Italy if you want to know more about the country as a learning destination.
How does automotive design training work?
What is the traditional path?
Complete training in automotive design involves a specialized degree. The most globally recognized universities are:
- Politecnico di Milano (Italy) — Transportation Design course
- Royal College of Art (UK) — Vehicle Design, master level
- IED Turin (Italy) — undergraduate and postgraduate degree in Transportation Design
- Domus Academy (Milan) — intensive programs and postgraduate programs
- ArtCenter College of Design (USA) — Transportation Design
The selection process of these institutions requires a strong visual portfolio. It is not enough to have high grades, the candidate must submit projects that show creativity, technical mastery of design, and the ability to develop a concept from start to finish. See more about how to build a competitive portfolio at 5 essential tips to stand out in the university selection process.
Can a 15-18 year old get started now?
Yes. And starting early makes a real difference.
There are two complementary paths in this phase:
- International High School: attending high school abroad, especially in countries with a tradition in arts and design, already exposes young people to a different environment and develops a portfolio in parallel.
- Intensive design programs: such as European summer camps, which teach professional techniques — sketching, digital rendering and clay modelling, in an immersive environment.
A young man who, at 17, already has a portfolio with refined sketches, a digital rendering and a 1:10 clay model built by himself comes to the university selection process with a concrete advantage over other candidates.
For those who are still in high school and are thinking about international training, Be Easy's High School program may be a first step in structuring this path.
What is clay modelling and why is it still taught in the best schools?
Clay modelling is the technique of constructing physical models of vehicles in industrial clay. BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini still use full-scale clay models even with advanced 3D software available.
Why?
- The human eye perceives volume, light, and shadow differently on the physical object than on the screen
- Minor variations in curvature that go unnoticed in 3D are evident in the clay
- The physical model allows designers and engineers to evaluate proportions together, in an intuitive way
The industrial clay used in automotive design (Industrial Plasticine) is heated to be malleable and worked with specific tools. The models range from 1:10 models (for concept study) to full-scale versions for final validation.
Learning clay modelling while still a teenager is a rare differential. Few schools teach this outside the university environment and knowing how to work with the material already demonstrates serious technical commitment in any portfolio.
What skills does a young person need to develop to pursue a career in automotive design?
There is no single profile. But some traits consistently show up in successful professionals in the field.
Technical skills to develop:
- Hand drawing: especially perspective, proportion and transport lines
- 2D and 3D software: Photoshop, Keyshot, Alias Studio or similar
- Physical modeling: clay modelling, 3D printing, paper models
- Fluent English: the automotive industry operates globally in English
Profile features:
- Detailed observation of shapes, volumes, and details of the environment
- Interest in how things are manufactured, not just how they are used
- Aesthetic critical sense, knowing why one design works and another doesn't
- Ability to communicate ideas visually, not just verbally
It is worth noting: automotive design is different from automotive engineering. Engineers solve how the car works; designers define how it looks and how the driver feels inside it. The two fields collaborate, but require different profiles. If your child is in doubt about which of the two paths to take, this warrants a serious conversation about skills and interests, not just about salaries or the market.
What are the career paths for an automotive designer?
The traditional market involves the big carmakers. But the sector is expanding in ways that create new opportunities for those entering the profession today.
Traditional employers:
- Premium manufacturers: BMW Design Center, Lamborghini Centro Stile, Ferrari Design Center
- Independent studios: Italdesign, Pininfarina, Bertone, ItalDesign
- Tier 1 suppliers: companies that develop visual components for automakers
New fields created by electric and autonomous mobility:
- UX cockpit design: with autonomous cars, the interior becomes a work or leisure environment and requires digital experience designers
- Color & Material for EVs: visual identity of electrical brands such as Tesla, NIO and Rivian
- Urban mobility design: scooters, e-bikes, scooters and shared-use vehicles
- Brand design: creating the visual language of new players in the mobility sector
The transition to electric vehicles does not reduce the demand for designers; it creates new fields that are still being defined. Professionals who graduate now have the chance to help build that visual language.
What does your child learn in 2 weeks in an intensive automotive design program in Milan?
Intensive programs are not a substitute for graduation, but they provide something that graduation rarely offers right from the start: contact with real professional techniques in an immersive environment, still in adolescence.
In a two-week program focused on automotive design in Milan, the student undergoes:
- Automotive sketching fundamentals: perspective, transportation lines, study of proportions
- Digital rendering: Work on the concept in software with light and simulated materials
- Clay modelling: Build a 1:10 physical model with industrial clay
- Technical tours: visits to studios and museums in the sector (such as Italdesign, the National Automobile Museum and the Pagani Automobili factory)
- Final presentation: defense of the concept developed throughout the program
At the end, the student comes out with three concrete deliverables: refined sketches, a digital rendering, and a 1:10 clay model made with their own hands. This set forms a real portfolio for university applications.
Studying abroad has an impact that goes beyond technique. As unexpected abilities that a young person develops while living abroad adaptability, autonomy, and cross-cultural communication appear in an accelerated way in immersion programs like this.
How to assess whether an intensive automotive design program is serious?
Not all programs deliver what they promise. As you search for options for your child, note:
- Methodology: Does the program teach real techniques (sketching, rendering, clay) or just a theoretical introduction?
- Deliverables: Does the student build a concrete portfolio at the end?
- Teachers: Do the instructors have experience in the professional automotive industry?
- Excursions: are there visits to real studios and manufacturers, not just classroom classes?
- International support: Who accompanies the young person on a daily basis? Is there a support structure for teenagers traveling alone?
A serious show doesn't just sell the “being in Milan” experience. It sells technical training with verifiable deliverables and teachers who come from the industry.
Frequently asked questions about automotive design for young people
Does a career in automotive design have a real market outside Brazil?
Yes. The main hires are made by European, American, and Asian automakers. Professionals trained in automotive design usually work abroad, the market is genuinely global. Fluency in English and a solid portfolio open doors at any automaker in the world.
At what age can my child start preparing for automotive design?From the age of 15, it is now possible to participate in intensive professional programs. The sooner young people have contact with sketching, rendering and clay modelling, the stronger and more differentiated their portfolio will be for university selection processes.
Do you need to know English to participate in an intensive program in Italy?
Yes. Programs conducted in Milan by industry instructors are taught in English. An intermediate level is sufficient to follow classes and communicate on a daily basis, but fluent English is indispensable for a professional career.
What is the difference between an automotive design summer camp and a design college?
A summer camp is an intensive, short-term program of 1 to 4 weeks, focused on specific techniques and portfolio building. The college is a long training (3 to 5 years) that covers theory, history, practice, and internships. The two complement each other: the summer camp prepares young people to become competitive in the graduation selection process.
Does an automotive design certificate made in Italy have value in the university selection process?
The certificate itself is an additional item, but what really matters are the program's deliverables: sketches, renders, and physical models that make up the portfolio. An application with a portfolio built in a professional program in Milan stands out because it demonstrates real and technical commitment acquired in an industry context, not just in the classroom.
Be Easy
Be Easy offers the Automotive Design & Future Mobility program, with 2 weeks in Milan for young people aged 15 to 18. The program includes 30 hours of classes with industry professionals, clay modelling, digital rendering, visits to Italdesign, the National Automobile Museum and the Pagani Automobili factory, as well as full support for the student throughout the stay. Your child leaves with a real portfolio and an international certificate. To learn more about dates, content, and program structure, contact us.
