Emily Moyer on Embracing AI and The Importance of Relationship Building and Networking for Industrial Designers

The Design Journeys Podcast

Episode 10 of the Design Journeys Podcast hosted by Chris Whyte. New episodes every other Wednesday!

In this episode, host Chris Whyte interviews Emily Moyer, an independent industrial design strategy and innovation consultant.

Emily has worked with big brands like L'Oreal and Nestle, as well as startups like Aura Home and Bark & Co.

She shares her career journey and highlights the importance of user experience and problem-solving in design.

Emily also discusses the trends she's seeing in the industry, including advancements in design tools and AI.

In this conversation, Chris and Emily discuss the importance of understanding the limitations of design tools like GPT and Mid-Journey. They compare it to the process of designing in industrial design, where it's crucial to flesh out concepts before diving into 3D modeling. They also talk about the elements of a strong industrial design portfolio, including versatility and sketching.

Emily shares a success story of a prescription bottle design that won an award and a failure story of a wearable keyboard that didn't meet consumer expectations.

They discuss the challenges of business development for independent consultants and the effectiveness of personal posts on LinkedIn.

Emily recommends the book 'I Love It, What Is It?' by Turner Duckworth and the podcast 'Design Theory' by John Murielo.

She also mentions Hector Rodriguez and Jonathan Tai as valuable resources in the design industry.

Emily can be reached on LinkedIn or through her website, EmilyMoyer.com.

Takeaways

• Industrial design involves creating physical consumer products that people use every day.
• User experience and problem-solving are at the core of industrial design.
• Advancements in design tools and AI are shaping the industry.
• Collaboration and in-person meetings are still valuable in the design process.
• Building relationships and networking are important for career growth in design. Understand the limitations of design tools like GPT and Mid-Journey and know how to get the best out of them.
• Flesh out concepts before diving into 3D modeling in industrial design.
• A strong industrial design portfolio should showcase versatility and include sketching.
• Success story: A prescription bottle design won an award for design of the decade.
• Failure story: A wearable keyboard didn't meet consumer expectations.
• Business development can be a challenge for independent consultants, but consistency and personal posts on LinkedIn can help.
• Recommended resources: 'I Love It, What Is It?' by Turner Duckworth and the 'Design Theory' podcast by John Murielo.
• Connect with Emily on LinkedIn or through her website, EmilyMoyer.com.

Connect with Emily Moyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-moyer-1b49973/

Connect with Chris Whyte on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrchriswhyte/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about Kodu Recruitment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://teamkodu.com/⁠