"When you need to check the construction and ergonomics, 3D-printing is absolutely indispensable”, Arkadyi Kalina says, industrial and automotive designer, in an interview for Prototypster

Automotive or car design holds a peculiar place in the field of industrial design and has extensive use of 3D-printing. We have decided to take a close look at this trend. Today our guest is Arkadyi Kalina, a highly professional automotive designer and 3D-modeller. In Arkadyi’s work record we can find such substantial names as Marussia Motors and SmirnovDesign. We met with Arkadyi for the full background on his success story and his views on automotive design.

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Exemplary car: car model combining 5 technologies at once

A few words about educational backgroung

— Arkadyi, what made you decide to become an industrial designer? And why have you decided to choose automotive design?

— I don’t remember how exactly it happened. To tell you the truth I had not thought about my future profession at all up to the 10th grade. I have always liked drawing cars – I drew them in books and textbooks at school. That was a kind of keenness. I had no idea at the time that I would have ambition to turn professional. Then I started attending art school. There’s Centre for Technical Creativity in my hometown Likino-Dulyovo (a town in the Moscow region – editor’s note), and there’s a studio called “Forma” in it. Something like a circle, a study group, where people are drawing, painting, sculpturing etc. The classes were twice a week. I went there together with my schoolmates. Now I am really glad I attended those classes. My teacher is just an outstanding person whom all the members of our team are still friends with.

— Can you say that your teacher had inspired you for choosing your future profession?

— Yes, for sure. Eugene Petrovich Salov is a remarkable person, he is so charismatic! He is an architect. Even now we see each other from time to time.

And by the way, my father works as an engineer at the bus-making factory. So CI can say it has influenced my choice as well. I visited him at work few times and watched him working.

— How did you choose a place for your future education?

— In fact I didn’t have a wide choice. There are only two universities for this field in Moscow: Moscow State Engineering University and Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry. There’s a good department in the latter one as well, but I studied at Moscow State Engineering University.

— How did you understand which trade you want to learn?

— As far as I was fond of automobiles, Moscow State Engineering University prevailed always. The department of design had been established at this university, which trained automotive designers, I mean there were art classes as well as engineering ones. That was more interesting for me. At Stroganov University the emphasis is rather on creativity. Above all, when I was an entrant, the entrance drawing exams at Stroganov University were more complicated than at Engineering one.

 

Viewpoints upon design: industrial and automotive

— What is the difference between automotive design and industrial one? What are the peculiarities?

— The automotive design is probably the most complicated subject area in industrial design just for the simple reason that cars nevertheless are quite complicated mechanisms. There are also planes and helicopters but their technical stuff is more important than aesthetic in my opinion. Cars are bought constantly by many people. Besides its major technical features a car must be also comfortable, safe, and attractive. I mean while designing a lot of issues should be taken into consideration. For example finding a new interesting style and at the same time meeting all the safety requirements.

 

MADI

Racing car project for MADI team

 

— Today the cars are used every day and by everyone. Would you agree that this fact makes automobiles related to product design?

— Yes, I suppose.

— How did you see your perspectives then?

— As far as I studied at the automotive department, I was interested in many subjects taught there. But I wasn’t the best student in group. Somewhere in the middle. Neither the worst one, nor the best one. Nevertheless, I wanted to stay in the profession after graduation. In general, according to statistics only 2-5 graduates from each group continue practicing automotive design.

— How do you think, is it because there’s lack of opportunities in Russia for development of automotive design?

— I think so. On the whole, you can go in for any trend of industrial design but only on conditions that there’s functioning industry that produces something. If there’s no industry, there’s no design as well. Nice pictures are no further use. The real product is needed. And it will be sold if certain tasks are solved.

Anyway the goal of any industrial designer is at least to make a thing that is easy to use. This is the first step I suppose. There’s no sense to make a nice thing which is poorly adapted for use, of course if it’s not an art-object.

— Then why do you think product designers are longing for filling the things with beauty?

— It is great when an object is filled with beauty. But when there’s nothing more but only good appearance – I can’t agree with that. Certainly there’re people who create art-objects and in a sense we can call them industrial designers but they are rather artists. You can create a beautiful object that can be even a piece of art, but only 3, 5 or 10 people will buy it. They buy it and join this thing to their collection but that’s all.

— Tell us please about the process of creating a new product.

— There’re two ways. You may be a creative designer and have a lot of uncommon ideas. For example, you get an awesome idea but with no reference to technology. Then you make a concept. And then you are seeking for people who are able to realize it. This is the first way. For instance recently I’ve seen a project of a highway that is made of luminous panels with the projection of road signs and markings. The road shows you where to turn and the speed limit. The concept is cool, but realization of it, in my opinion, is somewhat unrealistic by now. Especially in Russia, where all the roads are covered with mud when the weather is bad. But the idea is cool of course! Maybe you can already find some technology to implement this idea or maybe in the future such technology will appear. There is such a way.

- And there is a second way, which is chosen by the most of industrial designers. It is as follows. There is pre-formulated task, there are people and there are technologies that should be followed. An example from my experience. Creating a simple locker for workers, for hanging clothes. This is industrial design too, who would have thought! The bottom line is that when there are some serious limitations and technology, the designer is tasked to take what he or she has and to do with this something new, interesting and convenient. And attractive.

 

About projects

— What was your first job?

— After graduation I was invited to work at the ZIL (Likhachev Plant – editor’s note) at the Department of artistic design. And I agreed. Although if there was a cheap salary - something around 4000 rubles in 2000. But I needed experience. And I got there an invaluable experience, automotive and industrial, I would say.

— Based on your experience, how did you understand what the main feature of projects in industrial design is?

— When I started working at SmirnovDesign, the final correct understanding of the entire process came to me. Before that there was a certain chaos. In general, most of the designers after having a conversation with a customer immediately rush to draw something. However, before doing the task, you need to decide what, how, for whom, and why you going to do something. This seems to be a matter of course. But it was not obvious until then. This is typical for design research. Basically, I cannot say that this tool works in 100%. But nevertheless a design study organizes the available information and defines a certain strategy.

Sphinx

Project of Hand-held metal detector «Sphinx»

 

— What is your most interesting project that you remember?

— The first interesting project is a train for the Bombardier Company. When I just came to SmirnovDesign, there was a project "Train for Sochi 2014". We did the external colouring and interior. The Bombardier Company has participated in the tender for supply of trains in Sochi. Unfortunately, as a result Siemens won.

— Please describe what are the stages of work in this kind of project? How tasks are distributed in designers’ team?

— Each member of a team takes that task and does those things which he or she is good at. On such a large project the whole team of designers is working. Then everything depends on the executor and on the task. There are people who feel very well things to be done and can guide others in the right direction. So the distribution of work inside the team depends usually on personal preferences or occupancy of the rest workers involved in other projects.

— How is your workflow constructed?

All depends on the task. The usual sequence of the workflow is as follows:

1. Search for ideas.

2. Collective choice of two or three promising concepts.

3. Development of the selected concepts, sometimes with parallel prototyping.

4. Choose one.

5. Finalization of the selected concept.

In general terms, the designer draws up until a few variants are chosen. Earlier, for example, when there were no computers, after some sketch of the car was chosen, we started modeling it from modeling clay at scale 1:4 or 1:5. Having a look at the form, remade if needed. Then we molded 1:1. For example, while working at ZIL I molded the car full-scale.

ZIL model

Full-scale prototype of the ZIL car made of modeling clay

 

The most interesting is that when computers appeared, plasticine models weren’t refused. Now searching for ideas while hand sketching or with the help of computer at the same time, there can be a process of outline three-dimensional modeling. Then using the ready-made model it is possible to turn the thing on-machine from plasticine on a small scale. Then you look what the thing turns out, what it looks like in real and complete it. Usually full-scale model is made at the end either of plasticine, or of other material to finally check all proportions.

ZIL-model backside

Full-scale prototype of the ZIL car made of plasticine

This model is then scanned and with the help of point cloud modellers build the "right" final surface for production.

I want to say that the work of a designer and an engineer are closely linked. But without a good modeller nothing works now. Modellers are the specialists who take a design sketch and create a three-dimensional model with surfaces the way the designer would want it to be, taking into consideration the technology of production and correct distribution of reflections. A designer can come up with a cool idea, can draw it, but is not always able to model it. Three-dimensional modeling is a laborious process and takes a long time. Designers as a rule have no time to do it.

— What attracts you in work of the transportation designer most of all?

— I just like doing it, this is mine, I consider.

— What helps you in your work?

— The creative atmosphere, command spirit when all are aimed at result.

— Your idols in the field of industrial and automobile design?

— I would say I like the German approach to autodesign, it’s well-balanced, well thought-out. In industrial design I would mark out Ross Lovegrove, I like many of his works.

 

About development prospects

— Looking back on your experience in industrial and transportation design, have you had an understanding of how it is possible to influence the development of industrial design in Russia?

— I don't think that I’ve ever thought about how I personally can affect industrial design in Russia. It seems to me that everyone should just do his work well. Not only a designer but any person. It is sufficient for everyone to have responsible approach to their work.

And as for development of an industrial design... In some sense, the more interesting things appear, the more they draw attention, then there are people who start being interested in something similar. There are customers who earlier maybe didn’t even think that they would need something like that. But suddenly they saw something curious that hooked them, and they understood that it would be tempting to make themselves. Everything develops on a chain. In principle, it happens not in a geometrical progression, it is a slow process.

— Will something change in our country in transportation brunch I mean in automotive design?

There are very good experts in this branch in Russia: both designers, and engineers. And they not only can do much and know much, but also want to develop further. I think that we don't have enough good managers who can organize all this team. To distribute money, to distribute duties, to meet deadlines of projects and to set realizable deadlines, realistic purposes in a right way. Slowly, but a little by little it is possible to develop. The more good managers we have, the more actively branch of automotive design develops.

— So you believe that we have perspectives in auto industry development, don’t you?

— Yes, I do. I think that everything will change for the better. Moreover, it is already changing. The current state of automotive industry: the situation is bad, but it changes for the better. Very slowly, but it is changing.ъ.

Those designers and engineers, who work in automotive industry today, do everything that depends on them. Everyone works, does interesting projects. But we should not forget that the car is very expensive thing in production. To make a good car, it is necessary to invest in it a lot of money. Nobody invest huge money for no particular reason. That means that some plan of development is needed and organizations which will finance this development are necessary.

 

About application of 3D-printing

— What was your first introduction to 3D-printing? And how is it useful in the profession?

— I don't remember the first introduction. Generally, I personally faced it in work with stereolithography and polyamide sintering. Stereolithography was the first technology that I learned about. At institute, being a student, we went on excursion to NIIT Avtoprom, Research Institute of Technologyes for automotive industry. And there for the first time I saw a 3D printer and saw what stereolithography is.

— Have you applied 3D-printing in your projects?

— Yes, of course. At SmirnovDesign, for example, 3D - printing was constantly used. The simplest example where I took part is runners for automobile curtains. Runners on which blinds go. It was necessary to make the printed prototype. We checked how it would work.

After receiving a ready prototype usually something is changed. It is normal practice. For example, in Marussia Motors we printed many details and nodes of an interior of cars. When I worked there, I was engaged at one time in working on deflectors of systems of ventilation. There’s the whole mechanism in such a system! It is necessary to provide adjustment of the direction of streams of air, opening/closing of a stream, etc. We printed details, assembled the construction and looked: here it is necessary to change a little, here to correct.

— How did the work in Marussia Motors affected you professionally?

It was unique experience on a real car. Especially, when we prepared the B2 car for a mass production together with the finnish Valmet Company. It is a pity that production didn't begin: huge work was carried out.

— What future in your opinion does 3D-printing have in the field of industrial design?

— The three-dimensional printing facilitated life considerably. Especially when it is necessary not only to look at a finished product but also to check something in a design or to check ergonomics.

Generally, prototypes are the best proof of advantage of application of 3D - printing in industrial design. I think that the 3D - printing will be actively developing in this direction.

— What would you like to try in 3D -printing? Which of the existing technologies you are interested in?

— I’ve never worked with plaster, for example. Also I would especially like to try 3D-printing with metal.

— What in your opinion is the most important to become an industrial designer? Give an advice to younger generation of industrial designers.

— It depends on age. If the person wants to be engaged in transportation design, he can choose one of higher education institutions which I already mentioned. Very talented people enter those, I mean there is very rigid selection.

It is necessary to prepare since school. The youngster’s head is working in a different way. It is less packed with technologies, but they can generate cool ideas. And it is often appreciated very much in design studios because sometimes the studio prefers even to take some young designer almost without experience, aged 26, than skilled one with experience. Because the first one has fresh ideas and still has no sample thinking.

The most important advice is to practice constantly, to look what colleagues do and not to be afraid to make mistakes.

 
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Filter for replacement: applying 3D-printing for making unique components