David Lynn, Instructor/Partner | Georgia Institute of Technology
| Laughing Dog Design Studio, LLC From the very beginnings of
automotive design in the late 1800s, automotive design education
has relied heavily on oral tradition, or correspondence, as in
the case of Andrew Johnson, and personal relationships not
unlike those between master and apprentice. The tools and skills
of automotive design have been taught by experienced
practitioners to eager students primarily via demonstration and
word of mouth. This method has produced a rich heritage but
perhaps at the expense of innovation and broader understanding
of the field outside of a relatively small circle of
professionals. Although the number of practitioners of
automotive design is small, the influence is great; over 60
million cars a year are built (McElroy, 2005). The introduction
of computer-based design tools, along with the ongoing
recognition of additional fields that are integral to modern
automotive design (product planning, branding, marketing,