Boundless
Flying over to Munich was an exhilarating experience. Bound by the notion of interning at a Bavarian company, more so, BMW; was an opportunity I found myself struggling to comprehend. My mind was filled with questions concerning software proficiencies, first impressions and how the skills I fostered in University would transfer into a fast-paced work environment. However, upon meeting our extended innovation team and experiencing their alacrity firsthand, I quickly grew accustomed to the upbeat and friendly nature of the office. Having settled in and eager to make the most of my 9 months here I began exploring what München had to offer while diligently developing my skills in 3D visualisation.
As an industrial design student with 3 years of experience at QUT, my software knowledge favoured hardware manufacturing programs such as Solidworks and Fusion 360. These programs work synergistically with rendering software’s such as Keyshot, Octane and Cinema 4; however, when I was forced to step back and analyse my product within a larger network of interactive models I realised that my skill set needed to incorporate aspects of game design workflow - enter Blender 2.8x, my primary modelling software for BMW. This new ‘game ready’ workflow presented a new perspective to model creation and I quickly found an appreciation for model topology, procedural texturing, and game ready asset creation. Rather than relying on the hard skills developed throughout my time at university, I found that the soft skills of teamwork, deadline management and attention to detail, complemented the project’s software demands. By the 4th month of my internship, I had come to acknowledge the flexibility of an industrial designer’s skillset and found myself consistently reminded of our value as I explore the numerous facets of 3D simulation workflows.
When I first arrived in Munich, COVID 19 was on the verge of being declared as a pandemic, and I found myself quickly transitioning to home-office for the first 2 months. During this time, I had the pleasure of watching the snow-white cover of winter melt away as spring and summer breathed new life to the English gardens, and subsequently to the Romanesque city itself. Bustling with excitement I prepared to immerse myself in Europe’s landscape; both natural and artificial. From Bavaria’s state library, constructed in 1832, to the snow-capped mountains of Königssee Lake, or even the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg – an adventure is only a few hours away! Traveling and exploring the diverse cultural history is an intrinsic part of the internship and having the right people to travel with has made the experience incredibly memorable.
BMW has helped me grow as a designer and helped foster a newfound taste for Design within all forms of 3D visualisation. The enthusiastic and supportive team here at Munich have fostered my passion and helped forge a bond between colleagues that extends well beyond the office. This internship has highlighted the important role designers play within various workflows’ pertaining to machine learning, AI driven simulations and real-world logistics management, while simultaneously observing the delimitation between traditional Industrial design consultancy and a more contemporary design role. Industrial design, as I have experienced, is truly boundless and I am excited to see what the remainder of my internship has to offer.
Epifanio Pereira
BMW Group Design Intern 2020