INDUSTRIAL DESIGN: I watched a room full of senior ID students get better in real time

Yesterday I sat on a critique panel at SCAD Atlanta with Jose Gamboa, Yiping Wong, and David Singer. Four practicing industrial designers giving direct feedback to students presenting their senior studio work.

We gave them a lot of constructive criticism. Some projects got a full rework recommendation from the panel. But what stood out was the response. No defensiveness, no excuses, just appreciation. We gave the first presenter feedback on their presentation style and room presence, and every student after that walked up and tried to implement those changes on the spot. That willingness to absorb and adapt immediately is rare, and it matters more than talent.

The biggest pattern we kept seeing across projects was the same issue I see everywhere right now. Not a lack of design skill, but a lack of research. Go talk to actual people. Get real insights. Find proof the problem exists outside your own head, find the data to support it, then design and validate a solution. When you present, present like you are the expert on this topic. Because you should be.

Thanks to Owen Foster for the invite and for building a program that clearly values outside industry perspective. Looking forward to coming back.