JOONAS VARTOLA, graduated from Industrial Design in 2006. Graduated from Royal College of Art Vehicle Design in 2009. Specialized in vehicle design
What do you do for a living?
-I’m a vehicle designer at Tesla Motors in Los Angeles. Tesla designs, manufactures and sells premium class electric cars. My main areas of responsibility include exterior and interior design. As we have a small team, I also focus on components to an extent.
Why did you choose this specific field?
-We didn’t engage in designing cars so much in Lahti, but previous graduates from the Institute of Design influenced my decision to get involved. Vehicle design is the most comprehensive and challenging form of industrial design that I know. So many elements need to be considered when designing a car, such as the interior, exterior, details, driveability, appeal, duration, price, aerodynamics, multifunctional interiors… Cars have fascinated me since I was small, but I’m not a car fanatic and can’t even fix one.
What inspires you as a designer?
-I am a passionate follower of minimalism. I get incredibly excited about new structures, and natural forms are an endless source of inspiration to me. I love to draw – it is one of the reasons I chose to specialise in vehicle design, as most of the work is carried out by drawing or sculpting surfaces, textures and outlines. An exterior of a car always aims for perfection.