Well here we go! A quick update…

So after graduating from Humber College, I had set out on the graduate routine of trying to find a job. It wasn’t very nice. More discouraging really. I was splitting my time working at Via Ciclante wrenching on bikes and at Apparatus as a volunteer for this project.

The Evergreen brick works project was something I had volunteered for back in December? I forget, but it was only intended as a Charette (3 day design challenge) where a group of designers and industry professionals would discuss topics of relevance. For the group I was with; it was designing a vehicle for 2040. Once the charette was over we latter learned that they wanted the project to be presented to the public and they asked for aditional work… this then went on through thesis and afterward. My job was to help design a movie and the interface of the vehicle we designed. Myself and Victor (senior designer @ Appararus) colaborated with Patrick Dias to make the final video(s). Here and here

It eventually got to a point where I had to stop working on the project with Apparatus because I would be losing more money than gaining from my paid job at Via Ciclante, and I needed money! Thesis left me broke! But no hard feelings I was very lucky to be a part of the team!

In between the end of school, the Charette and the thesis show I went on a school trip to Germany with 20 other classmates for 12 days. We travelled to the three largest cities in the south: Frankfurt, Stuttgard, and Munich, because most of the group was focused in the automotive sector. We visited the major automotive museums (BMW, Mercedes and Porsche), and also some technical/ design museums that showcased the very best of German design and engineering (Braun Museum, Sinsheim Museum, Schmuckmuseum-Jewelry-Museum, Pforzheim School, Deutsches Museum and Frog Design). The best was when we went to Frog design and I had a portfolio critique by Holger Hampf! head of design at Frog Munich and previous head of design at BMW Design Works in California. Finally to top off our trip in Germany we had dinner at the Haufbrauhaus! All I can say about Germany that sums it up quickly is the efficiency that the country runs at: the trains are on time, you do not need to own a car because public transit goes every where and I have no idea how anyone can live off just beer, potatoes and meat!? All in all it’s a country way better than Canada… just saying.

Once I got back from Germany I begun to Mountain bike race on Tuesday evenings at Kelso. My best placed finish was 2nd. See the image from that race here

I also spent my Wednesday evenings taking the INDU902 course at Humber college with Klaud Wasiak as the Professor.

As for the jobs… what started out as a small teaser from Cannondale soon left me hanging because I would not be able to get a work visa in time. Being a Canadian disaponts sometimes… I also applied to Apparatus; but they did not have any space for me. It was hard to hear no after no, I even heard of friends who were told they won’t get hired because they were too young!? But soon I found something… Faction Bicycle Studio was hiring an industrial designer, and so was Norco bikes. I applied to both. Faction was better! Way better!

Now as I right this blog post, I’m all the way up north in Cicoutimi Quebec. Its colder here than Toronto at a balmy 24 degrees compared to the 34++ at home. Chicoutimi in case you don’t know is 2 hours north from Quebec city, and is the last major city before the mighty wilderness of the Quebec far north, and oh I forgot, je ne parle pas en francais. (I don’t speak french)

T-mac