I see Math, Data & Computing as the logic behind good design. It helps designers make smart choices based on numbers, patterns, and performance. For someone like me, who wants to design high-performance, sustainable cars, this means using data to understand how vehicles work, how users behave, and how to improve design outcomes.

I worked with data in various stages of the design process, applying fundamental analytics skills to inform our decisions. For example, I helped design and analyze user surveys, using data cleaning techniques to remove inconsistencies and focus on relevant insights. I applied descriptive statistics to interpret user preferences and visualized the results through clear, communicative graphs. This allowed us to identify which features were most valued and prioritize them in the design. These real-world applications helped me understand how user behavior can be translated into design choices, reinforcing the role of data-driven decision-making in creating more effective, user-centered solutions.

 I’m still learning how to deal with larger, more complex data sets, but I’ve improved a lot in organizing data visually and drawing conclusions from it. In the future, I want to explore how simulation tools and predictive models can be used to make clean energy vehicles more efficient, something that aligns strongly with my goal of designing for high-performance and sustainable cars.

Technology & Realization is about turning ideas into real things by building, testing, and using the right tools and materials. This is a crucial skill for an automotive designer because no matter how good a design looks, it also needs to function well, be safe, and be built using the right techniques.

This year, I learned a lot about working with Arduino by building small interactive systems. I created things like a navigation tool using a magnetometer and a retro racing game that reacted to steering input. These projects helped me understand how sensors, code, and hardware work together to make things move, respond, or give feedback. I also got better at using inputs and outputs and sending information between the Arduino and the computer.

In my current project, I brought all of this together by building a working prototype using Arduino and a QMC5883L compass sensor. This let us create a screen-free travel experience where users interact by changing direction. It showed me how smart technology and physical interaction can work together to create meaningful user experiences, something that’s important for my goal of designing future vehicles that are both intelligent and user-friendly.

I’ve gotten better at realizing ideas, but I still want to learn more about CAD tools and digital fabrication. Programs like Fusion 360 and SolidWorks are important for automotive design because they allow you to test aerodynamics, simulate movement, and prepare models for manufacturing. Mastering these tools is part of my PDP because they directly support my vision of designing high-performance, energy-efficient vehicles.

Design & Research Processes are about selecting and adapting design methods to effectively tackle specific challenges. I closely relate to this area because the Reflective Transformative Design Process (RTDP) resonates with how I want to grow as a designer, by iterating, learning from users, and improving through hands-on experimentation.

This mindset is reflected in both my projects. For example, in one, we discovered through user testing that certain fonts were hard to read under impaired conditions. That insight led us to choose more legible alternatives. We also found that interactive minigames created better engagement than traditional quizzes, which taught me to prioritize playful interaction in future designs. In another project, we used user surveys at the beginning to guide our concept, and we are now preparing for testing using think-aloud protocols and observations.

These iterative processes align perfectly with my goal of becoming an automotive designer who creates smart, sustainable, and user-centered cars. That’s why I’ve included regular self-reflection and design improvement goals in my PDP. One of my design-focused goals was to sketch a car every week and reflect on it. This helped me approach design problems more thoughtfully and train my mindset of constantly refine concepts, just like in my project work.

By applying the RTDP approach alongside my weekly car sketches and reflection habits, I’ve learned how important it is to connect personal discipline with user-centered design. This cycle of planning, trying, testing, and improving supports my long-term goal of designing next-generation cars that address real-world needs through continuous refinement and meaningful user involvement.